In late-spring of 2026 my wife and I took a trip to Italy. Being the mountain lovers we are, I always thought my first visit to Italy would land me in the incredible Dolomites, but we decided in the spring that, after trips to the mountains of Nepal, Patagonia and Canada last year, we were ready to explore one of Europe's great cities. Given its rich history and amazing architecture, Rome was a perfect choice.
We flew into Rome to spend a few days roaming the city, then traveled by train over 400 kilometers to Manarola, a dramatic village whose occupants live in houses literally clinging to the cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea. After a few days exploring the region by foot, we returned to Rome to finish our journey.
We explored the great Colosseum, took a tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, visited St. Peter's Basilica three times, and visited the incredible Galleria Borghese, which was a literal treasure trove of classic art by some of Italy's most prominent masters. Notable among them were works by Caravaggio, a name I had heard but until this visit was unfamiliar with. The color and detail and emotion captured in his paintings was stunning!
From a photographic standpoint this was a very difficult trip for me. Nevermind the heat and humidity that had me sweating through my clothing every day, Rome is a destination for the masses (deservedly so!), and everywhere we went was so crowded it was difficult to photograph many of the places we went without also capturing a lot of humans I'd rather not have in my photos. I realize we were part of the problem, and this is not intended to chastise any of our fellow visitors. It's only that it made photography for someone more accustomed to vacant landscapes very difficult. I found myself pointing my camera up at lots of ceilings, which, in Rome, is not a bad thing, given how richly painted and designed many of those ceilings were!
What follows is a taste of what we saw on this trip. It was thoroughly enjoyable, even if it wasn't the most photographically prolific experience.
