European Adventure Italy+ 2023

Musings from Rome   Water Water is plentiful, clean, cold and tasty! And there are potable water fountains to refill your water bottle all over. But they sure don't look like our water fountains! Old Architecture There is NOTHING modern in Roman architecture, not a skyscraper, office tower or escalator to be had! (We did find one escalator in a store and quite frankly, it seemed wrong...)   Circus Maximus - time for chariot races!    Automobiles in Rome  Driving here is not for the faint of heart or for anyone with a heart. Very few pedestrian crossing lights exist and they are frankly just suggestions. Four lanes of traffic to traverse? No problem! Your most likely demise is from the motorcycles or bicycles or electric scooters. Incidentally, sirens here are a constant and although we did not personally witness carnage, I have no doubt it likely occurs every minute in Rome! The gas stations (we only saw two as most vehicles here are electric), are situated on t...

  September 27, 2023 - The Borghese Gallery Well who knew? I appreciate beautiful paintings and other forms of art but it turns out that marble sculpture has captured my heart. On the recommendation from good friends, we purchased tickets to the Borghese Gallery in Rome which features many beautiful pieces of art but really profiles the amazing work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). As an architect and city planner, Bernini designed secular buildings, churches, chapels, and public squares in Rome . It turns out that Cardinal Borghese was a fan of Bernini and so commissioned him to do several sculptures and art pieces for his private residence which is now the Borghese Gallery. The gallery itself with its amazing ceilings is a work of art unto its own but the marble sculptures are beyond description. I don’t think Chris is going to buy me a block of marble to try my hand at this but the ability of this artist to craft such emotion into a piece of rock is breathtaking! Just ...