Day Two: Ancient Rome and the Pantheon

So after a busy travel day yesterday we got some much needed rest before an early start to today. After breakfast and a short walk to the Colosseum we met up with our tour guide Davide and started our tour of Ancient Rome. First stop was The Colosseum were we walked around it, in it, and up it visiting the different levels of this 1900 year old arena which was used for Naval battles, animal hunts, and of course most famously Gladiator battles.

After the tour of the Colosseum we followed Davide into the Roman Forum where we saw the remains of early Rome including Rome's first butcher shop, Rome's first senate, Rome's first Basilica, the location where Caesar's remains were burned, as well as several buildings that had been built then destroyed then built then..well you get the point. Below is a picture of the overview of Foro Roma.

Our final stop on our Ancient Rome tour with Davide was Palantine Hill which is the largest hill in Rome. Palantine Hill was the location of Caesar's, Octavius', Romulus', and the other notable Kings/Emperors homes.

After ending our tour, we decided to head to the monument of Victorrio Emanuelle II. He was the first King of Italy and they erected a giant white marble monument in his honor.

After a quick visit at Victorio Emanuelle II monument we headed over to The Pantheon, where Rafael di Santi and the first and second Kings of Italy are entombed. The truly magnificent part of the Pantheon however is the fact that it is completely illuminated by natural light that shines through a 27 foot (9meter) occulus located directly in the center of the Pantheon. Below are pictures of the Piazza, the occulus, and us in front of one of the massive columns of the Pantheon.

After getting our fill of history for the day we decided to head to a couple of fun locations in Rome. So, we visited Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori where we saw beautiful fountains, street performers, and even a streetside marketplace selling fruits, vegetables, pasta, and spices. All in all it was a fantastic day in Rome. Tomorrow we head south to Naples then visit Pompeii.

 Above is the "Fountain of Four Rivers" by Bernini in Piazza Navona.

 Above is a look at Piazza Novona filled with tourists, street performers, and artists.