Roman history time!

entering Piazza de Popolo 

 I took the tram into the city today for some exploration.  It has still been in the low 90's,  I am still not able to make the celsius conversion just yet.  As mentioned, Romans go on holiday for August, turns out this year most people are just rounding it up to next Monday.  That will be the 6th of September...  these Italians know how to work it!

the Spanish Steps.  poet John Keats died of TB in the peach bldg on the right after languishing in Roma.

I walked around viewing some sights & ended up @ the National Museum of Rome.  It houses the largest collection of classic Roman sculpture ever!  In undergrad I took a Classical Myth class & have been fascinated by greek & roman myth & art ever since.  This museum was a jackpot!  I've included many photos, it was a really fabulous collection & I was simply in awe.  Some of these sculptures were underwater in the Tiber for hundreds of years!  History is amazing!

Piazza de Republica 

Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.  This place is 7 stories tall & was designed by Michaelangelo.  

it was breathtaking & peaceful.

on a hot day a cool, tranquil church is a nice place for a rest.

Et tu, Brute?  Poor Caesar got it in the end.

look at this boxer's expression, he's not winning.

discobolo!

the near piece is "hemaphrodite at the bath",  there is a surprise when you walk around the other side...

this is a yoga pose I've been working on.   :)

Here is Niobe, shot in the back by Artemis.  All her children were killed because she had been bragging about them.  The gods will not permit excessive hubris!

Emperor Hadrian at center, great ruler of Rome.  His wife at left & his young male lover at right.

can you imagine studyiing one sculpture like this in a book and then seeing about thirty in one room!!!??

Aphrodite.  All these sculptures are roman but done in classical greek style.

intricate sarcophagus

amazing mural from the villa of Livia & Agustus 

intricate mosaic work!  look at how TINY those tiny tiles are!

these rooms have been painstakingly recreated, from the frescoes to the mosaic floors.

so many churches... I've already forgotten the name of this one!

That's it for photos for now.  In other news...  I haven't been branching out too much with the Italian foods.   When I have eaten out in restaurants I seem to keep opting for the greek salad or something similar.  I have given up the veganism & so far have just been having a bunch of cheese.  Has it been worth it?  My stomach & digestive system would say no but, it sure is tasty.  I have had these flavors of gelato so far:  fig, pistachio, coffee, coco, guanabana and straccitella (choco chip?).  All have been delicious!

A fun activity today was going to a big supermarket, I always love visiting groceries in foreign lands.  Here they have big old pork legs just hanging around, like all dried out & preserved.  Call it prosciutto!  (still not eating that)

Hope you all are well!  xo