Arriving in Rome

I am very good with maps.  Once I have my sense of direction, the map will help me to identify where I am and where to turn next.  But, first I have to get my sense of direction.  That is why when I arrive in a new city that I've never been to before, I first ask for someone at my hotel to point me in the right direction using my map as the guide and then I set out for a walk to make sure I've got my bearings.  That is exactly what I did when I arrived in Rome Italy for the very first time.

After a hair-raising ride in a taxi from the airport and settling into my hotel room, using my map, I asked the man at the front desk to point me in the right direction and off I went.  That first walk around a new city it always a bit of an adventure.

I found myself in awe of the tall umbrella pine trees that lined the streets and set the tone for my explorations.

I came to a monument that was not identified on my map but, the name on the plinth was Camillo Benso di Cavour, a statesmen who was instrumental in the unification of Italy.

A little further along I came to this rather grand building and my map called it the Palace of Justice.  It houses the Supreme Court of Cassation, the highest court of appeal in the country.

I learned that it was built in 1888 and is completely covered in travertine limestone.  I also learned that it's popular name among locals is "Palazzaccio" or "the bad palace".  I guess the idea is you don't wan't to end up here.

The building is topped with a quadriga sculpted by Ettore Ximenez of Palermo.  What is a "quadriga" you ask?  It's a word that describes a statue consisting of a chariot pulled by four horses.  I've seen many such statues before but had never seen that word before seeing it in my guide book.

Before long I had made my way to the Tiber River and a stroll along the river under the shade of the trees was a special treat for this first time visitor.

I passed simple bridges and bridges adorned with statues.  And when I crossed the bridge I found more places to explore and more statues and monuments to admire.

I found another bridge to cross back, confident that I had a good idea of how to follow my map and arrive at the places I wanted to see.  It was time to head back to the hotel and freshen up for a long evening walk and my very first Italian dinner! I'll post more about walking and eating in Rome another time.