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| Picture by Kolohe |
It's like I always say: "A trip of 10,000 miles begins with a tram ride to the 'D' Terminal at the Las Vegas Airport." The first leg of the trip was from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Salt Lake City, Utah, where we caught a non-stop flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In Salt Lake City we had time to eat lunch before we had to find our departure gate.
Once in the air, the pilot circled the airport so that we could wave goodbye to Salt Lake City. Nine hours later we arrived in Paris. I could not sleep on the plane and was half-asleep when we landed, but Ashley and Sophia were wide awake.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Charles de Gaulle is the largest airport in France and one of the busiest in the world, so the plane parked on the tarmac and we had to ride a bus to the terminal
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
We only stayed in the Paris airport for a few hours, then we flew with Air France to Rome, Italy. When leaving de Gaulle Airport, the pilot flew over Paris and we could see the Eiffel Tower from the left side of the plane.
As we passed over the northern part of Italy, the Italian Alps were visible from the plane window. Then, a short time later, we could see the western coastline of Italy come into view.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
After landing, an alien greeted us and informed us the Rome airport had a 5-star rating and is ranked as one of the world's top ten airports.
Throughout the airport there were various artifacts on display, along with a large original painting by Manuel Felisi. A placard stated "Manuel Felisi's art has always involved mixing techniques and languages, laborious manual methods and technological innovations that make his research vibrant and lyrical. His layered painting features the central and sophisticated tree and flower iconography of bare trees dressed in colour."
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
On our ride from the airport to the hotel we passed by several landmarks, but we did not have time to stop for a visit. The below pictures were taken through tinted car windows, so the colors are slightly distorted.
After fighting traffic on several small, narrow streets, we finally reached our hotel. This is where we learned that a second-story room in Rome is up six flights of stairs (two flights per floor) because the elevator was broken. (In Italy, floor "0" is on street level and the first floor is up two flights of stairs.)
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| Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (Picture by Kolohe) |
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| Castel Sant'Angelo |
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| Palazzo di Giustizia |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
It was 7 PM when we arrived at the hotel, but the sun did not set until abut 10 PM, so we decided to walk around the neighborhood and find something to eat for dinner. We did not have a difficult time finding a restaurant because there are multiple restaurants on every block in the tourist areas.
On the way to a restaurant we passed by a number of shops and encountered a group of women dressed in bright outfits. The women were singing and dancing to a man playing an accordion but we couldn't understand them because we didn't speak Italian.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
After dinner, we walked over to Piazza di Spagna, which was just a short distance away. This is one of Rome's most famous squares and a popular destination for tourists. Located in the square is the famous Fontana della Barcaccia that resembles a sinking boat.
Pope Urban VIII commissioned Pietro Bernini to build the fountain in 1623 and it was completed in 1629. According to tourist information, the River Tiber flooded in 1598 and a small boat was carried into the center of the Square by the flood waters. This boat became the inspiration for Bernini's fountain.
Streams of water coming from the fountain's holes are from the Acqua Vergine, an aqueduct built in 19 BCE. The water is not recirculated, so people fill their water bottles from the fountain while standing on a stone in front of the "boat." I first thought people were probably crazy for drinking the water, but after a few days I found myself filling my water bottle from the various fountains around Rome.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Just east of the fountain is the Column of the Immaculate Conception, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary at the top of the Column. Annually, Pontiffs visit the monument and offer a bouquet of flowers to commemorate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
During the 17th century, the Spanish embassy was located on the Square and the area around it was deemed to be Spanish Territory. The Spanish wanted to link the embassy with the Trinita dei Monti, a Renaissance church at the top of Pincio Hill; but the hill was very steep and hard to climb. So in 1723, the Spanish started building steps to the top of the hill; but because of the cost involved, the steps were not completed until 1726. Today, most tourist visiting the Square want to climb the 135 Spanish Steps to the Church and enjoy the views from the top of the hill while watching the sun set.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In front of the Church is the Obelisco Sallustiano, that was moved to this location in 1789 from another location in Rome. Tourist literature stated: "It is a Roman obelisk made in imitation of Egyptian ones, originally constructed in the early years of the Roman Empire for the Gardens of Sallust near the Porta Salaria. The hieroglyphic inscriptions were copied from those on the obelisk in the Piazza del Popolo, known as Flaminio Obelisk."
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
While there was still some daylight, we walked back to the hotel. After it was dark, and most of the tourist had gone to bed, Kolohe photographed the vacant street in front of the hotel from our hotel window.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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