Rome Italy...part 3

The Villa Borghese Gardens are situated high up above the squares of Rome.
The gardens cover about 80 hectares and are situated above Piazza Del Popolo.

The gardens were developed in 1606 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who wanted to turn his former vineyard into the most extensive gardens built in Rome.

You can best see the gardens by renting a scooter, bike or by riding the tram.

We opted to ride the tram which was about 4 Euros and took about 30 minutes.

Next stop is Vatican City.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Rome Italy....part 2

We decided to go to the Collosseum... as did many others!
It is a popular place to visit when visiting Rome...

We stood in line for quite some time before realizing that we should have purchased tickets online to skip the line up...

As it was hot and sunny we should have packed a water bottle each...
the local entrepreneurs would not have benefitted as they sold us very expensive bottles of water!

If you go, remember these tips!

It may save you oodles of time standing around chatting with strangers!

Allow yourself plenty of time to explore this amazing site.

We walked around for about an hour or so...

there is a very nice gift shop to peruse on your way out of the venue.

Next stop Villa Borghese Garden.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Rome Italy...(part 1)

My husband picked me up at the airport yesterday afternoon and I felt very emotional seeing him after three weeks away...
we are rarely apart more than a few days.

When we got home the cats greeted me warmly...
Pepper with a few high pitched chirrups and Chester with purring and rubbing up against me.

Sleep came easily about 9 pm our time... 4am Paris time!
I was woken at 4 am by fireworks going off on the street and fell back into a deep sleep until 6 am when I got up to feed the cats and make the coffee.

The carry on is unpacked, laundry is done, we went out for lunch, got groceries, went for a walk along the sunny waterfront and here I am already typing...
keen to write a blog post.

Will start off in Italy with a few snapshots of the B&B.
We stayed in the Monti area of Rome. A fabulous place to be situated for ease of walking to the Colosseum and other sites...also we loved the view!

The view from the upper terrace.

You can see the Colosseum at the top in the middle of the photo.

Several popular restaurants are on the street below the B&B.

The covered terrace...

a wonderful spot for morning coffee or a nightcap.

One evening we ate cheese, crackers and sliced meat with our wine.

The weather was hotter than I had expected...

I was glad that I packed sleeveless tops and a straw sunhat.

There are ruins dotting the streets everywhere in Rome.

Considering the vast scale of these original structures 

it would have been quite a feat to build them without modern machinery.

The Altare Della Patria monument in Rome.

I fell in love with the umbrella pine trees...just love their brilliant green foliage.

Sunset 

with the Altare Della Patria monument and statues

taken from the upper terrace at the B&B.

We visited the monument early one morning before it got too crowded.

We took the elevator up to the very top where we had a birds eye view of Rome.

We discovered a bird's nest under an over hang.

Two gulls were very comfortable with all of the photos being snapped!

They must get used to all the visitors!

I've got more photos on Rome.

The Colosseum, Borzoi Gardens and The Vatican.

Will post these

as soon as the fog of Jet Lag Lifts!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Keep Calm and Carry On...3 weeks of outfits!

Trying very hard to keep calm...to sleep and to breathe.

The excitement is building and there are not that many more sleeps before Julie and I depart on our adventure in Italy and France.

This week I kept busy with friends, reading and walking.

I enjoyed a relaxing pedicure at the Willow King Spa and chose a bright red shade of polish for my toes...I am packing sandals as the weather in Rome and Tuscany looks hotter than I expected.

Merrell sandals super comfy for long walks

Clark Chelsea Boots and New Balance trainers.

Rain jacket and yoga pants for the bike ride to the vineyard in Tuscany

They may come in handy for the fishing trip on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Eileen Fisher top and jeans.

Cashmere sweater

I plan to wear this on the plane with the Clark Chelsea boots.

Eileen Fisher jacket 

"Sunken Garden"scarf from Butchart Gardens gift shop here in Victoria.

Hedgren lightweight Cross body bag.

Nyan crinkle dress

Eileen Fisher top and black rayon pants

Tencel chambray shirt which I can layer over the tees and tops.

Camisole and crinkly top which can be worn together with black pants or jeans.

Lingerie, capri leggings, socks, nightie, and a swimsuit.

It all fits in the carry on and there is a bit of room to spare!

I am taking the Longchamp bag as my accessory item.

I packed a similar amount of clothing in 2015 when I went to Paris and France.

Minimalistic carry on wardrobes are easier to pack than you might think.

If we encounter snow I will need to do some shopping!

Hope that the weather will be as forecast and I will purchase something fun in Paris...

It's a beautiful sunny Autumn day here in The Humble Bungalow.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

BTW

Have you seen the Downton Abbey film yet?

It's wonderful, a fabulous story line and the return of the original characters makes it a pure delight.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~