Rome & Assisi
May 18, 2013 12:00

After a much needed rest at the hotel in Rome, we had an early start in the big city. This morning, we visited the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon and Vatican again before stopping at the town of Assisi on our way back to Florence.

The Colosseum Piazza del Colosseo May 18, 2013 09:00
After a filling up on breakfast at the hotel, we got an early start and made our way over to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world, and I have to say, it's pretty impressive. We ended up purchasing tickets for a tour from a guide who was walking around the area. Honestly, the tour could have been better – the guide repeated a lot of information – but we didn't have to wait...
The Roman Forum Via della Salaria Vecchia May 18, 2013 11:00
The ticket that we purchased for the Colosseum also included a tour of the Roman Forum, a site of ruins that mark what was the center of Roman public life. The Forum was really cool to walk through, and I wish we had more time, but we had to keep moving.
The Pantheon Piazza della Rotonda May 18, 2013 13:00
After the Colosseum and Roman Forum tours, we made our way over the Pantheon. I had passed the building yesterday, but we couldn't go inside because there was a mass going on at the time. The dome actually has an open hole at the top which is really intriguing from an Engineering point of view. Today, I imagine they cover the hole when it rains, but my guess is it got pretty wet in there when it rained...
The Vatican Vatican City May 18, 2013 14:00
Before leaving Rome, we wanted to try to go inside St. Peter's Basilica, but by the time we made it over there, it was closed for some reason. Either way, I was glad that we visited the Vatican during the day. We got to see the Papal Swiss Guard guarding the Vatican, a really good street artist, and we even stumbled across a wedding!
The Town of Assisi Assisi May 18, 2013 17:00
On the way back from Rome, Ben, Heather and I made a very quick stop in Assisi. I really wish we had more time – we were literally running around to catch our train. It's always an experience. Assisi is a great little town. Given that it is the birthplace of St. Francis and St. Clare, the town is very religious. There are countless churches and monuments that overlook a simply beautiful landscape....