Bass Family Blog

(Sorry for the delay... we've arrived in Venice and the wi-fi is free so now we can update you on what we have been up to!)

WOW! What a day of history! We took 215 photos and I don't have all night so I'll just put together a sampling of our activites to narrate our day...

We started fresh with the awe-inspiring Coliseum

We bought the Roma Pass, which proved to be an excellent investment! Not only did it mean free use of the public transit system, but we also got to bypass the HUGE lines at the Coliseum! Thanks Rick Steves for this great travel tip! :)

Listening to the Rick Steves Audio guide

Wow

Ryan marches up to the cheap seats

Next door is the Arch of Constantine, erected to celebrate the legalization of Christianity

From the exterior

We then scooted over next door to see the Roman Forum. It was once the political and social hub of Rome... we walked the same path that Julius Caesar once tread!

The Arch of Titus

Once a busy, bustling area, now in ruins

It was REALLY hot that day, hot enough for Kevin to borrow my fan

This monument was monumental in size. But it's history and purpose were not (can't even remember now what it was). However it awed Ryan when we first rode by in on a bus on our way home and quickly became a landmark for us when navigating the city. We renamed it Ryanus Michaelmus Monument.

Lunch at yet another Rick Steves suggestion. They served us free "sexy wine" made with strawberry-flavored grapes.

We then marched over to check out the interior of the Pantheon. It once housed a huge statue of the god Jupiter but when Christianity won out over worship of several gods, the statue was removed and it became a Catholic church. The dome was really impressive.

Another metro ride...

And we visited the Coliseum at night- stunning! Thanks to our new Canon we got this glorious shot!

Tomorrow, Vatican City!