But first, we walked a block or two down the street to a currency store. Nicolas was in hog heaven looking at all the old coins. He bought a Benjamin Franklin half-dollar and a Liberty half-dollar. Heather got an Eisenhower dollar circa 1971 (her birth year.)
Hopped off at the Vatican to do some drawing and mail a couple of postcards. Bought some souvenirs, walked around St. Peter's square and then boarded the bus again.
Rode the bus all the way back around and got off in Camp dei Fiori (Field of Flowers). We had dinner at a little whole-in-the wall restaurant - which they all seem to be in Rome - and then started the Rick Steve's Night Walk Across Rome tour.
First stop was the Pantheon. Its a huge temple built by the ancient Romans as a place of worship for all their different Gods. Christians took over when Christianity was legalized and it's been a chapel ever since. I think this is the most impressive structure we've seen during our visit. The first impression is very grand as you turn the corner from a small alley and enter a large piazza with the Pantheon dominating your view from every angle. The structure is in very good condition and is an engineering marvel.
Next would have been the Trevi Fountain, but were just there the night before, so we skipped it and walked down via della Corsa with all its shops. Mom stopped for a picture in front of the Prada store and Heather liked the big photo of Mathew McConaughey (sp?)
Last stop was the Spanish Steps. Heather, Nick and I hiked to the top while Mom and Tom braved the sea of street vendors to wait at the bottom. Stopped for some gelato before boarding the metro for our ride home.
We're off to Naples in a few hours. I need to pack and get the car loaded...
Ciao,
Bud
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