When in Rome...Day 1

 “Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.”
-Giotto di Bondone, Renaissance painter

Still true in 2018. But add delicious food in there, too.

For five days, we went on a College Line trip to see and experience Rome: the ancient ruins, the pastas, pizza and fish at restaurants, the fountains, the busy (and sometimes dirty) streets, the churches, the catacombs, the Vatican...all will leave a permanent imprint in my brain and heart. 

Day 1 - Sept. 30

(Actually more like evening as we got there following a full day of travel via bus from Sweden to Stockholm where we boarded a plane to  Rome.)
 
This is our travel group posing very early the morning of our departure.
 Once we arrived, we took another bus ride to our hostel.
After a quick supper, we headed out to see some sights.



The next stop and the crowd goes WILD!!
As we do, too...THE COLOSSEUM is amazing!
From there to...


 ...the Altar of the Nation.  Anders, the one facing us, is our SVF tour guide extraordinaire.

It's getting quite late and there's one more site visit. To the Piazza de Trevi to see one of  the most famous fountains in the world; Trevi Fountain.  It was completed in 1762 and dreamed up by Nicola Salvi and finished by Giuseppe Pannini.
 In 1954, with the making of the movie Three Coins in the Fountain, the legend of the coin toss into the fountain (throw with right hand over left shoulder), was forever immortalized. Legend has it that you throw the coin to ensure a future visit to Rome - this pleases the gods of water.  Supposedly, a second coin thrown in the fountain helps you find love, and a third coin cements the love with marriage!





I only threw one coin because I already have love and marriage...those two coins were needed to purchase gelato nearby.





This is what a satisfied customer looks like.


This is what the crowd looks like at the fountain.

Day 1 was a great intro to Rome.  
Day 2 is quickly approaching and we need rest!


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