Roman Holiday....Day 2...Part 1

Day 2 started early....we were greeted at our hotel by our driver and tour guide Marco.

Our first stop was a beautiful neighborhood with convents, housing and parks and this building which held a private garden behind it's doors.

It's also special cause there is a key hole you can look through and you can see the city in a different view with the dome of St Peter's Basilica front and center.

Now I did try to take pictures through the key hole but they didn't come out very good....you can't really tell what your looking at.

 This is walking through an area of the park and when you get to the edge you can see all of Rome....if you click on this picture you can see it better in bigger form.

The view was amazing.

 We then were taken to a water fountain...many in Rome...where we were taught how to drink from it the way the Romans do...sorry...not sharing those pictures...LOL...

Below an ancient ruin ...the land in front of it is where they once use to race their chariots.

 Then we stopped for a picture kodak moment of

Vittorio Emanuel ll Monument

also known as The Wedding Cake

it was a beautiful building with a round a bout in front of it

 Then we did another stop for a picture moment...a view of The Roman Forum from Capitoline Hill

Capitoline Hill is where the mayor of Rome resides.

 Then a quick stop by The Pantheon....this church was saved and preserved after becoming a Christian church....the artist Raphael is also buried here.

There is a hole in the ceiling and the floor is made where the water drains out from the middle.

 picture below taken inside the Pantheon

 We then stopped by another church....a name I can not remember...but if you look at the ceilings it looks as though there is a dome ceiling....

wrong...

it's painted and makes it looks like that...it is a flat ceiling....it is this way through out the church...

Awesome

 Then it was time to stop and get a cappuccino and then head to the Trevi Fountain

 where you had to make your wish to find love, get married and return to Rome...

2 out of 3 to wish for ain't bad....LOL

 Next stop...Pizza di Spangna also know as

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Embassy is here ...that is how it got it's name The Spanish Steps....

we were dropped off at the top and walked down where Marco our guide met us.

 Below is just one of the many pictures I took of flowers on someones balcony

I loved it!

 Then we drove The Appian Way....a stretch of ancient road..past catacombs where many are buried...we then came to this part of road that was in it's day the road.

Your not suppose to drive on it (though we did see a car that did...but your not suppose too).

It was so amazing to stand and wonder who may of walked on this road before or who's chariot and horse may of driven on it...I felt myself go back some 2000 years.

Our morning was filled with many sites and wonders and quick trips to see amazing buildings and fountains and ruins....it was nice to cover so much ground and all done by car....something we could of never been able to of done so quickly on our own. Most of these places do not require a lot of time to see.

Now it was time to head out into the countryside...about 30 minutes away where we would have the most wonderful rest of our day.

As not to make this post any longer I will stop here and will be back tomorrow with Part 2 of Day 2.

See you then,