Stone pines are a big part of the Roman landscape. They are also called umbrella pines and you can see why from their shapes. I didn’t know they were such tall trees. You can see this with my first photo. Look carefully at the bottom. That is me standing there. These trees once formed natural forests in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Today, they are mostly cultivated. People eat the pine nuts.
We had a perfect day in Rome. We arrived just about dawn. It was cool and clear, and we had the chance to walk around near the hotel, which is right next to the Villa Borghese, a big and pleasant park. The picture with the wall on the bottom is taken from our hotel window.
