Rome: last day - Rome and Mediterranean Sea

Our last day in Italy we spent the morning in Rome, walking around again, then took a train to a small town on the Mediterranean Sea, about an hour train ride of which I would guess we were the only Americans.

The town was a bit deserted and not on the tourist routes so we were the only ones there along with the local towns people. Their tourist season seemed to start April 1st as we noticed a few signs but it did seem to be setup for perhaps Italian tourists. We spend some time walking around the town and on the beach and even saw some ruins in the surf and on the shoreline.

Noah really liked it because he could run around in the surf and the beaches are always his favorite.

Capitoline Hill:

Coliseum:
Mediterranean Sea (Anzio Italy): Noah doing his water jig.

Bluffs, i think the hole in the sandstone was once a path from the top of the hill to the beach:

David and Noah beaching it up:

Bluffs and light house, again the hole here could have been a path down to the beach. The hill top is covered with some ruins, youi can see some in this picture:

David checking out the surf:

Shoes on process:

The lighthouse with Cacti garden. I am guessing these are prickly pairs and if you look closely you can see them with fruit:

Dodging the waves for a picture:

Rome: walking through town

Our walk about in Rome; there are many famous fountains, churches, obelisks, ruins, and other sites scattered throughout Rome and the best way to see them is to just wonder about the city from stop to stop; this is a great way to enjoy Rome. David picked some of our favorite things in the city and made a path as to what order we wanted to see them and that is how we spent our day. With a few stops at local coffee shops made for a perfect day.

Piazza Navona and the fountains (three fountains, you can see the middle one in the back ground, with the Obelisk) - this is the Fountain of Moor:
Close up of one of the figures on the Fountain of Moor:

Piazza Navona, Fountain of Neptune, check out the Octopus he is riding:

Piazza Navona, the Obelisk in the middle fountain (the Fountain of Rivers):

The Pantheon, one of my favorites, built around 110 AD. This building has a lot of interesting features as the aperature hole in the top that shines on different sculptures at different time of the year.

David and the aperture: the pattern on the dome and the aperture look real unique. The walls of the Pantheon are 15 feet thick to support the weight of the dome. To build this today would be difficult, according to what i read, and they build it in the 2nd century AD.

Light from the aperature making its way around the dome, this looks real cool against the Dome:

Back of the Pantheon in backgound and the Egyptian Obelisk in foreground (from 6th century BC) supported on the back of an marble elephant made by Bernini:

Closeup of water fountain outside of the Pantheon:

The Trevi Fountain, we spend a long time here; watching and listening to the water falls, eating our packed lunches (btw David makes great Italian sandwiches), making wishes, and watching the people. This was a real interesting fountain to hang around.

Noah getting a drink at the Trevi Fountain (i sense another bathroom break):

The whole family:

Trevi Fountain video i took:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMfOjEUGnyY

The Piazza di Spagna (Spanish steps):

Watching the ongoings on the Spanish Step; vendors giving flowers to the women then telling them they had to pay, and selling toys to anyone whose attention could be caught by sales men in the crowd; quite the entertainment. We spend over a half hour watching the activities.

Obelisk at the Piazza del Popolo:

Goethe Statue by the Villa Borghese, i really like the expression of the guy on the right:

Noah in the Villa Borghese:

Noah impressed by his find in a church - Santa Maria del Popolo:

David in the Piazza del Popolo, after a successfully planned trip, by far our best adventure in Rome. There is so much to see that we didn't see but this day was great, thanks to David's planning.

Rome: Night shots

Here are some of my night shots:

Right statue and Basilica (Vatican City):
Left statue and Basilica (Vatican City):

David and Basilica in the rain (Vatican City):

Basilica with the moon (Vatican City):

Castel Sant'Angelo (near Vatican City):

David and Basilica (near Vatican City):

Vatican City at night (in the rain):

Obelisk in Vatican City at night:

Columns at Vatican City:

Colosium at dusk:

Colusium at night, from our favorite cafe stop:

Emmanuel Monument at night (Rome):

Rome: Forum and Palantine Hill

After seeing the Pope we explored the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill. This is a vast area of ruins and easily took up the rest of the day and it was great to be outside again in the ruins.

The 3 columns are the remains of the Temple of Castor and Pollux:

Noah looking over the ruins:

The Temple of Saturn standing up to Noah:

Melissa and Noah Climbing up for a picture with the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (141 AD) in the background:

Courtyard of the House of Vestal Virgins in the forground and Palantine Hill in the background, our next stop:

Noah on a column near the Basilica of Maxentius on our way to Palantine Hill:

Basilica of Maxentius:

Looking back over the Roman Forum:

Half way up the Palantine Hill:

Noah, building up for his next bathroom emergency, overlooking the Hippodrome of Domitian (once used for racing horses):

Can you find Melissa and Noah in this picture (Palantine Hill area)?

Keith's tribute to the statue of the little toe:

Roman Forum from Palantine Hill, colosium in the background:

Arch of Titus with Melissa and David:

Break in our favorite Cafe after a long day: