Mausoleum of Hadrian / Castel Sant'Angelo #2

 The view from Castel Sant'Angelo towards Vatican City.

Castel Sant'Angelo or Castle of the Holy Angel is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, Italy.

According to the Wiki, it was initially used by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a tomb for himself and his family.

The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum.

Night View in Rome

The Colosseum could hold, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial or combat fighting contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, executions and dramas.

Largo di Torre Argentina is a square with four Roman Republican temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre.

We visited there several times but night views were far better than daytime views.

Termini railway station also has a metro station and bus terminals.
It is said that the station is the second largest railway station in Europe after Paris Gare du Nord.
The picture bellow is the view from the station going back to the hotel, Massimo D'Azeglio which we stayed during our visit.

This is Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II viewing from Piazza Venezia.
It also called Altare della Patria or Vittorio.
According to the Wiki, it is a monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy.

Mausoleum of Hadrian / Castel Sant'Angelo #1

The day when we visited the castle was a special day; most of Roman museums and monuments for tourists were admission free.
So, there was a very long waiting queue for the entrance of Castel Sant'Angelo.

We waited at least one hour, or maybe more than one, before entering Mausoleum of Hadrian.

We killed time by talking with a girl who was waited in front of us among the waiting queue.

She was a Swiss, single, working for a company which dealt medical optics,  her parents bought her a canon EOS digital camera, and so on and on.

Talking with other tourists became one of good travel memories as well as visiting historical monuments.

Vehicles in Rome

They call it metro, that is subway. Subway system is not so complicated as that of in Tokyo and easy to use.

A tramcar or a streetcar is also useful for tourists.

A double‐decker bus and a horse wagon are for tourists. Local citizens rarely use them, I think.

An airport shuttle bus is easy to use but a public bus is not. Because they do not call the name of the bus station, we have to be careful where we are in the bus.

Otherwise, you will easily miss the destination you have to get off.

A river boat is also for tourists. It seems like a double-decker bus which runs on the river.

I took the following video on our way back to the airport running near the Colosseo.

We Visit Ashiyu; Hot Water for Foot

When I went back to my hometown, we went to ashiyu.
An ashiyu is different from a normal hot spring. At a hot spring the entire body is immersed in the water, but at an "ashiyu" (foot bath) only the feet and legs up to the knees are immersed.

Ninety-two year old my mother uses a wheelchair. It is almost impossible for her to go outside by herself. It is hard even with our full assistance because she gets tired easily recently.

When I went back home this summer, I thought my mother enjoyed going outside with us very much.  But, even so, we also have to pay special care for her weakened body.

Ristorante 12 Apostoli

On our way to Trevi Fountain, we stopped by an Italian restaurant, “Ristorante Pizzería Forno A Legna 12 Apostoli.”

We ordered spaghetti and drinks. Food tastes were in the middle and price was rather high.

After coming back to Japan, I checked the restaurant on “trip adviser” site; there were many unfavorable reviews. Maybe, I will try another restaurant next time.

Hotel Restaurant in Rome

Massimo D'Azeglio is the name of the hotel we stayed.

All hotel workers, spoke fluent English,  were kind and friendly.

Breakfast at the restaurant was well prepared and delicious every morning.

We could not complain anything at all during our stay.

I saw water outlets on the sidewalk, inside buildings or in the park that were continually running.

It is said that the drinkable free water for these fountains comes directly from the mountains above the city.

Edo Tokyo Museum

Edo Tokyo Museum is a good atruction for visitors to Japan.

These pictures are a few examples of the museum.

During WWII, many residents of the Tokyo downtown areas lived in rooms such as the one in the picture below.

To prevent window glass from shattering during bombing raids, windowpanes were taped.

A special lampshade was used to prevent light from leaking outside.

Steel helmets and other safety gear were kept close by. A radio set was used to obtain information about air raids.