Thank you for the positive feedback on my first blog post for our Italy trip! Here is the second part of our first day. I think I fixed the issues with the video files. If anyone still has trouble seeing them, shoot me a message.
Carabinieri
After seeing the Trevi Fountain, we went back to our hotel, the Rome Marriott Grand Hotel Flora and had a siesta. Once we woke up, I searched on Yelp for the best gelato in town and was pretty wowed by the reviews for Frigidarium. I suggested we make that our destination for the evening and have dinner somewhere in that area so we set out for the Piazza Navona. We took a taxi and got dropped off a couple of blocks from the piazza. While walking, we saw lots of policemen; in Italy they are called carabinieri. They had a huge presence in Rome. I like this shot of them in an alley way. It was reassuring to see so many of them working, keeping tourists safe in this dangerous time of terrorism.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/5.6 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Curtis got this great shot of a church illuminated by the sun on our walk to Piazza Navona.
Nikon D700 | 85mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Unbeknownst to me, Curtis got this shot of me staring blankly off into the crowd. I was pleased though that we took time to get into more photos… together and separately.
Nikon D700 | 95mm | f/7.1 | 1/160 | ISO 4000
The Streets are so Narrow
Here we are just a block away from the piazza. I guess this is why the taxi didn’t take us all the way… the streets are so narrow. However, I saw cars and scooters shoot through even narrower streets than these so we stayed close to the buildings.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/5.6 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Curtis got a very similar shot too!
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
For My Mom
As soon as we walked into the main piazza, I heard flutes playing. I just had to get a short video to show mom! She is playing her flute in the Hill Country Community Band and in an ensemble called The Prevailing Winds. I knew she would get a kick out this!
iPhone 6S+
Curtis and I took nearly identical shots for many of the following images. Here is his wide angle view of the Piazza Navona.
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
And he made me pose too!
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Piazza Navona
The Piazza Navona is a large rectangular open area surrounded by restaurants and shops. There is a large church in the center of one side and several fountains and statues in the middle. It used to be a competition arena then a marketplace. Isn’t it beautiful? And see what I mean about Curtis and I capturing nearly identical shots?
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/6.3 | 1/250 | ISO 500
Pigeon Perch
The Fontana del Moro attracts a lot of pigeons. This is actually a replica of the original fountain built in the 1500s; the original is now in a museum.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/6.3 | 1/250 | ISO 500
Curtis unknowingly got the same shot as me… but with his telephoto lens, he was able to get much closer.
Nikon D700 | 120mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
And pulled back a little… I like how the pigeon is almost taking the role as a fig leaf. 😉
Nikon D700 | 85mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Curtis got this street performer in action. He is so good at capturing people… and they often are unaware that he’s shooting them.
Nikon D700 | 112mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Asked a Tourist for a Photo
I got bolder on this trip and actually asked strangers to take photos of me and Curtis together. I got smarter about it though and began by offering to take a group shot of them first. 😉
iPhone 6S+ | 4.2mm | f/2.2 | 1/115 | ISO 25
Wow Moment
Turning toward the center of the piazza, I had a WOW moment… one of those “pinch me, is this real?” moments.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/11 | 1/250 | ISO 500
Fiumi Fountain
At the center of the piazza sits Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, also known as Fiumi Fountain or the Fountain of the Four Rivers. It was built for a Pope Innocent X Pamphill’s family with the obelisk engraved with the family emblem. The pope at the time sponsored the church that it faced to the left. The four river gods represent four major rivers in the four continents where religious authority had spread.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/7.1 | 1/250 | ISO 500
And again Curtis captures nearly an identical shot. Isn’t that cool? I like the contrast of the sky against the obelisk in his version.
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Imposing Perspective
At the time, I didn’t know what this building was though I guessed it was a church. I love standing at the base of a building and looking up to capture the entire structure with a wide angle lens.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/7.1 | 1/250 | ISO 500
Sant’Agnese in Agone
This church is called Sant’Agnese in Agone. It was built in the 1600s in the Roman Baroque architecture style for Pope Innocent X.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/10 | 1/250 | ISO 500
No surprise here… Curtis got the exact same shot!
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Walking a little further north and looking back, Curtis got this great shot of the sunset hitting one of the towers of the church.
Nikon D700 | 112mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Happy Street Vendor
I was surprised by how little we were approached while in Rome by street vendors or beggars. Compared to Paris where the vendors and Gypsy beggars are quite bold, the Roman contingent is polite and low key. I was actually focusing on the carabinieri in the background by the blockade… they were interacting with a little girl and that was a time I wished for a longer lens. But I saw this vendor walking by with his roses and loved the splash of color and the smile on his face.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f7.1 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Great Place for a Photoshoot
I’ve been trying to channel Curtis more when shooting street photography in capturing more people and interactions. He’s so good at getting wonderful human shots! I noticed these young women dressed in red… one posing and one shooting. Granted the photographer is shooting with a cell phone (and in portrait mode no less) but you work with what you’ve got, right? Their youth, their beauty, the color of their clothes all helped them stand out among the crowd.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/7.1 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Curtis in Action
We made it to the other end of the piazza and Curtis spent a long time lining up some shots. I wandered a little then snuck a shot of him!
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/9 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Here are the shots he got from this vantage point…
Nikon D700 | 38mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
I really really like the composition of this one, especially how the statue, obelisk, and church spires all line up in a beautiful angle.
Nikon D700 | 27mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
See what I mean about how good Curtis is at capturing people interacting? He noticed this couple hugging from behind with this interesting older woman on her phone in the foreground. I love shots like these!
Nikon D700 | 120mm | f/16 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Wine Bar Fail
We were hot and wanted to stop for a glass of wine and a snack. I saw this place called Bernini Ristorante, Pizzeria, Wine Bar, Tea Room. Wine bar! Perfect! So we find a table outside and sit down. The waiter brings us menus and we tell him we just want a glass of wine and he asks us to leave! Seriously! He said we could only stay if we were having dinner. Wow. They will be getting a Yelp review, you can be sure of that.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/7.1 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Caffè Nettuno Win
Luckily right next door was another restaurant called Caffè Nettuno. They were quite happy to welcome us for a glass of wine and an appetizer. We sat an enjoyed our adult beverages and people watched. I love the cobblestone streets and the pastel buildings… tourists, lovers, locals… it was a great spot to take it all in.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/4.5 | 1/250 | ISO 800
Drink Selfie
We had to get a selfie at Caffè Nettuno. Happy vacationers!
iPhone 6S+
Both Curtis and I picked up our cameras when we finished our drinks and took a few shots from the table. This is Curtis’s version.
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/9 | 1/500 | ISO 4000
Quick Work Call
My version includes my husband walking around on his cell phone. He did have to deal with a few work issues the first two days of the trip but was firm with his team that after the crisis was resolved, he was on vacation. Isn’t he adorable? The wait staff noticed that he took a work call and was watching me to see what I would do.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/2.2 | 1/200 | ISO 1600
Great Service
I would give Caffè Nettuno 5 stars for sure. The wait staff was attentive, friendly, and prompt. The food was delicious as were the drinks! It’s just starting to get dark out and you can see the lights reflecting on the cobblestones. Do you see the couple eating on the patio just above the restaurant?
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/2.2 | 1/200 | ISO 1600
Curtis got a shot of the couple on the patio just above the restaurant. There are times the telephoto comes in handy! Great shot, huh?
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/5 | 1/100 | ISO 4000
Fiumi Fountain at Night
We walked from south to north up the piazza along the east side, then after our drink and snack, walked back down the west side. By this time, the sun had set and the streetlights were on. The fountains were glowing. Seeing the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at night made me wish to see Trevi Fountain again but at night.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/2.2 | 1/200 | ISO 2500
Pretty Fountain
I took a lot more video this trip for one main reason. When Curtis was in Panama on business back in June, he shot videos for me to share so that I could feel like I was there with him. It made such a huge difference in experiencing the photos to also see video so I vowed to take more videos for mom and the kids. This is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at night. Isn’t it pretty?
iPhone 6S+
Church Front Up Close
The Sant’Agnese in Agone up close. I have a thing for doors. (Just wait until day Day Eight, OMG!) I think Baroque churches are some of the prettiest architecture in the world.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/1.6 | 1/200 | ISO 2500
Curtis got a couple of cool shots… this one of a Segway tour.
Nikon D700 | 66mm | f/5 | 1/100 | ISO 4000
And this one of some kids playing soccer in the street in the dark.
Nikon D700 | 120mm | f/5 | 1/100 | ISO 4000
Every Building is Interesting
We were now walking down the small streets surrounding the Piazza Navona looking for a place to have dinner. It was a little after 9 p.m. and the sun had set. We stopped at an intersection where three streets met and I looked up to see this building. I don’t know what it was called but I had to capture a picture of the dark red stone against the deep blue sky.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/1.4 | 1/200 | ISO 2500
Curtis also got a shot of the building against the deep blue night sky.
Nikon D700 | 24mm | f/5 | 1/100 | ISO 4000
Cool Place but Too Hot
We are hot, hungry, tired, and seriously looking for someplace to eat dinner. Most places only had outdoor seating or were full so when we saw this place with this cool looking purple room in the back, we went in and sat down. For approximately two and a half minutes. No air conditioning. It was still 90+ and no AC. We couldn’t take it (see Curtis in the left corner, wiping sweat from his brow?), there was no air moving at all. So we kept searching.
Nikon D750 | 20mm | f/1.4 | 1/200 | ISO 2500
Late Dinner at Pasquino
It was now nearly 9:30 and we were starting to get a little grumpy searching for a restaurant that had air conditioning. I don’t know how people can stand that heat and no AC! We finally found a place that was somewhat cool so we ate dinner at Osteria Pizzeria Pasquino. This is Curtis finally cooling off. Happy husband. The food was meh but I was holding out for the Frigidarium gelato anyway. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of our gelato concoctions… I had three separate flavors (if I remember correctly, Frigidarium flavor which is like cake batter, chocolate, and coffee) then they did the entire thing in chocolate. It was the most delicious treat I’ve ever had but so very messy that I had to use both hands and about ten napkins to keep it from dripping on my white outfit. Totally worth the mess.
iPhone 6S+
A Fall Four Days Earlier
So the Friday before our trip (and this is Tuesday evening), I fell down. I was tripped over a concrete curb and went down hard on both knees hyperextending my left ankle. It looked much worse than it felt. But with the flight the day before then the day of walking, this is what my poor knees looked like when we finally got back to the hotel. I had been wearing linen capri pants all day so I didn’t realize how swollen and bruised I was. I know. Ick. I didn’t care though… what a great first day in Rome!
iPhone 6S+
Day Two will be out next week and it was a pretty quiet day so there won’t be as many photos. Thanks for reading!
