In between burying my nose in Rick Steve’s Rome guide book (btw I am never traveling anywhere without him again – Godsend!) to dish the facts about this, that and the other ruin we were standing in front of, Ben and I took the time to appreciate how unique the city of Rome really is.
Take for instance, its doors.
Yes, Rome’s doors! Ben still doesn’t quite understand my fascination with these babies, but I found it utterly fascinating that every door in Rome – whether it led to an apartment building, a bank, or other business – is completely different… and BEAUTIFUL!
Some doors are new, while others are old.
Some are HUGE,
while others are small. ;)
Many channel other continents and time periods,
but no matter what, each one has its own identity.
I never saw a single one that looked like the other!
Come on – you think it’s interesting…don’t ya’?! ;)
Whenever we’d see someone about to head in, we’d hang back to catch a peek of what was inside. A lot of times they’d reveal a lovely courtyard…
while other times they’d open up to the most wonderful sights in the city!
The thing that charmed us the most about Rome was that behind each door, and around each corner, there was a new and interesting view.
There was no shortage of “what the??” exclamations as practically every other turn produced a massive and intricately carved building!
No clue as to what these buildings are used for, but they’re HUGE and they’re EVERYWHERE!
We assume that many are used by the government – but who knows?!
Arguably the most impressive buildings we stumbled upon were the hundreds of basilicas created over dozens or hundreds of years, sprinkled generously throughout the city.
Each one was absolutely breathtaking,
and filled with so many details it’d take you YEARS to pick them all out.
Other times the shout was “ohhh!” as the beautiful street views never failed to wow us.
I think the reason I kept feeling like I was on a movie set, as we walked through the streets of Rome, is because everything I’ve ever seen on tv or in the movies about Italy – the crumbling brick,
the romantic street lights,
and the hidden trattorias, are REAL!
Another thing that is evident no matter where you are in the city, is the ruins.
If Rome cashed in a mere fraction of the thousands of marble columns from hundreds and thousands of years ago, scattered ALL over the city, they’d be the next Dubai…before the bust…
The city has truly built itself up around the ruins – which is so incredible.
Seriously – this building was over 1,000 years old and I walked next to it. I TOUCHED IT!
How’d you like to live across the street from Cesar’s old palace?!
The great thing about the ruins is that they’re accessible. If this were in America, there’d be armed guards, men in lab coats and a DO NOT TOUCH perma signs over the entire city.
The people in Rome though, respect the ruins. They’re allowed to enjoy and live amongst them without restriction. I think that’s AWESOME.
Hope you enjoyed a peek into the unique city of Rome! :D
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I absolutely love ALL of your pictures! Taking pictures of all of the different kind of doors was such a great idea!
love the pix, especially the doors!!!!
Love the doors, that was one of my favorite things in Europe. All your recaps and pictures make me want to go back so bad! Glad your trip was amazing!!!!
Incredible! I was in Rome for a few days in college as part of a choir tour. It was so amazing to not only go into all of the cathedrals, but then to sing in them was even better. We had formal concerts in a few (including St. Marks in Venice – woah), but also would just gather in any place we were touring and sing a little something a capella – awesome!!
oh this brought back so many memories! thanks for sharing your wonderful pics :)
im in love with your vacation entries… i love the way you word them– i think im more excited about it because you’re excited about it! and you have so much respect for all of it, i adore you on a whole another level now! i feel the need to book tickets… like now…although im broke. A few years maybe? :)
So gorgeous & the doors are TDF!!! I would have been wondering what was behind each & every one. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed “the door tour!” Your pics are incredible and your really captured the authenticity of Rome!
seriously, your posts are stirring the traveling bug in me! i’m loving all the pictures!!! i’ve always wanted to travel to rome…and your pictures are just further confirming it!
We are leaving for our honeymoon in Italy two weeks from today, and reading your recaps has gotten me even more excited!
I’ve been reading your blog for a while, but never commented before. I just wanted to say that you’ve written about your trip in a very beautiful way. I was really captivated :)
When I was in Vienna for a study abroad program, some of those cool old buildings were used as part of the University system. So there were classrooms inside! Very cool, in my opinion. And I dig the doors!
Gorgeous pics! DH and I loved Rome; it was spectacular! We spent our time in Southern Italy on the island of Ischia which we loved also. Amazing scenery and thermal baths fed by volcanic springs.