Villa Borghese, Galleria Borghese

From the Pantheon we travelled to the Galleria Borghese, having booked the previous day for 3pm to 5pm. This contains the collection of the Borghese family.

The Gallery sits within the Villa Borghese, in fact Rome's second largest park, formerly the front yard and backyard of the Borghese family. As appropriate, there are flowers ...

...and vegetables.

This tree, if it is 200 years old, which it looks like it might be, could have been peed on by Napoleon's sister Pauline's dog.

Sorry, no picture of the dog but these of Pauline from Wikimedia, formally

and less formally, as seen by Canova

Though we have no image of Pauline's dog, it is evident that these days, at least on weekday afternoons, the human:dog ratio is fairly even.

We were not sure what breed this dog below actually was, but we wish to note that the man if actually full size.

Susan may or may not remember picnics in this park when she was two and three.

And then the day began to close, as did the refreshments van, and it was time to move on!

the Pantheon

Setting out for the Pantheon, 2000 years old

we resist the purchase of a 2000 year old outfit.

and award the dog of the day/circumstance of the day

to the labrador in the bookshop with the not-blind man.

Within a few minutes from our room we arrive at the Pantheon.

Most days in Rome 40 years ago I would walk to work and after passing through Piazza Navona would enter this piazza from the left and leave at the right. When, in quieter days than now, one came upon the Pantheon alone, it seemed alive, breathing quietly, perhaps the most extraordinary building anywhere, an excellent reason alone to come to Italy.

Eventually, of course, we have to follow a skirt outside.

Where we find the Korean tour guide telling a story about a fish,

while the Scotsman waits to tell a story about the shot put.

Yes of course, we did eventually have to ask two gentlemen in kilts whether perhaps there was a Rugby game for which they had dressed. No, they said, it is cultural exchange week, there are some of them back over there. We noted in good humour that they were drinking Coca Cola and smoking Marlboro. It is possible we were having our legs pulled. There was a Rugby match. Next day Italy thrashed Scotland, surely cause for consternation. T'would perhaps be interesting to see tails between legs of kilted laddies... or perhaps not...


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ADDENDUM 2018, Trump year 2:

There is a modern morality of metaphor story here. About Scots and walls and naming buildings and walking in Rome and beyond; plus civilian control of the military.

At the Pantheon back in 2010, reported below we met scotsmen. Admiring the temple to many gods, ordered by the Emperor Hadrian 

This is what happened two millennia further back.... 

Hadrian said: "I want you blokes to rebuild a decent temple here (pointing to where generals had to sit and wait in the muddy Field of Mars while the Senators of old Rome tossed up whether to allow them into the city and be given a military parade) and do it better than those last two that burned down. Oh and better not put my name on it, put old Agrippa's name on it."

And so saying he walked off up the modern Via del Corso and onwards to Britain. Where his local representatives said "boss, boss, we hate these Scots!." To which of course the modern leader Hadrian said "BUILD A WALL. PUT MY NAME ON IT!" So they did ...and made the locals pay for it in sweat. Meanwhile Hadrian walked home to Rome, via Palestine and Libya, as you do. And said thanks when he saw the finished Pantheon 3.0 which still stands. 

Worth noting too that long after, a millennium and a half later, when the popes decided to build an upgrade church for themselves in the rough neighbourhood over the river from the three more venerable papal basilicas of Rome, the architects and engineers tried and tried to work out how the old Romans had built the roof of the Pantheon. Failing to understand how to do that they built the present pointier top of St Peters. 

Lunching at Piazza Navona

We buy fruit in the Campo dei Fiori knowing we can trust a stall trusted by a labrador

and take our fruit to eat in the Piazza Navona,

taking the opportunity to check out another skirt

What a difference from two weeks ago when it was cold and wet and empty!

after lunch of clementine (marvellous variety of mandarin from Sicily)

take the photo requested by the man from Warsaw.

Coming back towards our room, check out the famous church of San Andrea della Valle.

Words fail... except perhaps to translate for you from the facade of the church:

"Light up your desire for Rugby."

Where would Rugby be without an official beer.

Then discover a chariot seemingly running away from the Victor Emanuel Monument.

then wait at the dog crossing for a moment.

To the Campo dei Fiori market

It's that kind of day, a day for concern about the poorest as well as the richest, isn't every day?

and a day to step aside for the passing dog

and for saying hello to another dog

passing through renaissance Rome

to the market.

From our room to the Tiber

In the morning after breakfast, Helen takes a photo of Dennis in our room in restored sixteenth century building.

Then we go downstairs from the third floor

go out the door and turn a corner

and another corner, then pass a dog

Look in a window

or many...

cross the Lungotevere (Tevere is translated to English as Tiber)

Look at the river in flood, Helen points out something down there...

So we spend some time wondering what became of Mulga Bill.

Then we check out some skirts going by

and head back towards our street again (distance back approx 200m)

and while diverted...

...returning just now from buying a lemon for us to cook the artichokes, I passed two very dramatic goth figures coming from the castle. As I got back to the camera and the kitchen window, the dog who is the keeper of the outer gate was completing security inspection.

speaking of George

... a photo from not long ago