May Day in Rome!

We arrived in Rome about 8pm, and after making it to our hotel, the Il Viandante B&B near the Bologna Metro stop, we set out for a quick meal: PIZZA. In Rome, pizzas are 3' long rectangles, and at pizza tavolo places (by the slice), your pizza is sold by weight, and cut with those orange-handled scissors you might recognize from your desk. 

The pizza was delicious - and photographs well. Not so this gelato we enjoyed the next day.

This is the view from our hotel balcony.

On May 1, we headed out to the Colosseum and were surprised to find it relatively quiet. We then discovered, that all sights in Rome were closed for May Day, or International Workers' Day. We had a fun walk around the grounds nonetheless.

We walked around the Forum, and other spots.

Julius Caesar stands over.

The Il Vittoriano is a monument built to the first king of unified Italy.

It also features the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The view from the top overlooks Rome.

Note how modern buildings are built atop ancient foundations.

On our May Day walk around Rome we walked into many churches.

We sat at the famous Trevi Fountain. As did hundreds of other people.

We walked up the Spanish Steps.

And enjoyed lunch in Rome's large park, the Villa Borghese gardens.

Dinner was an enormous bruschetta and pasta!

Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo

This weekend we went back to Año Nuevo State Park to see the Elephant Seals in their breeding season. This time we took a guided walk: the only time to see the seals from December - March. There are about 3500 seals in the park now.

We took the 1.5 mile hike into the beach where the seals assemble. Despite reports of rain, we had some good views and stayed dry for most of the tour.

The seals come to the beach to give birth, nurse and breed. They congregate together in large groups, but occasionally seek some alone time in the dunes.

Female elephant seals form into "harems" associated to give birth, nurse and then wean their pups. The females are light, sandy colored. The pups have darker, black fur, which they will shed before heading out into the ocean for the first time.

This harem is a smaller group away from the main population.

 The larger seal in the upper left is a male seal.

Another male seal.

We saw this male resting among the dunes.

We encountered this male seal on our way to view the main beach. He was likely on his own after losing a fight. You can see battle scars on his neck. The snout is the defining characteristic of the adult male elephant seal.

Hundred of seals congregate on a large beach.

Here you can see male seals (bigger, snout-nosed), females (lighter, sandy-colored) and pups (dark black).

These three pups played together. The one on the left is likely a "weaner" because it has shed its dark black coat.

Male seals fight for dominance of harems of females. The two male seals seen here are in contest with each other. You can see the tracks in the sand where they move.

The seals were very loud!

Another fight for dominance - one male forces another to leave the harem.

Males continuously established their territory, chasing each other away from the group or a particular female.

The walk back was considerably misty. We just missed the rain!

Elephant Seal Videos

Videos of our trip to the park!


Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo


Seal Pups


Battle of Two Male Seals


Male Elephant Seals Fight over a Female I


Male Elephant Seals Fight over a Female II