Roaming in Rome

The first part of our holiday was four days we spent in Rome. Even in mid October it was hot and humid, but the evenings cooled down and a bit of wine at the end of the day certainly helped!
One part of travel I enjoy is to just wander around the neighbourhoods and it had been suggested that we should stop in small churches whenever the opportunity arose. This is the interior of a very ordinary looking church that we happened across on our first morning:













What a special treat it was to sit quietly and listen to the chanting of Hail Mary, repeated over and over again. And the beauty of the art surrounding us made it even more special.
In the afternoon we had a tour of the Colesium, Forum and ruins. Our guide was knowledgable, it's worthwhile to get some local information and be able to ask questions, then wander on our own if we choose to later on.
I got some great photos that I know I'll be using later for design inspirations!

















A couple days later we toured part of Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica of St. Peter. Again, I found so much inspiration with curves, colour, shapes and ceilings! I may be the only person ever to be totally uninspired by the Sistine Chapel.....that's right, UNinspired! Part of the reason is the lack of good lighting, because of preservation of the paintings. The colours were dull and the area was packed with people, really packed. We were asked to pay proper respect by keeping quiet and not taking photos. That part I understood, but I was disappointed that so many other people ignored the rules.
Anyway, there were many other opportunities to stand with my eyes turned up to the ceilings and checking out the floors.......



















There's more to come!