The Vatican
The Pantheon
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About the Pantheon
The Pantheon shares a couple of characteristics of old places in Italy. First, it was a place to worship pagan Roman gods, but the new Church, at its most efficient, just converted the premises to a Catholic Church, and voila--no waiting around for 120 years while St Peter's was built. Second, it's right there. You're strolling along eating a gelato, wondering if cappuccino is a good chaser, and there it is, right where people shop, eat, play in the fountain, live. I saw a jogger stop, lean a hand against the wall to stretch out a leg muscle. It's right there, and you just walk in. |
The Coliseum and Forum
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About the Coliseum
We took the subway to the Coliseum. An experience to share another time. It was especially important to document my visit to the Coliseum, because my 10-year old grandson, Quinton, is a fan of all things gladiator-like, and he knows more about the early days of Rome than I do. So, in a sentence: we walked on the same stones where empires rose and fell, where Caesars walked, and chariots raced and blood was spilled and thousands of spectators stood to watch the Roman games. |