Trippin' it Tuesday

Hello World!  No, I didn't quit blogging.  I have been crazy busy with projects and teaching voice lessons.  The voice studio has been really hopping the last couple of weeks which has been a ton of fun.  A couple of my kiddos are heading back to college.  One of them is heading to Vanderbilt to work on his Masters and PhD.  Sad to see them leave, but it is time for them to spread their wings.  On the project side, you will get to see the fruit of my labor all this week.  There are a couple of Goodwill finds that will be making an appearance on the blog as well as the newly painted dining room.  I also took on painting the voice studio which required priming and painting the walls and the ceiling!  Yuck, I hate painting ceilings!  Also, working on getting the entertainment center finished out with cabinet doors.  It's a slow going process, but it will be worth it! 

Now, to today's topic.  I thought on Tuesdays I would take you on a little trip.  Hence the name, Trippin' it Tuesday!  Let's jet off to Roma, Italy!  I'll show you many of my haunts when I was singing in that beautiful city.  I will never forget my time there or the wonderful people I met!  Such a romantic time!  There wasn't a love romance for me in Italy, but I fell in love with the city surrounded by hills! 

We stayed in this lovely hotel that was situated in Old Rome.  We were within walking distance of the many piazzas which we would go to after rehearsal or a performance for dinner and gelato.  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the hotel.  I tried looking it up online and was not able to find it.  I hope it is still in operation.  The hotel was built around a courtyard and many of the rooms opened up onto this beautiful courtyard which provided nice breezes in the afternoon. 

So, off we go.  First stop, the Colosseum!  This place is massive!  The stairs are massive!  The ancient Romans were in pretty good shape to climb those stairs without handrails.  The handrails were put in much later to aid in pulling oneself up to the top.  Blasted nosebleed seats. 

The Forum at night looking back on the Colosseum. 

Altare della Patria

Altare della Patria is a monument to honor Victor Emmanuel who was the first king of a unified Italy.  It sits on the site between the Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill.  Everyday we would drive past this on our way to the theater and I would always be amazed at its sheer size and beauty.  These pictures do not do it justice.  

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona was probably the piazza we frequented the most.  The atmosphere was absolutely charming.  Great food surrounded by beautiful scenery and wonderful people watching.  On any given evening, you would see families, old loves still walking hand in hand, young children making wishes at the fountain and of course the ever present stray dog trying to get scraps. 

I have no idea what this picture is of.  I like the building and I love all the wonderfully shaped trees.  The trees throughout Roma are so unique and beautiful. 

Trevi Fountain

The Vatican

Tivoli Gardens

The Tivoli Gardens are about 40 minutes outside of Roma.  Every Monday was our day off from the opera.  We used these days to take little day trips.  Tivoli Gardens was one of those day trips.  We hopped on the train from Roma and spent the day meandering around this fascinating place.  I would love to go back with my gardening brain in operation and pay closer attention to how this beauty was laid out. 

My time in Roma was not only a feast for the eye but for the ear as well.  It seems there are fountains everywhere.  I loved to go to the piazza and find a nice spot at a sidewalk cafe and close my eyes and listen to the fountains bubble.  Such a beautiful sound.   When I came back to the states that was one of the things I missed the most...the sound of fountains.  Sigh.

I hope you enjoyed Trippin' it Tuesday!  You never know, I might host a linky party in the future where we could all post pics of our favorite vacation spots or places we lived that have inspired us.  That's it for today.  Sorry to have been gone so long.  Come back soon and remember to be kind to one another!

Toodles,