Rome:Part 2

Roma:Part 2

With the last of the autumn leaves being held tight by the trees,
 my lovely host family took me to see a few more sights before my departure.
December 8th was a Bank Holiday and proved to be a perfect day to explore more of Roma.

Taking a stroll through the market at Campo Dei Fiori

 Filled with a variety of vendors, from flowers to handbags and much in between.
The general atmosphere is a wonderful vibe!

On the way to Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona
One of Roma's most famous Squares, built on what was the former Stadium of Domitian.
This particular Square has 3 fountains.

Moor Fountain  

Fountain of the four rivers

A beautiful square filled with many open air restaurants and stores.

As it was just before Christmas there were people selling roasted Chestnuts.
 A first for me :)

The Pantheon 
The most preserved building of ancient Roma

Sadly due to the bank holiday, it closed earlier than usual and I was unable to see inside.
Guess I will just have to go back, eh? 


There was another important thing I needed to accomplish before leaving Rome. 
Gelato. 
Eating some, that is. 
We hunted for this wonderful gem, a recommendation by a relative in Roma
 Thankfully we found it, we almost gave up.

The only trouble was what to decide of the 150 flavours :)Coconut, pistachio & hazelnut the winners!
Definitely worth putting on your list of places. 

As the last of the light dipped behind the horizon, Roma took on a new beauty. 

Lights revealing a new mysterious charm. 

 Just down the road from the Tiger store we stopped in, were these ruins in a stark contrast from the new shopping stores and other buildings that surrounded it. 

Largo di Torre Argentina

A square that hosts four Republican Roman temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre. 

Retracing our steps to get to our car, it was a wonderful opportunity to see all we saw by day, in the night and being a few weeks from Christmas there were beautiful lights. 

It was a lovely day. 

And worth having a wander to some of these places if you get a chance, 

Ciao for now,

Rome: Part 1- The Colosseum

Roma, as the locals refer to it. 
What does one say about this city that hasn't already been said?
A city that defines old.

This city overwhelms the mind, taking in buildings still standing from a period in history that left its mark on so much of the world.

                                As we waited in the line to get our tickets, I began to stretch out my hand to touch the building just as I noticed, from the corner of my eye, someone in our group had just done the very thing I was about to do. 

I quickly withdrew my hand for fear of looking the copycat.

As they noticed me noticing, they spoke of how they like to touch these places as it feels almost like holding a piece of history. 
Funny.
That's exactly how I feel.
What I wanted to do in that very same moment, having been overcome by what I was beginning to see and what awaited, once inside.

Like somehow I am able to understand or catch a glimpse into the reality of what was.

I remember distinctly two summers ago a friend from NZ touching the outer wall at
Hampton Cout Palace and saying the very same thing.
 'It feels like I am holding a piece of history in my hand.'
How many people past and present have been in this very spot looking at this very thing?

3 Nations.
And yet, a universal truth.
We all want to make sense of what we see by feeling it tangibly.
To Touch.

Got my ticket, all ready to go.

The first thing my eyes beheld upon entry.

Very overwhelming:yet never being able to fully understand

 the reality of what went on here. 

What it represented and the lives that were tragically

 lost for sport, a reminder of who was in power.

Proof I am here!

We got to go up to gain a better view. 

 The ruins just up the road from the Colosseum, as we walked towards the Altare della Patria

Altare della Patria

What a privilege to wander the streets of Rome with a group of people from different nations.

It added such wonderful flavour to the day when among us there were 3 different languages spoken and not one perfectly understood or spoken among us, but our own.

However, much fun was had and good coffee (cappuccino for me!) enjoyed!

 

Catching the last glimpses as the daylight faded.




(All photos were taken by me from my iPhone)

Charming Bath: Part 2

One of the most incredible things about Bath is...

It feels timeless
You want to step into the story of the past
To hear the sounds of horse & carriage upon the cobbled streets, as the gentle breeze carries the music from the assembly rooms as you approach for a ball.
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One of the buildings worth seeing, for free, is the Assembly Rooms 

A little info from Wikipedia
The Bath Assembly Rooms were designed by John Wood, the Younger in 1769. The New or Upper Assembly Rooms opened
with a grand ball in 1771 and became the hub of fashionable society,being frequented by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, along with the nobility of the time.
Continue reading at Wikipedia
or check out
Bath Assembly Rooms website

(All my photos are taken by my iPhone)

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One of the things I have come to enjoy is discovering
coffee shops while wandering around new places.

Stepping away from the corporate vibes and enjoying a place with a little more character. As well as hopefully a coffee shop with ethical standards that care more about both quality of coffee and quality of those lives whom they purchase it from.
My friend Lisa spotted this coffee shop a few years ago on a day trip in Bath.
Colonna and Smalls
Simple and effective decor, filled with much warmth, helpful & friendly baristas and a great cup of coffee no matter what you order. I so enjoy stopping here while in Bath. 

After my coffee, my friend and I went in search of a
book shop to peruse books for an hour.
We stumbled upon this quaint local book shop.
 It just happened to be close to everything else we loved!
It was called Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights
And delightful it was.

A clever way to display books...especially if your town is called Bath!



Two days in Bath were not nearly enough.
 My friend and I both wished we planned to stay a few more nights.

However, we did use our time well, seeing much and yet still enjoying the slow pace which meant including a nap in the park for my friend while I read... bliss, pure bliss!

We stayed at an incredible B&B.
A house that was over 240 years old.
It was a magical experience to wake to the first light of day spilling from the horizon upon the treetops and roofs below in the distance.




If you plan to visit England in the distant or not so distant future, I encourage you to make sure to include time in your schedule to wander down to a place where time has stood still and take in the beautiful sights of Charming Bath. 

Charming Bath: Part 1

The City of Bath 

One of my favourite places.

Not entirely because of the Jane Austen connection. =D

 Located in the southwest of England

This Charming City is set in rolling hills with incredible 18th Century Georgian Architecture.

By car or by train, this city is worth the journey.

  (All photos are taken with my iPhone)

Landsdown Road

Bath Abbey 

Bath Abbey

With the sun shining, the beautiful summers day showed off this charming city.

A friend from the USA visited England for the first time this summer.

It was a privilege to show her some of my beloved places.

We didn't want to leave after our one night stay.

In hindsight, we should have stayed a few days more.

For although it is a smaller city in comparison to London and the like, it's pace,

 it's history, hidden stores and cafe's draw you in.

You find yourself relaxed and simply enjoying the moment you find yourself in.

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We arrived by train and walked the incredible streets to our B&B.

After dropping our bags off we set out to find the quintessential English tradition.

Afternoon Tea

Anticipating this important experience for my friend, I researched and discovered a place called

Bea's Vintage Tea Rooms

It did not disappoint!

While we sipped the delicious loose leaf tea awaiting the arrival of our food, we found a shelf containing books. Many of great interest to me, it was hard to choose. We found ourselves perusing the pages with excitement as they held much information and history of this great city.

  

I could have easily sat there all afternoon!

We quickly laid our books to the side as our food arrived :)

Afternoon Tea for Two

It was delicious.
And combined with the atmosphere, a lovely experience!