I was going to start another blog as a place for my travel photographs that don't really fit with what I post here. But then I barely manage to update this blog so I thought it a bit ridiculous to start another one. So, this is the start of my travel section where I get to bore you with what I take photos of when I am travelling :)
I took these when we travelled to Rome for a few days just before Christmas last year (and when the snow in the UK threatened to keep us in Italy for Christmas day). It was cold (but clearly not too cold for gelato!) and we had snow, hail, thunder and rain all in one afternoon! We stayed in a lovely little apartment in Trastevere and our friends stayed in another apartment nearby. I forgot to write down the restaurants and bars we found on our wanders but I will make sure I remember for next time.
Things I loved in Rome:
The walk from Trastevere up to Janiculum Hill (great views of the city) and then down to the Vatican City;
A Saturday afternoon stroll through the Villa Borghese gardens;
Sunday lunch at Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia in the Jewish ghetto;
Espresso from Sant'Eustachio Il Caffe and Tazza D'Oro (clearly Italy has fantastic coffee everywhere but it is still wonderful to stand at the bar in these beautiful places. Just go early to avoid the queues);
Gelato from Giolitti (even on a freezing afternoon in the middle of December);
The views from the top of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (which thankfully has an elevator so you don't have to walk up hundreds of stairs);
Antipasto at the tiny Buccone enoteca;
Aperitifs at the Caffe della Pace (I still haven't acquired the taste for Campari and soda but I love the colour of it. So pretty!);
Wandering around the Campo di Fiori while tearing off chunks of warm bread from Forno bakery.
Watching the snow fall while we stood in the majestic surrounds of the Pantheon.