DAy 2-3 With Photos!!

The morning began at about 7:30 with breakfast in the hotel. Then we went to the Colosseum. We had a fantastic guide, and were amazed at the thousands of years of history. The views were fantastic. From there, bussed to the Trevi fountain. It was very crowded, but we were all still able to toss in a coin – we’ll all be back in Rome some day!

Then we walked to the Pantheon, the oldest still-functional building in the world (over 1850 years!). There was a bit of a delay before we could enter because the church service was still in session (the priest had slept in) so we walked a block to another Basilica in Piazza Minerva. Not many people ever go there, which as nice because we had a great chance to admire the gothic architecture and “The Virgin Holding the Baby” by some artist we’ve never heard of – Michelangelo.

Once we got back to the Pantheon, we took in the amazing view of one of the largest domes ever built and the tomb of Raphael. Then we split up for a bit of free time. Some had gelato, some shopped, some just listened to the accordion in the square and watched Rome wake up. Then most of the group drove to the catacombs, while others continued shopping. We had more free time, then dinner, then a bus tour of Rome by night. What a day! It was bed by midnight, for a 6 a.m. wakeup call. Whew!