My Brisbane neighbours were in Rome when I was on my way through to Bagni di Lucca and very kindly invited me to stay with them for the night. They had an apartment off Via Babuino – a great street in the centre of Rome.
the view from the balcony
across the Roman roof tops
and again
We set off to explore some of Rome we had not seen before and revisit some old favourites. We went to an ancient church, Santo Stefano Rotondo, where the walls were covered in gruesome depictions of ways to kill people. They were quite inventive, in a nasty way.
inside the church
Would you like to be boiled alive?
Or perhaps have your breasts cut off?
Or - a personal favourite - skewered through the neck
The most amazing thing is that the subjects all looked pretty pleased about the whole thing.
Waiting for the wedding
On a happier note, we came upon a church where the guests were gathering for a wedding.
the street beside the church
a typical Roman scene
This is where the Vestal Virgins hung out
Near the Vittorio Emanuelle building is and old colluseum. It must have sat here for quite some time when a clever person decided it would be a good idea to turn it into a apartments. Here is the result.
the colluseum
Please note the windows at the top.
side view with the apartments visible
What a great front yard
a nearby wall
The next door neighbours
Flying the Italian flag
Piazza di Spagna
La Barca - the fountain in front of the Spanish Steps
detail of the fountain
Late afternoon from the apartment balcony
a bit later