The buildings looked different at night and those made of white marble appeared to glow in the dark.
An elegant old building - one of many we spotted through the window of the bus
A dramatic statue we passed while enjoying the tour
The magnificent Trevi Fountain - construction began in 1732 and was completed in 1762. It is fed by the waters from the Aqua Virgo, an aquaduct constructed in 19 BC, which brings water from the Salone Spring - 20 kilometres away - to all the historic fountains in Rome.
The central figure in the Trevi Fountain is Neptune, god of the sea, riding a chariot in the shape of shells pulled by two seahorses. Each seahorse is guided by a Triton and one of the horses stands calmly, while the other is flighty, representing the changing moods of the sea.
It felt quite surreal standing in the shadow of this beautiful fountain, after seeing it so often in movies, but never dreaming of actually visiting it myself one day
Closeup of the detail in the seahorses and figures
The delicate detail at the pinnacle of the fountain
While visiting the Trevi Fountain we had to ensure our return one day, so together we tossed a coin over our shoulders
The two of us at possibly the most famous fountain in the world - the spectacular Trevi Fountain
Romance at Trevi!
Trevi Fountain - breathtaking in it's detail and perfection
Beautiful old church behind Trevi Fountain
Closeup of the intricate detail on the main figures of the backdrop to the Trevi Fountain
Detail of one of the horses and figures on the Trevi Fountain
A picturesque view of the Trevi Fountain - the colour of the water was just beautiful as it shimmered above the marble base
The crowds gathering next to the Trevi Fountain
The Campidoglio or Capital Building - the seat of Parliament in Rome - designed my Michelangelo in the 1500s
One of the many statues found in Rome - on our night tour
Driving beside the Tiber River and looking across to the Castel Sant'Angelo
The latest archealogical "dig" in Rome - on one of the main streets of the CBD. It was discovered beneath a building several centuries old and is currently being excavated.
Section of the most recent archeaological 'dig' in Rome
Piazza Navona was originally built as a stadium in the 1st century for athletic contests and chariot races. In the 15th century the piazza was laid over the ruins of the stadium. Now it is a very lively place where local and tourists alike congregate to watch the world go by.
Fontana del Nettuno or "Neptune's Fountain" in the Piazza Navona - built in 1574
Artists in the marketplace in the Piazza Navona with the majestic Sant Agnese Church behind
The magnificent Sant Agnese Church situated in the centre of Piazza Navona, with the Fountain of Four Rivers directly in front.
The Obelisk towers above Piazza Navona and was originally brought from Egypt and placed in the Circux Maxentius on the Apian Way until it was finally brought to the piazza. It is seen here dwarfing The Fountain of Four Rivers.
The Fontana Dei Fiumi or "Fountain of the Four Rivers" at Piazza Navona is considered to be the most complex fountain in Rome.
Created in 1650 by Bernini and representing four rivers, The Danube, The Ganges, The Nile and The Rio De La Plata, it was so expensive that the tax on bread was raised in order to cover its high cost.
The detail on the foot was exquisite, even to the lines underneath being clearly visible.
The two of us in front of different angles of the Fountain of Four Rivers at Piazza Navona
A closer view of the Fountain of Four Rivers, Piazza Navona
Magnificent facade of Sant Agnese Church in the Piazza Navona - the marble "glowing" against the night sky was an amazing sight
Egypt meets Italy! Steve and a golden "friend" he met in Piazza Navona - a human statue of an Egyptian Mummy, very gold, standing very still, right beside the Fountain of Four Rivers.
An alfresco Trattoria in Piazza Navona - lined with luxurious cafes and baroque palaces, it is the busiest piazza in Rome
Fontana del Moro or "Fountain of the Moors", built in 1575 - another exquisitely detailed fountain in Piazza Navona
Fontana del Moro or "Fountain of the Moors", built in 1575 - another exquisitely detailed fountain in Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona with Sant Agnese Church on the left and the Fountain of Four Rivers in the middle of the piazza
Intricate detail on Fontana del Moro
Back view of Fontana del Moro, Navona Piazza - all three fountains in this piazza had exquisite detail and were just beautiful lit up at night - the marble almost seemed to glow which created an awesome effect
Another typical Trattoria on Navona Piazza. We were amazed as most people still eat outdoors even though the temperature was about 8 degrees!
St Peter's Basilica at night - softly lit and quite ethereal
St Peter's Basilica at night - softly lit and quite ethereal
Our next stop was to a private dinner, held in a typical quaint Trattoria near the Vatican. There were only four of us - a father and daughter from Mackay and ourselves - which made it very intimate and quite special, especially as we were serenaded throughout our four course meal by an opera singer and an accordianist!
The opera singer, the piano accordianist, our waiter and candlelight - we felt quite special!
Steve "sort of" enjoying our dinner - quite nice but just too much oil!!
It was a quaint little Trattoria near the Vatican and we were the only guests - they had closed the restaurant to the public in order to exclusively serve the people on the bus tour.
We were serenaded all through dinner, with small breaks throughout, and most of the songs were classic Italian.
The dinner they provided wasn't as nice as we expected - most things were swimming in olive oil, which we found hard to stomach as we don't like a lot of oil on our food - but the atmosphere and the entertainment was great, and a lovely way to finish our day.
After a wonderful first day in the Eternal City, we crawled into our very comfortable bed at about 12.30 a.m. - it had been a very busy day but a fantastic introduction to Rome.
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