Roma III: Spanish steps, Piazza del Popolo

After two very full days, we took it easy Friday morning. We did go out in search of breakfast and along the way saw the graffiti, above. Having seen the Pope in person on Wednesday we can assure you this is just what he looks like.

When we finally decided to get going, we thought we'd try for St. Peter's basilica, but when we arrived the lines were so long we changed plans.

So instead we decided to have fairly casual walk toward the Spanish steps through some familiar territory.

This next photo is of the column in the hastily named Column Plaza (Piazza Colonna). The column is in fact the Column of Marcus Aurleius, and it is wonderfully detailed with images. My photo doesn't do it justice.

It is a victory column. One of the words on the base is therefore "Triumphalis." Abby, having studied Latin, took that the right way. I, on the other hand -- seeing that word while looking that the column -- did not. It gave me a chance to introduce some new technical vocabulary to the children.

Several more blocks, we made it to the famous Spanish steps, seen for instance in the movie poster in our apartment for "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Charlotte and Cyrus ran to the top and waved, we followed after and took a family selfie with Rome in the background.

Going up the Spanish steps was a great turn in our day, because once up there it made sense to walk along the high road, past the Villa Medici (with wonderful views over the city) on the way to the Piazza del Popolo, the great people's plaza.

We headed there because of yet another beautiful church -- yes, another basilica -- called Santa Maria del Popolo. We wanted to see the Caravaggio paintings there, which were spectacular, and then were rewarded by finding a chapel designed by Raphael, and some other work by Bernini. Here are photos of two of the Caravaggios:

           

Here is the image on the floor of Raphael's chapel, although he did not design this part of it.

He did design this ceiling, however:

We stopped for a mid-afternoon comida near the Piazza del Popolo and then headed back by taxi to Piazza Navona. Our laid back day ended up with as many steps as the others.

Charlotte and Cyrus had been appreciating the street artists and musicians. I especially liked some of the music we saw, but there were also fun spray-paint artists painting stylized high gloss images of the Coliseum and nature scenes. Charlotte purchased one of the latter as a souvenir. Cyrus for his part decided he wanted to get a caricature done. So he studied the various artists at Piazza Navona and then waited for his opportunity:

          

It was getting on toward evening, and so we headed over to see Trevi Fountain at night, all lit up.

Abby and Cyrus went down to the water's edge to do what I guess you are supposed to do (because everyone does it -- how's that for a moral principle?): take a coin, turn your back, make a wish, and then throw the coin over your head backwards into the fountain.

       

Abby read somewhere that the City of Rome makes something like 3000 euros a day this way. When we get back to Bexley we are going to put a wish fountain in the front yard.

Our day ended with another trip to the Giolitti gelato shop. A perfect end to a wonderful, and overall more relaxing, Day 3.