After a long but comfortable flight we finally made it to Rome. It was just after 9.30am when we arrived at our hotel the Bernini Bristol which is in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, our room was not ready for us, so we decided to explore the local area. Not 10 minutes walk away is the famous Trevi Fountain which is one of the oldest water sources in Rome. It is made from the same material as the Colosseum and it uses a lot of water, approximately 2,824,800 cubic feet of recycled water every day. There were hundreds or people there posing in front of the famous fountain. I have never seen so many selfie sticks. Most people also made a wish as they threw a coin into the fountain. What many may not know is that the coins are collected every night and given to an Italian charity called Caritas. Caritas, in turn, use the money for a supermarket program giving rechargeable cards to Rome’s needy to help them to be able to purchase groceries. It’s a crime to steal the coins from the Trevi. The fountain an it's surrounds are monitored by a number of people wearing formal uniforms who ensure that people do not get into the water or walk along the famous marble surrounds. They all have whistles and they blow them furiously and point at anyone they see doing the wrong thing. It was quite entertaining.
Our next stop was the Spanish Steps (Scalina Spagna), which are a great example of the Roman Baroque Style. The steps are a wide irregular gathering place consisting of 138 steps placed in a mix of curves, straight flights, vistas and terraces. They connect the lower Spanish Square (Piazza di Spagna) with the upper piazza Trinita dei Monti, with its beautiful twin tower church dominating the skyline. Even though it was early Sunday morning the entire piazza was alive with people. We climbed up the steps and then made our way back to our hotel. Time for a shower and a bit of a rest.
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