The beauty within: Piazza Farnese and Campo de' Fiori

When you stand in front of a famous fountains in Rome, with your camera in your hand, you are fully aware that thousands of photos of the exact same fountain already flood the internet. So there is no use in taking such a photo. This thought - or should I say conclusion - withdrew any possible magic between the Roman fountains and me. I just could not devote myself to them.

I tried, you must believe me, I did my best, so I could bring home at least this beautiful souvenir:

The fountain on the Piazza Farnese, as seen through the eyes of a tourist:

Meanwhile  Mr Paula got slightly distracted ... 

... and I immediataly followed his eyes and went into details:

 It did not take long until the fountain was blanked out and I had only eyes for this:

Matrasses in the centre of Rome!

Inside there is a man sleeping, he hangs from the ceiling!

How peculiar, how nice, how interesting! 

This was by far not the worst photo I brought home from the trip to Rome.

You find the worst photo at the end of this posting. It is my souvenir from the "Campo de' Fiori".

It somehow forms an antithesis to all the Campo de' Fiori pictures that flood the internet. I strongly oppose to the image a typical Rome tourist bears in mind, when thinking about the famous market in the historic centre of Rome.

Everything in this photo is wrong: there are no flowers anywhere. The bakery is closed. There should be dozens of people gathering and queuing up, buying Budini de Riso, still warm from the oven. Instead two trash cans and two phone booths are the centre of attention.  

No Budino di Riso for me. My face and my posture should say it all: I am heavily disappointed.

This is the only photo I brought home from the Campo de' Fiori and it only exists, because at the time we got there and took the photo, the bakery was closed. Every other time, there was sugar and grease on our fingers from the most delicious Budini di Riso which can be bought at the Forno Campo de' Fiori, which hindered my from touching my camera.

I love this photo. It was a special moment during our vacation, one of the moments you want to keep, because it makes you smile. Maybe because of the pointlessness of being there. Maybe because by that time we knew what we loved about the Campo de' Fiori and why we wanted to come back.

On that very Sunday morning we knew what we were going to be missing, because we had the chance to get to know it. Isn't this what getting to know a place is all about in the end: to know what you are going to be missing - before you've even left.