the Spanish Steps at dawn

Spanish Steps at dawn (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I arrived at the bottom of the Spanish Steps this morning around 5:30 a.m. A half dozen photographers were already there, cameras on tripods set to capture the iconic view — the Trinità dei Monti church centered with the baroque Fontana della Barcaccia in the foreground. Although I grabbed a few images from that vantage, I am more drawn to this view from the side...

On yesterday afternoon's walking tour, we saw the same scene. How much difference a few hours can make. The steps were packed with tourists ... and the nearby Trevi Fountain was a mob scene. One reason to wake up at 5 a.m., to see the famous sights of Rome without the crowds.

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