Thursday, 3 September 2015
Rome, Italy
Temps: HI 95F (35C) / Lo 70F (21C)
Today we ventured outside Rome proper. Two metro trains and an hour-long bus ride found us in Tivoli on a daytrip that we mostly spent at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Villa d’Este and its beautiful gardens. The latter are more commonly known as the Tivoli Gardens … famous for the multitude of fountains scattered around the extensive grounds.
Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore ... Villa d'Este is through the archway on the right.
Tivoli — as viewed from one of the loggias at Villa d’Este.
Fontana dell’Ovato [Oval Fountain]
Cento Fontane [Hundred Fountains]
Fontana di Rometta [Rometta’s Fountain]
Peschiere [Fish Ponds] … from the terrace of the Organ Fountain.
Fontana dell’Organo [Organ Fountain] … across one of the fish ponds.
Fontana dell’Organo … yes, there is an organ in the structure
on the top terrace that plays music periodically.
Following our meandering stroll through the gardens, we explored the rooms of the villa … jaw-droppingly awesome frescoes covered the walls and ceilings of almost every room. You can imagine it was hard for Mui to pull me away from here, but eventually my feet, my neck, and my back gave out ;-) Alas, no postcards, but you can be assured that I have a zillion photos to share when I get home and write the story of this day.
Leaving Villa d’Este, we wended our way through town to Sibilla to have a late lunch — or early dinner, take your pick. The restaurant gets its name from the ruins of a 2nd Century BC temple that is adjacent to the establishment. The unique setting, combined with a bottle of wine and excellent food, served as a wonderful wrap up for our visit to Tivoli.
Sibilla — the restaurant (pink building); and Sibilla — the ancient temple.
What a great day we had. And the bonus — at 86F (30C) it was 5° cooler in Tivoli than it was in Rome ;-)
We have a great museum visit planned for tomorrow night; I think we’ll take it easy during the day … I know my feet could use a break for sure … not to mention my shutter finger!
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