Rome
Boarding ITA Airways flight AZ621 at LAX on Sunday, January 4.
Riding the Leonardo Express from Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport to the Roma Termini train station. Domus Aurea by Exe Hotels was a three-block walk from there. Domus Aurea is Latin for Golden Home and a reference to Emperor Nero's lavish residence in ancient Rome. Our hotel was decidedly not lavish, but very pleasant all the same.
Across the street we ate at Rifugio Romano. We were both surprised to learn it was a popular all-vegan restaurant. My cacio e pepe was creamy deliciousness! Because we were in Italy, after dinner we were obliged to have an espresso to power us through the remainder of the long day.
A city bus dropped us near Trevi Fountain.
We then walked to the Spanish Steps.
On the portico of Trinità dei Monti (Church of the Most Holy Trinity on the Hill) looking down the Spanish Steps.
As this was Twelfth Night, it was the final day for Christmas Decorations on the Steps and down Via delle Carrozze (carriage street).
The dome of Famiglia Valtellinese Di Roma (Family from Valtellina in Rome) in the distance.
Dave booked us a great nighttime walking tour that began here at the Largo de Torre Argentina sunken square, which includes the ruins of the Curia of Pompey, marked by the tall columns.
Beware the Ides of March - The Curia of Pompey, which served as the temporary Senate house, was a large hall within the Theatre of Pompey. It was here on March 15, 44 BCE, that Julius Caesar was murdered by a group of senators.
The tour guide pointed out that SPQR is a famous Latin initialism for Senatus PopulusQue Romanus, meaning The Senate and the People of Rome, emphasizing the dual authority of the aristocratic Senate and the Roman citizens in the government of their Republic. It still appears today on public buildings, official emblems, and even this utility cover—a sign of continuity in Roman identity.
The rain coming down as the group surveys the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II (left) and Santa Maria in Aracoeli Basilica (right).
Overlooking the Roman Forum, a vast field of ancient temples and civic buildings, and the Palatine Hill, once the site of imperial palaces.
Statue of Julius Caesar with the bell tower of the Senatorial Palace in the distance.
The tour ended at the Colosseum.
Illuminated after dark, the Colosseum takes on a dramatic presence.
We took a short ride on the Metro back to Roma Termini and our hotel for some well-earned rest. This red metro sign shows up at the end of the Rome sequence of the 2023 film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
