ad libitum

OSTIA ANTICA

About 20 miles southwest of Rome is Ostia Antica, the ancient port for Rome. It's a very well preserved archeological site.

 

 

 

 

ROMAN STATUES AND FOUNTAINS

Michelangelo's Moses sits in the corner of San Pietro in Vincoli.

Raphael is burried in the Pantheon; his grave is marked by these two doves.

Bernini's statues are beautiful to behold from any angle.

This fountain was outside the Pantheon.

Below is a part of the Trevi Fountain.

And, this angel is on a street corner next to the Trevi Fountain.

The following three fountains  were refreshing places to stop while walking around the city.

 

 

ROME

After a week in Orvieto, I spent a week in Rome - much bigger, faster, and more crowded than Orvieto, but still full of what I love about Italy.

Almost every day was sunny.

I visited the Coliseum.

The streets are full of cars and motorcycles (not as many bikes as I expected). I love the way every possible parking space is used. I love the way the ancient (see the reflections of the buildings in the cycle mirrors) and the modern (coke machine and motorcycles) bump up against each other, using eery spare space.

In the midst of the busy, crowded city, you see ruins (the Temple of the Vestal Virgins in the midst of the Forum here) standing proudly.

Close to the Vatican, you might see beggers.

There was one morning of rain during my two weeks in Italy. People huddled under doorways and bought umbrellas from enterprising street vendors.

The Tiber runs through the city (seen here near the Vatican).

I stood on the Spanish Steps, but did not walk up them before the rains came.

JUST OUTSIDE ORVIETO

Orvieto is in wine country. One afternoon we took a trip to a winery and had a delightful winetasting.

 

On the way to the winery, we stopped at the old cemetery, just outside of the city. There were beautiful and moving statues.

 

MOMENTS OF CONTEMPLATION IN ORVIETO

While I was in Orvieto, I stayed at a convent bed and breakfast, the Istituto San Lodovico. It is centuries old and has a few beautiful frescos. The rooms are modern and comfortable.

There are several quiet nooks and crannies (one of Abby Lazar's photo themes) all around Orvieto. Below is a garden I found while walking around.

There was a garden in the Convent that had an array of buds, flowers, and decaying flowers.

In the convent library, we talked about photography and composed still lifes.

PHOTOS FROM THE STREETS OF ORVIETO

Walking on the streets of Orvieto is a constant delight to the eye.

There are gardens on balconies and window sills. There are doors and windows of all kinds.

There are ancient door knockers, covered in a patina made from age and use.

Laundry hangs from the sides of buildings and balconies.

There was a begger who showed up every morning on the street leading to the Duomo.

There are religious pieces on alley way walls.

There are very old, very modern looking statues on the front of the Duomo.

And, there are the bells that ring throughout the day and night.

BACK FROM ITALY

I am back home from two weeks in Italy. The first week was spent at a photography class taught by  Catherine Anderson and twelve incredible fellow photographers (and one charming photographer's husband), organized through Adventures in Italy, run by Bill and Kristin Steiner in Orvieto.

I cannot say enough good things about Orvieto; or about the people who shared their time with me there. 

It's a beautiful hilltop, ancient walled city first settled by the Etruscans.

The city gate is guarded by two ancient eagles.

Orvieto sits on a system of caves used by the Etruscans. We toured a part of the caves that had been used to make and store pottery.

There is an Etruscan Necropolis halfway down the hill. It's peaceful and beautiful and ancient. I found a beautiful web across a door to a tomb.