Rome

Just before Christmas, Enzo and I returned from our brief trip to Rome. What did we do? We walked around a lot, drank coffee a lot (me macchiato, Enzo espresso) and ate a lot. Pizza quattro formaggi, risotto al funghi, spaghetti with nothing but a delicious sauce of butter and cheese, fried sardines, caprese salad - you name it, we ate it.

Of course there was some sightseeing in between. Day 1 of our trip was dedicated to the ancients (Colosseum, National Roman Museum, etc.), we spent day 2 around the Vatican and day 3 was a miscellaneous day, with some Christmas-shopping (the Upim store is cool, and so are Italian card decks) and a long walk from our hotel to the Pantheon and back.

The Colosseum, tourist magnet. Built on top of Nero's palace, under command of emperor Vespasian and his son Titus between 72 and 80.
Turning away from the Colosseum: arches of Constantine (left) and Titus (in the background), temple of Venus and Rome (columns on the right), thermae.
Enzo cleaning his camera lens while I finish my pseudo-macchiato (too much milk, but I don't mind that!).
Mr. Augustus himself! (At the National Roman Museum.)
So sad... Venus and Cupids hand. (At the National Roman Museum.)
Marble mosaic. (At the National Roman Museum.)
Lemon picking in the garden of Livia. (At the National Roman Museum.)
A Pope strikes a pose for Enzo. (At St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.)View on Vatican City from the Vatican Museums.
The famous sculpture of Laocoön and his sons, strangled by serpents. We were wondering if this was really the original, since it was standing outside, in the rain. But it really seems to be the real thing, and apparently the marble can stand a little moist. But still.

The way back from Termini Railway Station to Fiumicino Airport, on the Leonardo Express. Arrivederci Roma, see you soon.