Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..trying to cram all three days into one post proved too much

Vatican City

I won’t spend too much time here since I’ve already written about my experiences at Vatican City here. Next time I need to make time to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of the most popular public squares in Rome. It is built on the site of an ancient Roman stadium, Circus Agonalis, that could hold 20 000 spectators. Today it is best known for the three beautiful fountains that are situated along the centre of the Piazza. The fountains were designed and sculpted by Bernini and Giacomo della Porta.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo is a towering cylindrical building that was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The Castle was once the tallest building in Rome.

Over the years the popes converted the structure into a castle, beginning in the 14th century; Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St Peter’s Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo. The Papal state also used Sant’Angelo as a prison.

In the next few days I’ll write about Trastevere, the Roman Forum and the National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II. Till then, Ciao!

Preparing for Hallowe’en

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….if the spiders keep spinning their webs at this rate my house will be naturally decorated for Hallowe’en night

New Flower (October 17, 2016) – Pink Rose

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Fun With My iPhone

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….my new camera is not working properly so I’ve gone back to my iPhone

I’m not sure what’s wrong with my good camera but it is completely unusable. Last weekend my brother-in-law gave me some great lessons on using my camera and when he left, the camera ceased to function. So I picked up my iPhone today and played with it in the backyard.

Sunday Trees – 257

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks Becca for hosting Sunday Trees

It’s mid October and the trees in the city are barely starting to turn.

New Flower (October 16, 2016) – Basil Flowers

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Mama Cormier

My Local Farmers’ Market

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..buying locally grown, preserved and baked food at the Farmers’ Market in my neighbourhood

This week’s theme for WordPress’ Weekly Photo Challenge is local

Rome’s Top Ten-Part 1

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..seeing Rome’s Top Ten in three days is not impossible

When we planned to stay in Rome for the final three days of our trip to Italy I never imagined that we would be able to see so many of the famous sites of this ancient city. To be honest some of the sites were under construction so we only did a quick pass and for others we only saw the exterior.

My top ten sites included:

The Colosseum

It was a very hot day when we finally walked to the Colosseum. We were accosted by dozens of vendors selling selfie sticks and tours. My husband and daughter took refuge in a caffe next to the Colosseum and enjoyed a cool drink while the rest of us including the baby took a closer look at the exterior of this ancient structure. Unfortunately we didn’t see the interior, partially because the heat was too much for the baby.

The Pantheon

We arrived early and there was a mass going on so we had to wait to get in to see the Pantheon. We wandered off to get a coffee in a nearby bistro but when we returned there was a line-up to get in. My husband hates line-ups so he passed on seeing the inside of the Pantheon. Luckily the line went pretty quickly and there was some very high quality entertainment on the street in the way of musicians.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain was a bit of a surprise for me. It’s a very large fountain but it’s crammed into a very small space and the crowds were huge. It’s almost impossible to get a camera shot that takes in the entire fountain. You just can’t stand far enough away. I would love to see the fountain at night when it’s all lit up.

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps was the one attraction that we didn’t spend much time at because it was under construction. I understand that it is now restored and open again for the public to walk on.