Fred was not all that interested in Rome; we tend to avoid big cities and Rome certainly qualifies as big. But we have a colleague from our tour in Bangui, currently at the Vatican, and he had invited us to visit. And visit we did. Of course, every element of our visit has taken on new meaning with the passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo.

Arriving in Rome, we went to the campground recommended by our friends, Ron and Ton. (https://travelintiger.com) The campground, La Via Flaminia (https://www.villageflaminio.com/en/), is close to a station with regular trains into Rome and, once there, easy access to the Metro.

The first thing to greet us upon checking in was this blast from the past. We first encountered Rotel in Tamanrasset, in 1974. Always had a soft spot for them as it is a kind of a wild way to travel. And, back in Tamanrasset, they cleaned up an absolutely disgusting ablution block to the point that we could use it. (We had been planning to simply drive out into the desert each day; it was that grim.) (https://www.rotel.de/index.html)

In 1958, Fred and his mother spent six months in Rome when they were evacuated from Amman during the Iraqi revolution of 1958. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14_July_Revolution) Fred remembers grilled cheese sandwiches on the Via Veneto, just up from the US embassy, so, of course, we returned to the site and Fred relived childhood memories.

Turning to serious tourism, we visited the Pantheon, just a train, metro, and a hike away.

We joined the (not too bad) crowds and marveled at the oculus in the ceiling that lets in the rain, and the drain below it that lets it out.

Originally built by Hadrian from 118 to 125 AD in a form governed by circles and squares, it later became a Baroque styled church. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome)

We then headed to the Piazza Navona, to admire Bernini”s Fountain of the Four Rivers, representing the Danube, the Plata, the Ganges and the Nile. 

Quite an amazing piece of sculpture.  We wandered into the Church of Sant’ Agnes in Agone, designed by Borromini.  Another very ornate and spectacular church. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant%27Agnese_in_Agone) And Agone has nothing to do with physical agony.

After another great pizza, we went to the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi to admire the three Caravaggio Altar paintings.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luigi_dei_Francesi)

They were quite spectacular. Fred, being taller, got a better view than Denise did. There were tour groups blocking our view. 

You may or may not like baroque art, but you have to agree that it is stunning, and a bit different from the Baptist church where we were married. The idea was to provide a view of heaven. One can debate the theology, but the beauty is amazing – a riot of colors and textures of paint, marble and gold. A lot of gold.

In Rome and Pompeii both, we  became very aware of crowds of tourists, both in tours and individually.  And it was only April.  We were glad that we had not come in June or July. How bad are the crowds? Try this:

Arrivederci!