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THE Colosseum-only three blocks from our hotel
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Emperor Brian Zandilios giving the thumbs down to some poor gladiator
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looking at what lies beneath the (now gone) floor of the colosseum
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This one's for you, Lew! Brian's brother warned us not to deface the walls...good thing we listened
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At the Forum-Julius Caesar was here...then he was assassinated...then cremated on this spot (now covered by the roof)...then it became a temple dedicated to him...
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Bird's eye, or drones view, of the Forum and beyond from atop Palatine Hill
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Capitoline Museum-She-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, this is foundation of Rome seen in 3-D. (showing how Italian History classes must be so much more interesting than any American History class I've ever had...)
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Capitoline Museum-one of many marble busts of famous and/or rich people of ancient Rome. I've no idea who this is, only that the use of different colors of marble made it very pretty.
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The Tiber River, a view of Rome, the oldest bridge in the city and angel statues designed by Bernini...cool
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Castel Sant'Angelo-Hadrian's Tomb converted to a medieval fortress (complete with heads on pikes!) and then converted to a papal refuge during sieges. A secret tunnel leads from the Vatican, down the road, to here. Now it's a museum.
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Japanese Macacaw Monkeys at the zoo-yes, I know my spelling is atrocious.
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St. Peter's Square-it's actually round...and will soon be filled with over 30,000 people for...
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...Papa Francesco during his Sunday Angelus Address
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St. Peter's Basilica
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Moving on to another church, the ceiling in Santa Maria in Arcoeli
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Victor Emmanuel Monument and Tomb of Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame and numerous pushy street vendors.
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Trajan's Column-detailed spiral newsreel of Rome's conquest of Dacia (Romania)
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Detail of outside of Chiesa Gesu (Church of Jesus)-I believe the guy getting stomped on is Heresy...
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Pantheon-beware the gladiators! If you take their picture, they'll demand money.
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Looking up at the Oculus in the Pantheon-almost 30ft. across and the only source of light for the church
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Raphael's Tomb in the Pantheon
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Four Rivers Fountain in Piazza Navona, sculpted by Bernini
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The Spanish Steps: "is this it??? I need a cappachino!"
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Brian on the Appian Way
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Ruins of the Circus and Villa of Maxentius...not that that name means anything to me, but it's a pretty shot.
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Tomb and statue of St. Sebastian, which is in the church over the Catacombs of St. Sebastian
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Moving on from the Appian way, we head to San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran): first Christian church in the city of Rome. Th golden columns are from the temple of Jupiter
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One of the large Apostle Statues in San Giovanni's
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One of the many precipios (nativity scenes) we saw-each church had a very elaborate and unique one
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Frescoes of Musician Angels (1470 AD) in the Vatican Museum
