Early Morning Start in Rome

The Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna and Trinita dei Monti all in one picture

This morning I arrived at just after 7am in Rome and going through passport control was very fast, but then took a while to get our luggage.

Traffic was already heavy over an hour later coming into town. It had rained earlier, but despite the heavy clouds, the sun was determined to push its way through to create blue skies.

Inside the basilica that was so ornate

My hotel room wasn't ready yet so I took my colleague's suggestion of walking to the Spanish Steps and from there wander the streets that have many fashionable boutiques.

With the help of Google Maps I got there in over 20 minutes and there were already a few tourists at the top of the stairs where the Trinita dei Monti church stands over the Piazza di Spagna below. The staircase is said to have been designed by architect Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo Bernini helped him.

At the bottom of the stairs is Via Condotti, where all the top fashion brands are located, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce and Gabbana, and Max Mara, along with non-Italian names like Tiffany & Co, Harry Winston, and Swarovski.

They all opened at 10am on the dot but hardly had any visitors; looking through the glass windows I could see Chinese staff in some of the boutiques to cater to the mainland customers. This morning there was one tour group but they didn't have time to shop there.

Nearby was the Basilica dei SS Ambrogio E Carlo that was built from 1612-1684. The door handle to go inside says "humility". Inside the church is very ornate, the ceilings covered in frescoes with a heavenly theme. Small naves to worship particular saints were on the sides. It was a beautiful quiet place for contemplation, even though shops like H&M were next door.

The "twin" churches at Piazza del Popolo

I wandered along Via del Babuino and there were more fashionable shops there, until I reached the end at Piazza del Popolo  or the "people's square". In the middle is an obelisk of Sety I. I haven't visited much of Rome, but have already seen a number of obelisks erected... the Romans really amassed a collection of them...

There are "twin" churches standing side by side, with Via del Corso separating them -- Santa Maria Montesanto on the left, and Santa Maria dei Miracoli on the right.

After a lunch of pizza, I tried to go find the Trevi Fountain, but instead found the Pantheon. It was a former Roman temple and is now a church. The dome is most impressive -- it is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
so when it rains, the water does fall down into the middle of the marbled floor -- but there are 22 holes in the ground that help drain the rainwater away. You can't help but keep looking at the dome that's so beautiful and the clouds are passing by. There are signs around the room asking visitors to be quiet as it is a church, but it was quite noisy...
I finally managed to find the Trevi Fountain and after it was carefully cleaned and restored by fashion company Fendi in 2015, the statues are very white! Most of the coins in the fountain are cleaned out. The area was crawling with tourists and the restaurants and cafes nearby were happy to cater to them.

One gelato shop had a guy who spoke a few words in Mandarin, "you want this?" pointing to a cup and then a cone. Every little bit helps.

A cleaned up Trevi Fountain with blue skies

I was concerned about gypsies in touristy areas, but each place had a squad of police there in army fatigues and their cars as a deterrent.

By this time it was 3.30pm and I wandered back to the hotel to finally check-in to my room for a long-awaited shower and nap...

Parisian Church Fest

Notre Dame with its ornate facade

Our first full day in Paris was... a full-on one. We started off a bit late in the morning but arrived at Notre Dame to find a massive line to get into the cathedral, though it moved fast and in about 15 minutes we got in.

One of two rose stained glass windows

Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 and then took almost 200 years to complete. After that it witnessed medieval executions, was a food warehouse during the Revolution, the coronation of Emperor Napoleon in 1804, and had a service marking the Liberation of Paris in 1944.

The facade of the cathedral is mesmerizing with so many things to see, lots of panels depicting scenes from the Bible, and the 28 kings from Judea, though the latter were destroyed because they were mistaken as French kings during the Revolution.

As a result a lot of rebuilding went on at Notre Dame. Even the gorgeous round rose stained glass windows underwent lots of repair too. Inside the place is so grand with very high ceilings, arches and chandeliers.

A service began when we were in there, and in attendance were nuns in their full habit, one even singing and leading the congregation with a few hymns.

Lots of locks still hanging out on Pont de Notre Dame

While the church tries to get donations from visitors, a neat way is through selling medallions with the church's design stamped on it for 2 euros each. It turns out other churches do the same, where people can buy them from a vending machine right in the cathedral which was interesting. Some designs have Pope John Paul II, or Pope Francis, other non-religious sites of Paris.

Afterwards we wandered behind the cathedral to Pont de Notre Dame, famously known for the padlocks on the fences lining the bridge. In late May the city announced it would remove the locks -- symbols of everlasting love -- because one part of the fence broke off last year because of the weight of the locks.

However they were still there...

An unusual but fun dome design at the Pantheon

After some lunch we headed to the Pantheon that took a bit of effort to find because there wasn't much signage giving directions. However we eventually found it and it is undergoing some major refurbishments on the outside.

The place was originally designed as a church dedicated to St Genevieve for Louis XV, who wanted to give thanks for the recovery of his illness. However, when Victor Hugo was buried here in 1885, the place became less religious and has now become more of a pilgrimage to those who made huge contributions to France's culture and celebrates generals.

The main dome is being refurbished, and in the meantime when you look up at the ceiling, it's not a traditional ceiling, but features modern faces photographed in black and white which is quite a contrast to the solemnity of the place.

The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry

Downstairs is the crypt which is where Hugo is, along with Emile Zola, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire and Marie Curie.

Then we headed to Musee de Cluny nearby and while it looked like a small space, it was packed with lots of interesting items from the Middle Ages. It is considered the only surviving Gothic residence in Paris.

While there was a lot of religious iconography housed in there, we were most impressed with the six large tapestries featuring the Lady and the Unicorn.

Each one depicts a different sense -- taste, touch smell, hearing and sight. The last one, considered mysterious, has "To my only desire". In it, the lady puts into her jewel case the collar she had been wearing in the other five panels. This could possibly mean her refusal of temptation, and renouncing the other five senses.

Pope John Paul II at St Germain des Pres

In any case, the colours of the tapestries are vivid and seem to be made around the same time as they have a similar look and colour, though the lady looks slightly different in each one.

Another church on the list was St Germain des Pres, which takes its name from the 8th century cardinal of Paris. It is the only Romanesque-style church in Paris and was once part of a monastery.

The outside has a humble appearance, but inside it's somewhat grand, with blue ceilings with gold stars, and the stained glass windows are impressive too. There was a bust of Pope John Paul II with a friendly face.

Then we headed north to Sacre Coeur which is high up on a hill. We missed the funicular so we schlepped up the stairs and had a good workout! Outside in front of the church there's a hippy-like atmosphere, as people hang out with bottles of beer and free entertainment from a guy strumming a guitar and enjoying the sound of his voice.

Inside there are lots of glittering mosaics depicting religious scenes, mostly on the theme of the crucifixion. Construction on the church began in 1875 and wasn't completed until 1914.

Sacre Coeur attracts a big crowd outside

While we were there a service was being conducted, and staff were strict about being quiet, and taking pictures. We rested our feet by sitting in the pew and watching the proceedings. Once the offering baskets came out, some parishioners left. Interestingly the basket was extended to us as well and I dropped our donation in there.

Finally, after some dinner -- moules marinere, duck confit, and steak, we took a brief look at Moulin Rouge, though it has seen better days. From there we took a ride home all the way back to our hotel. Our two-day pass is already worth it!