it is different here, #2

While out walking this morning, I came upon a small piazza not far from home.  It was mostly empty except for two armed carabinieri.   Law enforcement  here comes in several flavors and the carabinieri  is one of those flavors, having military as well as civilians responsibilities.  Some carabinieri look very much like police officers in the US - driving patrol cars and wearing less military-looking uniforms - but these guys are pretty common too. It still surprises me to run into someone so significantly and evidently armed. What they are guarding is a mystery to me.  That building houses some part of the municipal archeology department - and has a tourist attraction built in the front door. Through the keyhole, you get a remarkable peek across the river at St Peter's Basilica. While it is popular, it is not drawing crowds now during the gloom of winter.

And this is the view through that keyhole.

Yesterday, I walked up through the Quirinale.

 ...and stopped in the Quirinale Garden.  When I peered over the edge of the wall, there was this quiet, very Italian-feeling space.  

 Looking down from the Spanish Steps at Christmas shoppers taking over Via Dei Condotti.  These narrow streets are eligible for auto traffic, but at times like this, it is very slow going if they try.

 These are a part of the front fencing around the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica.

In the background of this photo is the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and that there is one of the four fountains that can be found on this corner.  This is a small church and my photos don't really do it justice.  There is a 3-d presentation on the web put together by Columbia University that let's you look all around this space.    http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha/related_sites/rome_san_carlo_360/mov/1rome_san_carlo_church.mov

After visiting the crypt of that church, I found this beautiful line in the stairway coming up.