When in Rome (and Vatican City)

In early November I was very lucky to visit Rome with some colleagues to attend a conference. Although the gathering left a lot to be desired (funny how a lack of WiFi can ruin an event focused on technology integration in education), the opportunity to roam around Rome in the evenings and chat with other educators made it all worthwhile.

An observation about Rome/Vatican City:
We spend a lot of time when traveling looking at eye level - e.g. examining artwork in a gallery, speaking to others, shopping - but what struck me about Rome is the things below and above that vantage point.

I'm talking about floors and ceilings. I was really in awe of the frescos, the tiled mosaic floors, and the dome roofs of some of Rome and Vatican City's most iconic buildings. So, along with a few "typical tourist shots" I'm including my favorite floor and ceiling views from the trip here (sorry but you won't see anything from the Sistine Chapel as photos are strictly prohibited inside).

Pantheon, Central Rome. My favorite religious building to date. 

Ceiling in the Pantheon.

Mosaic tile flooring in the Musee Vatican City.

In the hall of antiquities in Vatican City.
I find this picture humorous as I believe that it looks like some sort of Ancient Roman "selfie".

Hall of Maps in the Vatican City Museum. Seriously, look at that ceiling!

More mosaics in Vatican City. 

Vatican City.

Vatican City.



That's all for now.

A la prochaine,

 SwissMissD





Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 15, 2015 at 5:32 PM

    Oh how we miss you especially today - the official start of FMEA conference! Rachel made 1st part All-State clarinetist :)

    We thoroughly enjoy reading about your travel adventures and wanted to share that Rachel fell flat on her face (at age 7 so it wasn't as embarrassing as it could have been :) while admiring the Sistine Chapel ceiling. We talk about it to this day and it's even in her journal from her first European visit.

    Time to come back and see you. Hope you are all better from your Budapest trip~ Mary Rose

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kelly DJanuary 17, 2015 at 3:26 PM

    Mary Rose, how wonderful to hear from you! I am so excited for Rachel - a well deserved honor.

    I laughed out loud upon reading about Rachel's experience in Vatican city - I nearly had the same happen to me in the Pantheon - that building had a dizzying effect on me!

    I hope we can see each other again soon. All my best to you and the Hidalgo clan!

    Kelly

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Updates - November and beyond

Image
I've been told time and time again here that November is the longest month of the academic year. Too many clouds, too little sun. Too many classes, too little breaks. Too many men with overgrown facial hair... It is, by all accounts, true. (Actually, the facial hair is pretty cool. Go, Movember!) Anyway, in order to break up the month, I planned my first two out of country trips at the start and mid point of the month. First, I joined a friend for a shopping extravaganza in Bristol, UK, on the last weekend of October. Along with spending some of my hard earned Francs, I met lovely people, visited the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and experienced the wet and blustery weather that England is known for (ok, that part wasn't all that exciting for me). All in all, it was a lovely trip and came back with lots of goodies! The Clifton Suspension Bridge In mid November, I traveled to Stresa, Italy, on Lago Maggiore. This delightful little town was in the deepest dept
Read More »

Best of Birmingham Part 2 - Food and Drink

Image
It's a good thing running and walking are my number one way to see the world because sampling local cuisine comes in at a very close second. So, to finish out my Best of Birmingham posts (at least for now... a mind altering post on Urban Renewal is sure to be in the works after my next visit), let's take a look at my favorite establishments for food and drink. (Also, I'm getting better at this whole blogging thing... so you'll begin finding links to the places I mention.) You're welcome. :) First, if you know me at all, you probably know that my most widely consumed food or drink is, by far, coffee. I love it. I can't get enough of it. And I metabolize it quickly so I can drink it all day long without getting crazy (crazier?). In Birmingham, it just so happens that my favorite cup of coffee can also be found at my favorite - EVER - brunch spot. Chez Lu Lu . Maybe it's just the Parisian decor, the mismatched tea cups, or the velvet cushioned
Read More »

Les Chateaux!

Image
The Castles! Last weekend, I visited two of the many glorious Chateaux found in this region of France. I travelled on a guided excursion provided by the school, which included transportation, entry tickets, and a "we're all here learning so don't speak too quickly" French guide for a very reasonable price. I was proud that I understood upwards of 95% of what our guide was telling us and learned some new vocabulary. First, we went to Cheverny, the smaller and more "modest" of the two chateaux we visited that day. Unbelievably, the place was practically dead. I was shocked as it was a Saturday morning in July, but it worked out well for our tour group as we got a good view of everything. The exterior of Cheverny is clearly less impressive than many of its neighboring castles but the interior is one of the better due in part to its consistent ownership and history of inhabitants (more here ). In particular, I was in love with the private apartments as well
Read More »