After a long day of flying, we finally arrived at our Rome apartment. It is a two bedroom, two bath unit located about ten minutes from the Spanish Steps. In a quiet residential area, we entered the secured public entry and walked up two flights of stairs. The unit has a balcony that opens up to an interior area shared with several other apartments. On our balcony, there is access to a private washer and dryer and even our own clothes line. It has been warm and we appreciate the room air conditioners in the bedrooms and living area.
For our first day, we got up early and were out the door by 7:30am. We gave ourselves an hour to navigate the Rome Metro system. We knew that we had to complete a train transfer for the trip from our apartment to the Colosseo station by no later than 8:30am. Starting at this time, we had pre-arranged a private guide to accompany us on our four hour tour of the Roman Forum and Coliseum. Viewing the Roman Forum area, our guide helped us to understand what we were seeing by providing description of Roman life and showing us drawings of what was thought to be the actual buildings during transitions lasting several hundred years.
Instead of taking the Metro to return to the apartment, we decided to walk back. Along the way, we wandered over to see the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain was created in 1762. It celebrates the termination point of the old and new Roman aquaducts. We didn't have any loose coins to toss into the foundation, so we can't be sure of our return to Rome.
After a rest back at the apartment, we walked over to the Spanish Steps and had dinner at the Palatium - Enoteca Regionale del Lazio. This restaurant received good reviews from Rick Steves' Rome guide and from Tripadvisor. We were not disappointed, the pasta dishes and herb stuffed rabbit were enjoyed.
For our second day in Rome, we visited the museum at the Villa Borghese.
Located a short distance from our apartment near the Spanish Steps is the public park of Villa Borghese and the Museo e Galleria Borghese. The Villa Borghese was initially a vineyard that was converted into a formal garden by cardinal Scipione Borghese, a nephew of pope Paul V, in 1605.
Landscaper Domenico Savino da Montepulciano designed a very formal park with geometric shapes, the first such park in Rome. A villa built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio after a sketch from the cardinal himself was added to the grounds.
The park was later laid out in a more natural way. At the end of the 18th century an artificial lake was created in the middle of the park. On the island in the lake, a small Ionic temple was built. It is dedicated to Aesculapius, the god of healing.
In 1903 the city of Rome obtained Villa Borghese from the Borghese family and opened the park to the public. The 148 acres large park now featured wide shady lanes, several temples, beautiful fountains and many statues.
With an entry at 11am, we arrived a bit early so that we could find the ticket office to pick up our museum passes, rent audio guides and have a brief snack. Particularly impressive in the museum were the many Bernini marble sculptures. The tour took about 75 minutes and, afterwards, we walked through the Borghese Park looking for a lunch stop. After a brief stop at the Cine Cafe, we became concerned with the constant thunder and lightning. Instead of continuing our walking tour, we decided to head back to the apartment. This was a good move, as heavy rain started pouring during our return walk. Luckily, we had our umbrellas and we didn't have far to walk.
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| ©2013, R. Ono |
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| ©2013, R. Ono |
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| ©2013, R. Ono |
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External Door to Apartment
©2013, R. Ono
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Will I Fit?
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