Giardino do Ninfa

Another beautiful place in Italy! I am not a garden person but this place was worth an afternoon to wander around. It was almost like a mystical place, I am hoping to have some family photos taken here! We spent about 2 hours and took more pictures than we did at the Colosseum! Here is a little history of the place:

The beautiful Gardens of Ninfa (Giardini di Ninfa) are located in the Lazio region of Italy, about 40 miles south-east of Rome. Known mostly to garden enthusiasts, Ninfa and its unique setting are still a fairly well-kept secret. Getting to Ninfa is a challenge, but the garden is worth the effort.
Ninfa was a substantial town going back to the times of the Romans. However, during the Middle Ages the town was squabbled over, sacked, beset by malaria and eventually Ninfa was abandoned to the elements. A neglected part of the estate of the aristocratic Caetani family, Ninfa was left to slumber until the twentieth century when descendents transformed the town's ruins into a botanical garden. The last owner, Lelia Caetani, left the garden to a foundation who now run the site in conjunction with the WWF.
Now plants wind over ruined towers and walls, rejoicing in the lush damp conditions. The setting is indescribably atmospheric, with roses scrambling for footholds in ruined archways, and the frescoed church wall still standing open to the weather. Roses, banana trees, maples and resident ducks thrive in the microclimate of Ninfa. The dampness of the location, under the hills facing the coastal plain, leads to an unusual mixture of species.

Here is a link to see the photos:

http://s511.photobucket.com/albums/s358/hwiggins_2008/Gardens%20of%20Ninfa/

I have to appologise for the blue tinge in all the pictures, we discovered our camera batteries were dead about 5 minutes after starting our exploration so these were taken on my cell phone! I now have a backup set of batteries in my camera case! This is another place that is a must see if a trip to Italy is ever an option.

The Colosseum!!!!

Amazing in a word! R and I have been wanting to go see this major piece of history since before we moved here. Unfortunately with settling in, a new baby arriving and some personal grievances we never had the chance until last month. It was a beautiful spring day and we had nothing else we "needed" to get done so we got the kids ready and hopped into the car and set off, 45 minutes later we were facing the Colosseum! What an incredible building, it was much larger than I expected it to be...unlike when we went to see Stonehenge, I had this image in my head of a fabulous structure in the middle of an open field, I thought it was going to be an amazing site, I was so wrong It was interesting to see don't get me wrong but, it was nothing like I envisioned it to be, it was actually right off the motorway and much smaller than depicted!....anyway back to the Colosseum! We knew we were getting close, but I didn't expect to see it sitting amongst new and old. Here was this architectural wonder sitting in the center of a busy city street, people carrying on with their normal everyday lives. There were ancient ruins surrounded by new homes, office buildings etc but nothing looked out of place, it was like it all fit together! I have to include a link to the photos just so you can see what I mean.

 http://s511.photobucket.com/albums/s358/hwiggins_2008/ROME/

 There you go, go on have a look, it is worth it! I am finding it difficult to actually put into words what the Colosseum is like, It is truly a wonder, a beautiful structure, it is shame what went on inside when it was used as an arena but this does not take away from the historical side of the building itself or the fact that it was beautifully crafted over many years! Such care was taken on every detail right down to the marble floors and seats crafted from single pieces of marble with family names etched into them. We were in awe of such a site to say  the very least! If  you every get the chance to come to Rome this is one place that is a must see! On to the Vatican next......