ABC Wednesday—L is for "light"

I've featured this church before, but these
chandeliers just blew me away
and I thought they deserved a close-up.

[To see more ABC shots, go here.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This church was undergoing restoration when
 I visited Rome back in May.  It's 
Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte (Prayer and Death) . . .

which may explain this symbolism that
appears in multiple places on the façade.

[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

inSPIREd Sunday

I believe I've shown a few side chapels
and details of this church—
Sant'Andrea della Valle, in Rome.
Here's the beautiful main altar (and a
bit of the ornate organ too).

[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

I followed this trio of nuns as they
strolled (almost) in unison
through always bustling Piazza Navona, in Rome. 

[To see more b/w images,
visit Dragonstar's meme.]

No, no, no!

I'll go zip-lining above a 100-foot-deep
chasm in the South American cloud
forest and I'll ride the hairiest roller coaster
you can find.  But I will not roll around
Rome on one of these.  (Just being a
pedestrian is tough enough!)

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.]

Pink Saturday

Peonies and hydrangeas were on display
this past May in the aptly
named Campo de' Fiori, in Rome.

[Linking back to Pink Saturday
at How Sweet the Sound.]

ABC Wednesday—E is for "empty"

It is possible to enjoy the Piazza di Spagna
and the Spanish Steps and view of
Trinita dei Monti up above without the
hordes that are usually found there.  All you
have to do is get up at dawn.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

la bicicletta

Marking the entrance to a Roman jewelry
shop with a French name—I've
lost count of the number of shops I've seen
around the world with a red bike
by their front door.  Well, it does grab
your attention.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.]

whose foot?

This gold reliquary, in the church of
San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, in Rome,
holds the foot of Mary Magdalene . . .

or so they claim.  I guess you
just have to take it on faith.

[Linking back to inSPIREd Sunday
and Shadow Shot Sunday.]

signs, signs

The city of Rome has made it
abundantly clear:
Don't even think about parking here (and if
you do, don't expect to find your vehicle
still here when you return).

[To see more signs, go here.] 

inSPIREd Sunday

This is the Barberini chapel, in the church 
of Sant'Andrea della Valle.  Opera
buffs will recognize it as the setting for the 
opening scene of Puccini's Tosca.

[To see more churches from 
around the world, go here.]

16 October

This sign, in Rome's ex-ghetto, honors
the 2,091 Jews who were picked
up there on that day in 1943 and taken
 to Nazi extermination camps.  
It's hanging on a wall next to a structure that
was built in the year 2 B.C.—
a thought-provoking juxtaposition.

[Linking back to signs, signs]

ABC Wednesday—C is for "cellist"

This one is Fabio Cavaggion.  He had a very
successful career playing in orchestras,
but decided that he could reach more people
with his music by playing in the street.
I took this shot at the same spot as the one I
posted yesterday—but this was much
later in the day and all those folks are on a 
looong line to get into the Pantheon.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

getting an early start

This horse and driver were ready for
all the tourists who will show
up here—but at not quite 8 a.m., they
weren't yet out and about.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.]

inSPIREd Sunday

Here's a doorway detail of a little
off-the-beaten-track church,
San Crisogono, which is in Trastevere.
It was built in the 4th century,
rebuilt in the 12th, and finally again
in the early 1600s.
[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

Lunch in Trastevere

This is my pal Blanche Dubois (no, not
that one—her namesake).
Blanche loves to travel with me
and has been to the opera in Budapest
and hiking in the Arctic.
So far this year, she's been to Venice,
Florence, and Rome (twice!).

[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—B is for "brides"

One afternoon when I was in Rome this
past May, I encountered four
bridal parties—but there were five brides!

Later that night, I passed by a 
wedding reception in full 
swing and a 6th bride—who knows 
how to party (and pose).

[To see more ABC
posts, go here.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This is the church of Sant'Eustachio, in Rome.
It was originally built in the 8th century,
restored in the 12th, and almost completely rebuilt
in the 17th and 18th centuries.
                             

Like so many Roman churches,
the present-day city has
built up around it—you turn
a corner, and voilà.

The stag with the cross is
the symbol of St. Eustace
(though I don't know why).

[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

inSPIREd Sunday

This is the sanctuary of Santa Maria 
ai Monti, in the very hip
Monti neighborhood of Rome.

[To see more places of worship from
around the world, go here.]

ABC Wednesday—Z is for "zucchini blossoms"

I ate as many of these as I could when I was
in Italy—fried, stuffed, or both.
Bonus: I never noticed the "Eat Me, I'm Ripe"
 sign until I got home and put this
up on the computer. 

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]