July 2004
Rome, Italy
From 16 to 19 July we went to Rome. We visited the Vatican, Appian Way, and many beautiful churches, piazze, and fountains.
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1/24 Early Friday morning we flew from Schiphol to Rome Fiumicino airport. The permanent cloud over Holland gave way to clear skies and here we had this view of the Alps on the way.
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2/24 After leaving our bags at our hotel we took the metro to the Vatican and spent the entire afternoon in the amazing museum there.
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3/24 Inside the map room. We rented audio guides to learn more about the exhibits.
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4/24 After our first gelato, we walked to St. Peter's Square.
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5/24 Here Arthur stands in front of the massive St. Peter's Basilica.
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6/24 Inside the Basilica, we saw Michelangelo's Pieta, visited the crypt, and generally gaped upwards.
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7/24 We walked to the Castel Sant'Angelo, and had this view of the Ponte Sant'Angelo. We went inside the Castel and had a nice view of the city.
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8/24 Saturday morning we decided to rent bikes from Eco Rent. We headed southeast of the city center and visited the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
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9/24 "The Mother of all churches", San Giovanni was founded by Constantine in the fourth century. It is one of the four most important churches in Rome.
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10/24 Here Arthur stands in front of the massive doors, taken from the Forum. The world's first baptistry is inside San Giovanni.
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11/24 Next we rode through the Appio Latino park. Our mountain bikes were suited for the dirt trails. Despite the scorching heat, we saw plenty of locals walking, biking, and even jogging through the park.
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12/24 We headed to the Appian Way, the most famous ancient road out of Rome. We visited the tomb of Ceclia Metella, and the catacombs of St. Sebastian.
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13/24 After visiting the catacombs, we took advantage of this fountain, one of many to be found around Rome. Did we mention it was hot?
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14/24 On the way back to the city center, we visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
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15/24 Inside, the beautifully decorated ceiling could be lit by inserting coins into a machine.
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16/24 Sunday, we biked to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Here Arthur stands inside the famous amphitheatre.
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17/24 In the Forum, we saw the ancient Basilica of Constantine and Maxentius. The Forum's largest structure was built around 315 AD. Though mostly ruins, its size is truly impressive.
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18/24 Here Arthur stands in front of the Temple of Antonius and Faustina, built in AD 41. In the 7th century, the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda was built inside the pagan temple.
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19/24 Here we pose in front of the Colosseum.
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20/24 Some of the major roads in Rome are closed to traffic on Sundays, making for a more pleasant bike ride.
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21/24 Here's Amy standing in front of the Pantheon in the Piazza del Rotonda. The Pantheon was built in 27 BC and the size of the dome was not surpassed until the 20th century.
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22/24 Sunday evening we took the bus to the busy Piazza Navona. We had dinner at a nice traditional ristorante nearby.
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23/24 These are "small".
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24/24 On Monday, we visited the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, and strolled along the high shopping street.
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