Karen and Crew: Roma Day 3

Hey, not bad. I'm on a roll, three days in a row. It helps that when we get back the hotel, I don't have to worry about dinner and the kids are rather wiped out and happy to shower and veg for a bit, until bed.

I didn't set an alarm this morning, and that almost messed us up. We leisurely got ready and went to breakfast thinking we had plenty of time. We ate less because we tried cioccolata calda and got filled up on sinfully delicious hot chocolate. It was creamy/airy, like a handful of marshmallows were already melted and stirred into the rich chocolate. Pair that with the normal orange juice and we didn't have much room for solid food. We had plain croissants (girls) or grilled ham and cheese (me and Isaac). It was over breakfast that I looked at the map again to double check the metro stop and realized we did not have enough time to walk from the end metro stop to the museum/gallery. It was much further than I originally thought and we were short on time at that point. I decided to take the metro to the point we would switch lines and catch a taxi from there.

Waiting for the Metro. The kids have become experts at figuring out the direction and counting the stops, scanning tickets, and navigating the stations. We brought umbrellas because it was sprinkling when we left for breakfast, then didn't use them all day.

With that plan we made it with time to spare, plus it only set me back 6 euro, which was better than I feared. We had a reservation at the Borghese Gallery. You have to check all purses, backpacks, umbrellas, etc. to ensure no photography. So I have no pictures to share. I'll highlight some favorites in words, and snatch some images online. We were already impressed with Bernini from yesterday, but now we like him a whole lot more. Isaac's favorite was Apollo and Dafne. Bernini captured the moment where Apollo is catching her and she begins to transform into a laurel tree to escape him. Her fingers are sprouting leaves and her toes growing roots.

Makenna liked Pluto and Proserpina best. We were all amazed at how Bernini showed Pluto gripping her so tight. He made her marble flesh yield to his strength. There was also his three headed dog, guardian of the underworld. Fluffy?

You can see some of the ceiling here too. The gallery is housed in the villa built by Cardinal Scipione to be a cultural landmark for the arts. It was built to hold art, and became art itself. Often the rooms were decorated (that means ceiling, walls, and floor) to highlight a central sculpture or painting. So don't forget to look at the frescoes, mosaics, bas-reliefs, and the most high relief of a rider falling off his horse displayed above a doorway.

Jess can't decide if she liked Proserpina or David best. This David is smaller than Michelangelo's, but is full of energy. He is coiled, ready to sling the stone at the giant Goliath. This is a set of three angles.

Here are the kids outside the gallery. Crumby lighting, sorry.

Yes, the art was very great, but the kids' favorite part of the day was coming up. The guy who let us into our "hotel" mentioned that you could rent bikes to explore the park, so we set out to find them. It took a bit, but we succeeded, eventually.

Jess thinks the bikes are that way.

We found at least two fountains on the way.

And some big trees.

And an old amphitheater which seems to be popular with joggers during lunch.

I don't know what these trees are, but they look so cool.

Jess made a tiny rock pile. Her trademark ever since Arches.

We also stumbled upon a fun little park.

And a make your own statue place. In this one Makenna is sculpting a masterpiece. Isaac was the practice statue.

A statue grouping.

Look at all the emotion.

Filling the water bottles.

So there were normal boring bikes, then there was this! A family bike. Jess got buckled in front with the luggage and her own bell. Isaac and I pedaled, Makenna was between us navigating. We kind of went off road a little (It was a well used path) in the beginning and broke a chain. The guy was not impressed, but let us switch bikes. We stayed on more paved paths from then on. It was a hoot.

Isaac took this shot.

This is our off road.

We tried a bunch of times to get us all together, but this is the best. It was hard because we never bothered to stop pedaling.

We biked over to the pond with the Temple of Aesculapius in the center.

I hopped off for a moment and took a shot of the kids leaving me in the dust.

After our hour was up, the kids opted to stay in the park. After 1 1/2 museum days, I figured they earned some run around time. It's a beautiful park in December. I can't imagine how it looks in full bloom!

Makenna working on the Gordian Knot of the umbrellas. Jess had one of the shoelaces later.

"I climbed in all by myself!" An empty fountain? Not anymore.

"I was the first one before Isaac and Makenna."

Isaac said, "Good job finding a way up."

Jess said, "Your welcome."

Fountain pose.

Secret tree crack.

Jess didn't want any skin to touch possible bugs or webs.

They are catching leaves.

"I caught two!"

No idea what this fountain/monument is called, but it was very climbable. It was on the edge of the park and a busy road.

Entering Piazza del Popolo.

This obelisk was brought to Rome by Augustus.

I'm washing my hair.

Close up of the hieroglyphics.

The Porta San Paulo, one of the ancient gates to the Aurelian Walls.

The castle looking gate is right across the street from this pyramid built to house the ashes of Caius Cestius during the final years of the republic. They kept taking obelisks and seemed somewhat fascinated with Egypt. I guess it's not a stretch to say that at least one guy wanted to copy their funeral grounds, even if he wasn't mummified first.