During the Spring of 2001 I was very fortunate to be able to visit Rome, Italy with my family for an eight day trip. This was the first trip I've ever made outside the United States and I was extremely excited to be seeing and doing new things.
Everything in Italy was fascinating to me. I was amazed with the people, buildings, food, atmosphere, and lifestyle of Rome. Over the eight days I was there I shot sixteen rolls of film. I photographed buildings, ruins, tourist attractions, people, cats, flowers, the cobblestones, churches, vehicles... you name it. I was particularly fond of the churches in Rome.
I took so many photos of so many churches that I've had a hard time identifying a few of them, so if you find a photo mislabeled please
let me know.
Other than the churches, the thing that stands out in my mind the most about Rome was the architecture. It is amazing that buildings like the Colosseum are still standing and the original roads Julius Caesar walked on are still in the Forum. I found many buildings that had faces on them - either carved into the rock or over windows and doors. Some buildings still have frescos painted on them. I learned quickly I had to look for details everywhere.
The other thing I really remember about Rome was the food. It was completely out of this world. Our version of Italian food here in America simply does not compare. My family and I have been looking for Italian restaurants here in Ohio that have food similar to what we had in Rome. We've found many good ones and many authentic Italian cooks, but nothing compares exactly. There were street vendors all over Rome who sold produce like I've never tasted. Their orange juice is red, strawberries are red all the way through, and Roma tomatoes are huge and so tasty. No wonder the restaurants are so good - the cooks have good ingredients to begin with.
I've grouped the photos by area as best as I can. There were a few pictures that didn't fit anyplace so they wound up in the "Around Rome". Needless to say, I have a lot more photos and it's going to take me a while to scan and add more photos to this collection, so please check back.
