Mamma, Ti Voglio Bene

I had a rather unique Mother's Day this year.

It began with a very sweet gift from my son - a cookie and red roses!
The cookie stands for

"Mamma, ti voglio bene" or
                                 
"Mom, I love you".

It was my day and we could go wherever I wanted to go!
And I wanted to see some not so typical tourist sights.

After going to a Farmer's Market and having a nice lunch,
we set out to find a the Knights of Malta keyhole.

 When we found it, there was a line of visitors waiting for their chance to look into the keyhole.

 When my turn came, this is what I saw!

 Through a long tunnel of hedges was the dome of St. Peter's Basilica!

Next, we headed to the Via Appia Antica.

This ancient road, constructed in the 5th century B.C. originally spanned about 330 miles from Rome to a seaport on the Adriatic where boats left for Egypt, Greece, or Africa. 

Much of the Appian Way has been preserved, the stones polished by thousands of years of use. It was thrilling to walk on the same stones as the ancient Romans (although I doubt if Vance and Adam shared my enthusiasm!)

As sunset approached, we made our way to a Aqueduct Park on the outskirts of Rome where remnants of ancient aqueducts still remain. 

The fields around the aqueducts were filled with graceful grasses and beautiful red poppies!

It was absolutely gorgeous at sunset...

The constantly changing light and shadows combined with the majestic arches of stone was like a dream to a photographer!

 

Thank you, Adam, for an unusual, but very wonderful Mother's Day!