2019 Incentive Trip – Rome

Today I’m sharing photos from the second tour of my trip. Three other Stampin’ Up! demonstrators (Paula Butler, Lisa Freeman, and Lisa Padgett) and I were driven around to various sites of Rome, Italy, by our wonderful guide, Luca. He got us into the Colosseum and the Vatican without standing in the long lines. And he got us a private guide (Chiara) through the Vatican. 

I used my phone to take panoramic photos of some of the sites. The panorama software sometimes makes things look a bit wonky in order to squeeze it all in to the photo. That’s why some of the lines are oddly curved.

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Circus Maximus and Emperor’s Palace

Arch of Constantine

The Colosseum (Il Colosseo)

See all the holes? At one time people scavenged for building materials here. The holes are where metal fasteners were removed.  

Partially restored area

A small area of surviving decorative plaster

inside Il Colosseo

selfie at the Forum of Rome

There’s a mirror in the Church of St. Ignatius so you can see the ceiling without having to strain your neck.

panorama of the Church of St. Ignatius

selfie in the Church of St. Ignatius

the Pantheon

Trevi Fountain – Fontana di Trevi

Looking down from the top of the Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti.) Paula and Lisa F. walked down them. Walking down steps hurts my knees, so I joined Lisa P. in riding down to the bottom to pick them up. I did walk up them after the cruise. The street you see at the bottom is Via dei Condotti, and it’s where all the designer shops are, like Tiffany, Cartier, Gucci, Hermes, Ferragamo, etc.

Our driver and guide for the day, Luca, and our guide for the Vatican, Chiara.

We filled our water bottles at a fountain in the Vatican.

one of the many ornate hallways in the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani)

Amazing ceiling!

In this photo, the statue on the right is in the sun. Chiara said the Bronze statue of Hercules in the center really shines when the sunlight hits it. And look at that mosaic floor!

mosaic floor detail

The walls of this hallway are lined with ancient maps of Italy. And of course, the ceiling is magnificent.

Paula, me, Lisa F., and Lisa P. Right after this we went through the Sistine Chapel, where no photography is allowed. 

This is the balcony where the Pope addresses the crowd

The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica

Pietà by Michelangelo

panorama of St. Peter’s – it’s a bit wonky because I couldn’t get to the middle of the cathedral

bronze statue of St. Peter

You can see how his feet, especially the one on the left, have been worn down by people kissing or touching it over the years.

This gorgeous painting isn’t a painting. It’s a very intricate mosaic made with teeny tiny tiles.

Swiss Guard at the Vatican

Castel Sant’Angelo, Mausoleum of Hadrian

wide vistas of Rome

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