Rome - Colosseum and Pantheon

On our last day we started out at the Colosseum.  On the walk from the metro, Mike and I got a kick out of the blend of old and new.  Love the dish!

The Colosseum's proper name is the Flavian Amphitheater.  The Colosseum is a nickname it received because there was a replica of the Colosses out front.  This was the first place that we paid a tour guide to walk us through a site.  Jason stuck to her side the entire time.  I found it interesting that in 1749, Pope Benedetto XIV declared the monument a public church, which stopped the removal of stones from the sections that had already started falling down which were being removed for use elsewhere.  This is where Jason picked out a souvenir, a Gladiator book.  Samantha picked out two key chains from the kiosk outside.

From there we walked to the Pantheon.  Most of the cars are compact or smart cars.  Sure makes parking easier.

The Pantheon was a pleasant surprise.  I had read that it was a site to see but I didn’t understand why until I was inside.  Built as a temple between AD 118 and AD 128, it became a Christian church in AD 609.  It houses Raphael’s tomb and also those of two Italian kings.  Its dome is the largest ever built before the introduction of reinforced concrete in the 20^th century.  Of all the sights we saw, this was Jason’s favorite.  Samantha’s favorite was the Victor Emmanuel Monument.

 

We once again visited our take-out spot down the street for dinner.  After dinner we walked down to the Gelato Shop that the owner said was the best in Rome.  Given the long line, he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.  Back at the flat we packed and prepared for our departure.  We couldn’t have stayed at a more perfect location.