I am behind, I know. This always happens. But yesterday was a travel day to Athens followed by getting situated at the American School and attending a talk and reception in honor of Blegen (it was a full day symposium, but we were not here for most of it). Anyway, I wanted to recount a wonderful walking tour given me by my significant other through Rome from Monti back to the Centro (on the Gianicolo Hill). We began with lunch at a little restaurant called the Asino d'oro (Golden Ass) and then walked by Trajan's column and Marcellus' theater (in the Campus Martius) and through the Jewish Ghetto and meandered past the Pantheon where Bernini's little elephant is located. He is such a cute little elephant. I highly recommend the restaurant and the walk. And, of course, the little elephant.
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| My first picture of Trajan's column without scaffolding on it! |
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| Detail of the column. 10th ring shoes a tortoise shell formation. |
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| Forum of Trajan--I didn't take a pic of the market because I already have an older one from before they started reusing the building (and so minus the AC units). |
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| Massimo at the Theater of Marcellus with the Temple of Apollo Sosianus to the right. |
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| I don't know what this is particularly, but it seems to be some sort of mark/symbol that uses the city walls with the imperial eagle in the middle. If anyone has the details on this, I would love to hear it. |
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| The Portico of Octavia with a number of layers of repurposing and building evident. |
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| Totally fake "ancient" art embedded in the walls of a shop in the Jewish ghetto. |
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| Me at the turtle fountain. Note that I am not wearing the same clothed I was wearing in the previous posts. Because my luggage finally came that morning. I did still go with comfortable, though. I was not cheerful enough to bust out the dresses. |
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| LITTLE ELEPHANT! HOLDING UP AN OBELISK! |
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| I desperately want one of these for my house/office/every room. Note that they also come in rhinoceros. |
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| These inscription are on a church by the pantheon (and next to the little elephant!) that mark the various flood levels of the Tiber prior to the building of the flood wall. I think (though can't be sure because the dating is weird, that the oldest inscription is in the bottom left). |
Next up will be the journey to the Palazzo Massimo and the Baths of Diocletian. Epigraphical Fun Fest. So much so that my fully charged camera battery died. The Massimo is an exceptionally well laid out museum and the inscription at the bath's are phenomenal. After that, we get to Greece, though there is little here I can post pics of since most of my photos are for "official" purposes. BUT! I am planning a trip to Eleusis and to Crete, so I'll log that.
