I’m usually lucky with the weather on my jaunts, but my luck ran out this time. It was raining heavily when I arrived in Rome.
It didn’t stop me. I dropped my bag at the Julia, where I always stay, and headed off for an afternoon of wet walking.
First stop the Trevi Fountain to see if the scaffolding has come down. It has been the subject of restoration for well over a year. The work seems to be almost complete, but the glass walls in front are still in place and there is no water in the fountain yet, apart from rain water.
The wet glass made for an interesting view.
The Spanish steps were dotted with umbrellas.
La Barca, the pretty little fountain in front of the steps, is almost finished being restored as well, but the barricades are not down.
Coffee at Caffe Greco is always on my list and it was good to get out of the rain briefly.
Max Mara windows were showing different colours from Florence.
It wasn’t all that pleasant fighting the wet crowds and umbrellas so several undercover stops were in order.
The oculus in the Pantheon is incredible.
…and it does let the rain in.
The green walls must enjoy the rain after the long, hot summer.
Piazza Navona is much better without the hoards of people selling souvenirs.
I went into the church beside the Fountain of the Four Rivers for some over the top Baroque.
The high reliefs on the walls were worth the stop.
Via Coronari is one of my favourite streets in Rome. It is lined with antique shops, cafes and artisan shops.
The street leads to the river and the bridge across to Castel St Angelo. I did the tour of the castle to get out of the rain, which was beginning to clear. I’ll show you that in another post.
By the time I walked back to the hotel it was getting dark. The Pantheon looks great at dusk.
I couldn’t hold the camera still enough to capture the man inside very well, it looks as though his hair is blowing in the breeze.
I don’t know what these columns belong to, but they look stunning at night.
I did most of this post on the bus from Helsinki airport to the city. You have to love the efficiency and modernity of Finland. Things just work here…more soon on Helsinki and Stockholm.