Just so happen to have read a little blurb about it when trying to find info on Hadrian's Villa. Which is were I had planned to visit (for the second time, the first time I got robbed half way there and had to go home) today.
After some mighty confusion at the train station, (I bought the ticket at Termini station but had to go to Tiburina station to catch the train) I got off to a very slow and confusing start. Damn my poor italian language skills, hey are getting better but I still end up often confused as all heck, thank God for nice Italians so patient and willing to help this stupid American (thank you Obama, for making us likable again)... Ahhhh but I digress..
So anywho.... I get off the train at the Tivoli stop and am like.., uh ok now what?? I sort of half expected I would just see Hadrian's Villa and just walk over to it. Yeah, no.. So I just started walking in a random direction and came across some signage that pointed that Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa where in this general direction. So I walked for about a half hour or so, twisting and turning up and down random streets, so sure I'd never find my way back to the train station. When at the end of one of the several piazzas I passed through there was Villa d'Este. I had no idea what it was but figured I go check it out because at least I found it. (never found Hadrian's Villa)
Wow!! Not only was the castle/mansion amazing totally over decorated in Baroque frescos, but the gardens, I hope I never ever forget those gardens. The gardens were full of Fountains large and small, and landscaped in such a way as every part felt like you had some how stumbled into a secret garden, It was so beautiful! At one point in time I actually felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland, it just didn't seem like a place like this could exhist. I was totally awestruck by the views of the countryside, the romantic hidden gardens the mesmerizing fountains, I wish I lived there, minus all the yard work that would need to be done. I can not explain to you how much I enjoyed it. I love water, I'm a Pisces, I'm happiest near water,today I was smiling ear to ear! There were more fountains than I could count and the roses, the roses on all the walls were THE best smelling roses I've even smelled, I wonder what it will be like when Spring finally gets a handle on Italy (its a slow start so far this year). So enjoy the pictures of my walk through Tivoli and the Villa d'Este, so romantic, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
( as usual the pictures are in backwards order, aka bottom to the top sequence)
fancy ceilings and frescos
You can see it on my face, I'm proud of myself for finding this place.
Window views from the Villa
Outside of the Villa d'Este
Random sculptureRandom cross on a mountain and castle in the center of town
