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Piazza Treasures in Rome

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Clichés converge in Piazza Navona

I love walking around Rome and stopping in the piazzas.  There is always something going on in the main piazzas.  They are a perfect place to people watch and be entertained by street performers.  


The performers never cease to intrigue me.  They put me in a good mood, make me laugh, sometimes make me dance, sometimes make me wonder and always make me smile.  It’s so great to sit down and take it all in (and even better to do so while eating gelato :-).  


Every time I’m out and about and stroll through the piazzas, I always see someone I haven’t seen before.  It seems the talent is in constant rotation.

P.S. – All the ‘piazza treasures’ featured today were spotted in Piazza Navona.   


The Statue of Liberty in Piazza Navona.  This is one of those that made me wonder.  I am not sure if this street performer came to Rome on vacation from New York and is trying to make a little extra cash, or if she is completely confused as to which country she is in.  Not sure, but it made me smile and gave me something to think about.

Just a puppet on string.  What?  Don’t you see this every day?  Haha!  The outfit alone made me giggle. 😉

The headless man.  Notice the hat and sunglasses above the body.  This person would bow in appreciation after someone put a tip in the jar.  My parents were in Rome visiting when we stumbled upon this person, and the headless guy gave us all a good laugh.  

A large group of bicyclists from Holland riding through Rome to bring awareness to energy efficient transportation.  

Treasure Chest Known as Rome

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One of the things I love about living in Rome is having access to such amazing art and history.  The city itself is like a museum, giving wonderful exposure to history, art and architecture. 


Ceiling painting, inside the Vatican Museum



Walk by the 2,000 year old Coliseum where gladiator fights took place in front of 50,000 spectators.  I have passed by it hundreds of times, and I am still in awe of the magnificent, grand structure.  I always wonder how the ancient Romans were able to build such a structure capable of sustaining the tests of time for so many years.


Coliseum

  
Stop in Piazza Navona to enjoy a gelato and imagine the games being played in the Domitian Stadium at the very spot during the 1st century, or fast forward to the 15th century and think what it would be like to visit the square when Bernini was creating his masterpiece, the Fountain of the Four Rivers.  


Piazza Navona



Visit the Trevi Fountain which celebrates and marks the ending point of an ancient aqueduct discovered in 19BC.  While you enjoy the enormously magnificent fountain, recall the story of how a virgin girl showed Agrippa’s soldiers the location of the aqueduct and the abundance of water so many, many years ago.  The story is a legend, so it may or may not be true, but it sure is cool to sit and imagine.  


Trevi Fountain



Rome itself lends enough art, sculpture, history, architecture and magic at no charge, but the city takes it a step further by offering free access to the city museums on a regular basis.  The city is currently sponsoring ‘Martedi in Arte’, with museums being free to enter from 7:00pm – 11:00pm, on the last Tuesday of every month.  The Vatican Museum is also open for no charge on the last Sunday of every month from 8:00am – 2:00pm, with the last entrance at 12:30pm.  In addition to these set days each month, the city also opens its museums for special celebrations throughout the year.  


Vatican Museum Entrance



It’s definitely sweet to be able to view the work of some of the world’s great artists like Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini (just to name a very few). . .all for the low, low price of FREE!


Michelangelo’s Pietà, inside St. Peter’s Basilica

 

Stopping To Smell the Flowers

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Living in Italy is teaching me to slow down and smell the flowers…literally.  When I lived in the States, I traveled around town by car.  To work, to the supermarket, to a restaurant, to a friend’s house…I always went by car.  Here in Rome, I travel by foot or public transportation (and sometimes bicycles).  When I make my weekly trip to the produce market or need something from the supermercato (supermarket) or ferramenta (hardware store), I put on my walking shoes.

Some days it seems inconvenient, but most days I enjoy getting out and walking.  It has forced me to notice so much more of life’s little treasures than I would if I were stuck inside a car.  It’s nice to notice some of nature’s beautiful treasures on a regular basis.  From the playful lizard scurrying along and diving into the brush, to the array of colorful and unique flowers we see along the way.  It’s nice to slow down, enjoy nature’s treasures and smell the flowers.

I’ve included a few of the flowers I’ve spotted along my walks.  

Biking Around the City in Rome

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Bike art on display in Villa Borghese

One thing I really love to do is ride bicycles around the city.  It’s fun, good exercise, much faster than walking, and I always seem to make a new discovery around the city that I probably wouldn’t have made on foot.  An added bonus…there is nothing like riding through the ancient city of Rome, passing by ruins and the beautiful elaborate buildings, all while having the wind blow against your face and through your hair.

This weekend we rode bikes from Trastevere to Villa Borghese, spent the day riding and picnicking in the park, then returned to Trastevere in time to watch La Madonna sail down the river in celebration of Festa de’ Noantri.  Days like this aren’t just sweet, they’re pretty fabulous!


Riding bikes in Villa Borghese Park

Stopping to enjoy a picnic in Villa Borghese

Biking along Via del Corso and arriving to Piazza Venezia

Returning back to the quaint cobblestone streets of Trastevere

Here is a fun, short video of a talented guy we spotted while riding bikes in Villa Borghese

La Dolce Vita Series: Markets

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Christine, fellow expat (and Southerner 🙂 living in Florence and blogger of Ciao Christy, recently started a fabulous weekly blog series titled ‘La Dolce Vita’.  ‘La Dolce Vita’ means ‘The Sweet Life’, and each week she will be posting something about her sweet life in Italy.  She has invited other bloggers to do the same, so each Monday I will be joining in the fun and posting something about my sweet life in Rome.  Thanks Christy!  

Home from the market. . .

One of the greatest things about living in Italy is the open fruit and veggie markets.  Being a vegetarian, having access to fresh, seasonal food is wonderful!  I LOVE shopping at the markets, and always look forward to my shopping days during the week. 


Beautiful red, juicy strawberries. . .

Plump, fresh olives. . .
I love having fresh produce at home to prepare our meals!  I feel good knowing we are eating healthy.
Fresh fruit & veggies from the market make a beautiful, healthy lunch (not to mention delicious :-)! 
You can check out Christine’s and other expats’ sweet lives in Italy, or join in the fun by sharing your own stories of la dolce vita.  Just click the banner below: