Tue, Jul 25:Flew to Rome
Leaving rainy Berlin.
Banking into a left turn down into Rome.
Arrived in Fiumicino.
Our hotel.
Car with miles and memories, seen during initial walk around suburb near hotel in Rome.
Wed, Jul 26:See Rome
It's not true that they turned off all the fountains in Rome because of the drought. You just have to know where to look. Here, for instance, are my feet soaking in the cool, fresh water of the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola built in 1612 to mark the end of the Acqua Paola aqueduct, first major fountain on the right bank of the Tiber river.
At the Campo di Fiori, I paid my respects to Giordano Bruno, Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet, memorization expert, and cosmological theorist who died by being hung upside down and burnt alive at the stake in 1600 for denying the Catholic doctrine of the day. Rest in peace, Giordano, you were a clear-thinking geek who lived in dangerous times.
Gisi photographic John the Baptist by Caravaggio
Resemblance of Guido Reni's portraits of Cleopatra and Lucretia at the Capitoline Museum with Karla and Tari in math class.
Hannah and Karla overlooking the Forum Romanum.
Thu, Jul 27:Basilica and Vatican Museums
Cherub seen in St. Peter's Basilica.
Dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Seen shining through the near 2000-year-old roof of the Pantheon in Rome: the rays of every god (Πάνθειον = Pantheon = temple of every god). This is one of the most impressive buildings I have ever been in, simple and profound.
Ice cream cones from Caffè Giolitti, Rome. Oddly, in Rome they always ask to put whipped cream on your ice cream cone. I tried it but personally don't need it.
Impressive group of statues on the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome.
Balcony of the Pope.
One of my favorite sculptures seen at the Vatican: incomplete angel with exposed wires in wings, apparently a clay-and-straw preparatory model meant for bronze casting, created by Bernini during his work for the St. Peter's Cathedral.
Most unique set of portraits seen at the Vatican Museum: a series of astronomical observations including the position of the moon and planets commissioned in 1711 by the Bolognese Count Luigi Marsili from the painter Donato Creti as a gift for Pope Clement XI, a patron of the arts and sciences. The purpose of these paintings was to convince the Pope of the importance and usefulness for the Church to have an astronomical observatory, which was apparently effective, as shortly thereafter, with Papal support, the first such public observatory in Italy was set up in Bologna.
Always a joy to find, seen in the Vatican museum on Thursday, a bust of Antinous, a Bithynian Greek youth and infatuation of Emperor Hadrian, who, after Antinous' death, deified Antinous and founded an organized cult devoted to his worship that spread throughout the Empire.
Vanishing point photo of the day: Gallery of Maps seen during yesterday's visit to the Vatican Museum.
Most intense scene on a tapestry seen in the Vatican Museum: The Massacre of the Innocents, depicting the account from the Gospel of Matthew, apparently the same tapestry that hung at Raphael's school in Brussels.
Seen in the Sistine Chapel, my workout goal for June 2018: to attain Jesus' biceps, upper body, and six-pack stomach muscles.
Seen on floor of Vatican: an intricate mosaic.
Apartment building attacked by nature, Borgo Pio, near the Vatican.
Public Rome drinking fountains: Waiting for a Rome bus (which have no schedules and don't come very often, so you have lots of time to observe city life as you wait) we watched as dogs would come up and lap water out of this drinking water spout, and people would come fill their water bottles, and when people wanted to drink out of it, they would plug the end of the spout with their finger so that the water came shooting out of the top of the spout. It looked so engaging, I had to give it a try myself.
Weather looking good for the rest of our stay in Rome.
Fri, Jul 28:Chill at Hotel
Morning planning session.
Camouflaged insect barely seen today: cricket on a tree.
Sat, Jul 29:See Rome
Nonplussed experience yesterday in Rome supermarket: finding 30+ different kinds of coffee but no coffee filters, asking three different store personnel who each found various things that might be called coffee filters but in the end, like us, could find no coffee filters. So this morning, having no coffee filters, my ingenious wife used a paper towel, which works splendidly.
Family portrait at the Museum of Modern Art
"Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto." The story is centered around the incredibly cool and popular Sakamoto, a genius who is well liked by both girls and boys. Despite the strange situations he may be in, Sakamoto always manages to fix the problem in absolute perfection while still being over the top.
Sun 30:See Rome Bus 990 to Piazza CavourWalk around RomeMon 31:Santa Marinella Beach Bus 990 to Piazza Cavour train ride to beach train ride back to RomeTue 01:See Rome Bus 990 to Piazza CavourWalk around Rome Wed 02:Return to Berlin depart Fiumicino arrive Berlin TegelRome 2017 Journal
Leaving rainy Berlin.
Banking into a left turn down into Rome.
Arrived in Fiumicino.
Our hotel.
Car with miles and memories, seen during initial walk around suburb near hotel in Rome.
It's not true that they turned off all the fountains in Rome because of the drought. You just have to know where to look. Here, for instance, are my feet soaking in the cool, fresh water of the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola built in 1612 to mark the end of the Acqua Paola aqueduct, first major fountain on the right bank of the Tiber river.
At the Campo di Fiori, I paid my respects to Giordano Bruno, Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician, poet, memorization expert, and cosmological theorist who died by being hung upside down and burnt alive at the stake in 1600 for denying the Catholic doctrine of the day. Rest in peace, Giordano, you were a clear-thinking geek who lived in dangerous times.
Gisi photographic John the Baptist by Caravaggio
Resemblance of Guido Reni's portraits of Cleopatra and Lucretia at the Capitoline Museum with Karla and Tari in math class.
Hannah and Karla overlooking the Forum Romanum.
Cherub seen in St. Peter's Basilica.
Dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Seen shining through the near 2000-year-old roof of the Pantheon in Rome: the rays of every god (Πάνθειον = Pantheon = temple of every god). This is one of the most impressive buildings I have ever been in, simple and profound.
Ice cream cones from Caffè Giolitti, Rome. Oddly, in Rome they always ask to put whipped cream on your ice cream cone. I tried it but personally don't need it.
Impressive group of statues on the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome.
Balcony of the Pope.
One of my favorite sculptures seen at the Vatican: incomplete angel with exposed wires in wings, apparently a clay-and-straw preparatory model meant for bronze casting, created by Bernini during his work for the St. Peter's Cathedral.
Most unique set of portraits seen at the Vatican Museum: a series of astronomical observations including the position of the moon and planets commissioned in 1711 by the Bolognese Count Luigi Marsili from the painter Donato Creti as a gift for Pope Clement XI, a patron of the arts and sciences. The purpose of these paintings was to convince the Pope of the importance and usefulness for the Church to have an astronomical observatory, which was apparently effective, as shortly thereafter, with Papal support, the first such public observatory in Italy was set up in Bologna.
Always a joy to find, seen in the Vatican museum on Thursday, a bust of Antinous, a Bithynian Greek youth and infatuation of Emperor Hadrian, who, after Antinous' death, deified Antinous and founded an organized cult devoted to his worship that spread throughout the Empire.
Vanishing point photo of the day: Gallery of Maps seen during yesterday's visit to the Vatican Museum.
Most intense scene on a tapestry seen in the Vatican Museum: The Massacre of the Innocents, depicting the account from the Gospel of Matthew, apparently the same tapestry that hung at Raphael's school in Brussels.
Seen in the Sistine Chapel, my workout goal for June 2018: to attain Jesus' biceps, upper body, and six-pack stomach muscles.
Seen on floor of Vatican: an intricate mosaic.
Apartment building attacked by nature, Borgo Pio, near the Vatican.
Public Rome drinking fountains: Waiting for a Rome bus (which have no schedules and don't come very often, so you have lots of time to observe city life as you wait) we watched as dogs would come up and lap water out of this drinking water spout, and people would come fill their water bottles, and when people wanted to drink out of it, they would plug the end of the spout with their finger so that the water came shooting out of the top of the spout. It looked so engaging, I had to give it a try myself.
Weather looking good for the rest of our stay in Rome.
Morning planning session.
Camouflaged insect barely seen today: cricket on a tree.
Nonplussed experience yesterday in Rome supermarket: finding 30+ different kinds of coffee but no coffee filters, asking three different store personnel who each found various things that might be called coffee filters but in the end, like us, could find no coffee filters. So this morning, having no coffee filters, my ingenious wife used a paper towel, which works splendidly.
Family portrait at the Museum of Modern Art
"Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto." The story is centered around the incredibly cool and popular Sakamoto, a genius who is well liked by both girls and boys. Despite the strange situations he may be in, Sakamoto always manages to fix the problem in absolute perfection while still being over the top.
