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Italy 2006Go for BaroqueEvery couple of years, a history professor from the local college organizes a trip involving the history of a region along with another professor focusing on the art. On this trip we went throughout Tuscany and Rome. All photos by Kyla Applegate unless otherwise stated. Day 1 - Rome - A walking tour to get orientedWe arrived in Rome about 10am, so to get over our jet lag and get oriented in the city, Josh (our tour guide) took us on a walking tour of the area around the hotel.
We stayed at the hotel Smeraldo in the centro storico (historical center) about five blocks from the Pantheon. That meant that almost all the big attractions were within walking distance or a short bus ride.
- A side note: At most tourist attractions that have souveniers, they also have maps. A new discovery for me was the tiny maps of italian cties by Minicity. They are about the size of a credit card when folded and are illustrated with drawings of most tourist attractions. It is a great way to have a map with you in case you get lost without looking like a tourist.  Josh, our tour guide, at one of Hadrian's elephant obelisks  The group on the walking tour 3/11/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments Rome - Walking tour - Trevi FountainThe Trevi fountain is probably the smallest big tourist attraction in Rome. The piazza is only about 100ft wide and every single tourist in Rome tries to stop there at least once. You can actually hear the sound of the crowd before you can hear the sound of the water. It is absolutely full of tourists and gypsies trying to sell you things.
The reason everyone is there. is that legend says that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, you will return to Rome. The fountain is beautiful at any time of day, but after dark the fountain is all lit up and the crowd is somewhat less.   The fountain during the day  Tamara, Lynn, and Tony taking a photo opportunity   The fountain at night 3/12/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments Rome - Dinner in TrastevereOur dinner this evening was in Trastevere near the church Santa Maria de Trastevere.
Om the way to dinner, we attended part of Saturday night mass at the church. Dinner was in a covered outdoor patio with a roof and tent flaps to keep out the wind. The resturant had space heaters scattered around to keep us comfy. The one at the end of our table went out and the waitstaff fought with it all night to keep us from freezing. They would light it, and it would burn for about 5 minutes. Then it would go out and they would start the process again. 3/12/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments AssisiAssisi is famous for Saint Francis and has a very beautiful church. The area around Assisi is also well known for its pottery and has several factories nearby.
 Basilica di San Francesco  Modern day pilgrims  A rainy day in Assisi with the Tempio di Minerva in the background  Workers at a pottery factory adding hand-painted touches   3/16/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments ArezzoArezzo is a beautiful city with many gorgeous churches.
There are many famous pieces of art including frescos by Pierodella Francesca and a crucafix by Cimabue. It is also the birthplace of Guido Monaco. (He invented Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, etc. for teaching music.) His statue was just outside our hotel, the Hotel Continentale. The view from the roof of the hotel was especially gorgeous at night. Often European hotels will have a rooftop terrace that you can visit, which gives you an entirely different view of the city.   The altar in the Lady Chapel was completely covered in flowers on preparation for Holy Week       The Duomo at the peak of the hill  The main street up the hill into the oldest part of town, via Guido Monaco  Pieve di Santa Maria  3/17/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments Firenze (Florence)Florence is a lovely city with lots of art and sculpture all around.
We stayed at albergo Firenze, which is right in the middle of town, near the Duomo. I was very impressed by the inside of the dome. It has a gorgeous painted ceiling. Outside, the marble facade almost glows at night. In the evenings, everyone in Florence is out and about in the ristorantes and cafes. Between the hotel and the Duomo there is a sculptor working on new sculptures in his studios. Some of our group also took the opportunity provided by being in the leather capital of Italy to shop for new leather coats at the shops.  The copy of the David in the Piazza della Signoria. This is the one that everyone takes photos of since photos of the original in the Accademia are strongly prohibited.  Palazzo Vecchio from the Piazza degli Uffizi  Piazza degli Uffizi  The interior of the Duomo  A side chapel inside the Duomo  Detail of the marble inlay   The facade of the Duomo at night   Florence nightlife Everyone is wandering around the piazzas after dark.  Italians eat late. The tables are still empty because it is only about 10:30pm  Sherri, Sharon, and Barb model their new leather coats  A local scultpor hard at work   This ia a piece of broken sculpture that he was copying 3/19/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments Eric's BirthdayEric had his birthday while we were in Rome, so everyone in the group got him something italian as a birthday present.
      3/24/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments Rome - Campo dei FioriIn Rome we stayed at the hotel Smeraldo near the Campo dei Fiori. This is the Campo during their Saturday market. Note the artichokes: fried artichokes are a Roman specialty.
    3/25/2006 : view on map : permalink : comments |
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