Tivoli

Determined to find a tasteful souvenir, I scoured the huge Porta Portese Market for 3 hours. I found a brass picture frame, which will be a beautiful memory. My Italian language skills are improving, however I am still referred to as “Americano!”

At 3pm, a colleague and I travelled by H bus to Rome Termini station, purchased tickets for 3 Euro and enjoyed a train trip west to Tivoli. On the train we met Kaz and Mercedes from the canary Islands. They went on to help us in finding our way to Villia D’Este.

We started by looking a the inside of the house, which contained objects dating back to the first and second century AD. The Villa d’ Este is a 16th-century house commissioned by a cardinal, famous for its terraced hillside Renaissance garden and especially for its gravity powered fountains It is now an Italian state museum, and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The house was amazing, but the real surprise was the gardens. No matter where you looked there was something incredible to see. Water features were everywhere.