Roman walkabout.....

Each evening after Tim returned from the conference we would go out for dinner and drinks and spend a few hours walking around to take in the scenery and enjoy the much cooler evening temps. So it was with only a few days left in Rome that I spent the better part of a day walking around and taking photos, in the daylight, of all the things we'd walked by during our evening strolls.

Arco di Constantino (Arch of Constantine) conveniently located next to the Colosseum. Hang tight - it will be it's own post. :)

 

The Pantheon: We visited the outside of this temple one evening so when I returned to snap some daytime photos I was pleasantly surprised to find it open to the masses.

 

Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II: Other than the Colosseum we have by far the most photos of this monument; it was erected to honor the first king of unified Italy: Victor Emmanuel II.

 

Foro Romano: Roman Forum. Not only does Rome have endless monuments and cathedrals there are also ancient ruins preserved throughout the city. We've never seen anything like it. :)

Foro di Traiano: Trajan's Forum. Like the Roman Forum this group of buildings and ruins is situated right in the middle of the city.

 

 

 

Piazza Navona: One of the seemingly endless "piazzas" or squares throughout the city. It was originally a stadium arena where the ancients would come to watch "games". But today you see the beautiful buildings and statues that decorate a central fountain. You'll also find any number of street vendors, street performers and the place is surrounded by cafes if you just need to sit down for a rest (or a glass of wine). :)

 

 

Killer cobbles...

Europe offered plenty of cobblestones of all shapes and sizes. However, Rome provided the mother of all cobblestones; I contend they are far more dangerous than the little ones. :) Luckily, we had no twisted anks despite the fact we walked ridiculous distances over treacherous footpaths.

Sights around every corner.....

Before we left for Europe my supervisor told me that Rome is his favorite European city because around every corner there's a bunch of ruins or a cathedral or a fountain. Not that I didn't believe him but indeed, this is exactly how I would describe Rome. And while I haven't traveled Europe as much as he has Rome is my favorite European city. :)

After visiting the Artemide showroom I happily walked on with my lighting literature tucked under my arm because, shockingly, it was too big to fit in my mom-bag. :) Instead of hopping back on the metro right away I figured I would take in some of the landmarks that were close by. The first was just down the street from the Artemide showroom: the Trinitia dei Monti. It was crawling with people but I made my way up the steps and found place to get a cold drink and enjoy it in the shade.

 

A little farther up the road I came upon the Villa Medici; it had been converted into some kind of high end golf resort but the grounds provided an amazing vantage point for taking in the city.

Artemide lighting....

The following day Tim left for the conference and I set off on an adventure. I was going to a different part of the city, via the metro that I hadn't used before and would take in various landmarks along the way. This plan was spurred on by the idea that I had to visit an Artemide Lighting showroom while we were in Italy. If you're scratching your head about this one I'll give you some background and it'll all come together in the end. Just stay with me. :)

As a senior in high school I moved from small town, Kindred, North Dakota, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my mom. She had just graduated with her undergrad in Speech Communication and Interior Design and landed a sweet job at a design center called International Market Square to run a high end lighting showroom that sold the products of an Italian lighting firm called Artemide. A couple years later as a poor undergraduate I was hired by the showroom to make copies, file invoices and clean the showroom. It was glamorous stuff, let me tell you. Nevertheless for a couple years I worked there part time and fell in love with the classic lines for which Artemide is famous. Even if you're drawing a blank you most definitely have seen their fixtures in various movies - Tim and I are always pointing them out to each other, especially their iconic Tolomeo table lamp. We have the Micro - it's a little cutie.

 

So after working in the showroom and acquiring a couple fixtures over the years I always told myself that I would visit an Italian showroom if ever in Italy. There you have it, in Rome I was on a quest to make this visit a reality!

I researched the showrooms and found one that was open to the public. Using my trusty, and by the end of the trip tattered, map of Rome I realized that it would be quite a walk from the hotel. Instead, I decided to try the metro as it would get me pretty close to the showroom and save some time walking in the warm Roman sun. So with my camera in my bag I took a breath and set out towards the closest metro station. I was able to navigate the instructions for purchasing tickets, really very simple, as you had the option of explanations in English (always exciting!). With ticket in hand I made my way down to the train and in minutes was zooming past a handful of stops. I soon hopped off and emerged into a totally new neighborhood full of high end retailers. Yup. This is where an Artemide showroom would be. :) I followed my instructions down one street and then my heart skipped a beat. Just ahead I saw the stylized sign for Artemide Lighting.

I walked up, snapped a photo and peered in through the window. What? It was closed? I consulted my instructions again and decided that this couldn't be the place! It didn't look right and for all the build up was totally anticlimactic. So I walked on a bit and realized that I needed to turn the corner and go around to the flip side of the block. In a mix of confusion and relief I came upon the showroom! 

But it was closed! The good news was that it was only closed for the lunch hour/siesta time of the early afternoon. But hey, I was willing to wait so I strolled down the street to take in the Piazza del Popolo which was quite beautiful. 

 

Anxious to get inside the showroom I returned only to be told that they wouldn't be open for another half hour. Sigh! Again I told myself, "you've come all this way and you can wait a half hour even if you don't want to...". With thirty minutes to kill I walked around and looked in the windows of other shops that were still waiting for their proprietors to return.

Alas when I returned this time the showroom was open. For real. 

I walked in with goosebumps crawling up my arms and started to absorb everything I was seeing. There were old familiar "modern classic" pieces mixed among a multitude of new fixtures. I hadn't been in an Artemide showroom for a few years so it was amazing to see all the new additions.

I chatted up the showroom manager and we discussed the new fixtures and the old. He gave me some literature including a special design edition (newspaper size but more like a magazine layout) that was printed for an exclusive lighting collaboration that had been showcased in Milan earlier this year. Needless to say I was tickled pink to be visiting an Artemide showroom in Italy. I snapped a few photos and floated out of there on a cloud. :)