Spain Tour; Side Trip to Rome, Italy

8 Days Self-Guided Budget Summer Europe Trip with My Mother

August 18 to 25, 2018

Spain Tour; Side Trip to Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica

This was my 2nd visit in Rome, Italy following the 2013 Solo Europe Trip. After we finished sight-seeing Vatican City's Museum and Basilica, we walked straight to Piazza del Popolo, Piazza de Spagna, Fontana of Trevi, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and The Colosseum as our last stop. We bought cheap souvenirs in between Fontana of Trevi and Piazza Navona. I bought a roundtrip bus ticket from airport for 9 Euro. We left Rome Central terminal station by 1830H and left Rome aiport around 2200H going home.

Spain Tour; Side Trip to Rome, Italy

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" Tour

sightseeing the intriguing places in Rome and Vatican mentioned in the Novel 

“Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than ourselves.” - Chapter 31, pp. 86-87

I made this post due to curiousness and fascination on Dan Brown's famous novels, on how he played my imagination while reading his book and incorporating my backpacking passion to wander them around. The adventure started in Rome, Italy last November 2013 where I walked first to The Pantheon, then to Piazza Navona and all the way to Castel Sant' Angelo. Then, continuing in the morning next day to State of Vatican  by visiting the St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica.

Angels & Demons (also known as The Da Vinci Code 2: Angels & Demons) is a 2009 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard and based on Dan Brown's novel by the same name. It is the sequel to the 2006 film, The Da Vinci Code, also directed by Ron Howard. Filming of Angels & Demons took place in Rome, Italy, and features Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor and Ayelet Zurer.

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" Tour

Rome City last part; Photowalk at Night

Central Europe last part; 5-days solo wandering in Italy

October 28 to November 02, 2013

Rome city tour 3rd part; other tourist spots

Intentionally walked at night to see how the lights illuminated on major tourist spots. Started around 1900H from Castel Sant' Angelo going back to Roma Termini. Tripod is allowed to use and no fees collected as everything pictured outside.

Rome city last part; photowalk at night (Castel Sant' Angelo)

Rome City Tour 3rd part; other Tourist Spots

Central Europe last part; 5-days solo wandering in Italy

October 28 to November 02, 2013

Rome city tour 2nd part; the Forum and Palatino

Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi district designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 26.3 metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Pantheon is a building commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome.

"Mole Adriana" now called Castel Sant' angelo, was originally built between 123 and 139AD as the monumental grave of the Roman Emperor Publio Elio Adriano and was used as a tomb by the imperial families up until the death of the Emperor Caracalle (217AD). What to see inside are ; (1) "Marcia Ronda" with the four corner bastions designated with the names of the Evangelists (2) helicoidal ramp that goes up through the core of the Roman structure (3) courtyard of the Angel and Alexander VI (4) Papal apartments with frescoes and (5) Terrace of the Angel.

Rome city tour 3rd part; other tourist spots (Trevi Fountain)

Rome City Tour 2nd part; the Forum and Palatino

Central Europe last part; 5-days solo wandering in Italy

October 28 to November 02, 2013

Rome city tour 1st part; inside the Colosseum 

Admission fee to Forum and Palatino is 12 Euro that includes Coloseum. 

Palatine Hill (Mons Palatinus) is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands 40 metres above the Forum Romanum, looking down upon it on one side, and upon the Circus Maximus on the other. 

Roman Forum (Foro Romano) is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum
 

Rome city tour 2nd part; the Forum and Palatino

Rome City Tour 1st part; Inside the Colosseum

Central Europe last part; 5-days solo wandering in Italy

October 28 to November 02, 2013

Pisa tour last part; 300 steps to the top of Leaning Tower 

Starting from the hostel where I checked-in first and which is only around 80 meters away from Roma Termini, I roam the city again by self-guided walk by a free map provided, starting back from Train Station. Admission fee is 12 Euro that includes also Romano and Palatino. Photography and video is allowed.

In 72AD the emperor Vespasian used the spoils of his Jewish campaign to build Rome's first permanent amphitheater to host hunting spectacles and gladiatorial combats. This cunning political move restored to Rome's citizens the area privatized by Nero for the construction of his new palace, the Domus Aurea. The building was inaugurated by Vespasian's son Titus in 80AD with a hundred days of festivities. The amphitheatre of the emperors thus takes its modern name of "Flavian amphitheatre" but it is more commonly known as the Colosseum after its proximity to a gigantic bronze statue known as the Colossus. 

Rome Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. Built of concrete and stone, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world. The Colosseum, was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. In 2007 the complex was also included among the New7Wonders of the World.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum

Rome city tour 1st part; inside the Colosseum