"Rome, of course Rome" -- Day 1

I spent three nights here: Pop Inn Hostel, from Dec 31st 2007 to Jan 2nd 2008. The facilities are not very good, but the staff were friendly and it's just by the Termini, so very convinient.

The three pictures were taken at Santa Maria degli Angeli. It was vast. When built in the 3rd century, it was meant to be Rome's largest public baths. I went into it and really had difficulty in imagining 3000 naked acient Romans socializing here. It was later on turned into a basilica, and Cosimo de Medici was educated here!

Rome is the city of fountains. I don't know the name for this one. It often appears on postcards.

But talking about foutains, the most famous one in Rome is Trevi Foutain. It was typical Baroque style, so elegant yet powerful that I felt speechless in front of its beauty. Too bad we went there at night, so the picture doesn't even almost do the justification for the view.

The custom is to throw a coin into the fountain over your shoulder while facing away, so that you will be ensured to return to Rome, and make a wish. This was me doing this.

Then I just sat there, watching people passing by, taking pictures and making their wishes. They were all so happy, as if their wishes had already come true. Lovers kissed each other, friends laughed together, some even opened champagne. I believe the lovers made wishes for each other, and perhaps some pairs of them will return Rome together, and a very romantic proposal will be made by the fountain.

There was a big Christmas tree at Termini. Many people wrote their new year wishes on a note and left it on the tree. This one is apprantly written by a Chinese. It reads:

" 2008 - China's Olympic Year
I wish: China becomes more prosperous and stronger; Chinese people become more united; going to the world, create the future"

Haha, glad to see it! A good one!

I wrote one myself too, and then folded it to a paper plane and flew it to the peak of the tree. Haha, 2008, I will take off and fly high :-)