Roma- Circo Massimo, Arc di Triton, Sunday blessing by the Pope, Fontana di Trevi, Colosseo and the Foro Romano

This is a picture of the Circo Massimo, the oldest race tracks in Ancient Rome. This is the place where the chariot races took place throughout Roman history!

This is the Arc di Triton. It is in the middle of a busy street so I was not able to take close up pictures. This picture was taken from the top of the tour bus. The tour bus is a great way to see the city! I would recommend for anyone visiting Rome to take a bus tour around the whole city before beginning to explore. For the best pictures sit on the top of the double deck bus.

I woke up early Sunday morning make sure to see the Pope while I was in Rome. He gives a blessing every Sunday when he is in town.

Monica and I waited for the Pope to bless the crowd. He came out from the second to the last window on the top story. The red banner is hanging from his study. Vatican City was packed with people wanting to see the Pope. As soon as he came out there was cheering all around.

The Pope spoke for fifteen minutes. He blessed the crowd in seven different languages. I was amazed he could speak so many languages and very well at that! Having been blessed by the Pope is an experience I will never forget! It will be a story I will tell my grandchildren one day.

After going to see the Pope, Monica and I checked in with the Study Abroad group and had dinner. After dinner we went with our new roommates, Sarah and Justine, to see the Fontana di Trevi at night.

The Fontana di Trevi is even more beautiful at night than it is during the day! One of the best reasons for going to the fountain at night is that less people are there. Without so many people I could admire the fountain and not worry about the thousands of people around and the potential pick pockets.

Sarah, Justine, Monica and I bonding on our first night!

These are the boys that my mom attempted to help the night before she left (the night before this picture was taken). They were lost and could not find their hostel, we walked around the streets of Rome with them for an hour trying to help them out. The following night Monica and I ran into them again! It shows how small the world really is.

This is an action shot of me throwing my coin into the Fontana di Trevi. It is said that if you toss in a coin it it will ensure your return to Rome. I am keeping my fingers crossed it works!

I showed pictures before of the Colosseo but not of the inside. It took me around 45 minutes to walk around it. This was taken from the first story.

I think this does a really good job of showing how large the Colosseo actually is, I was impressed. When reading history books in school the pictures never did ancient Rome justice. As a kid I never imagined the Colosseo to be so immense.

My favorite part about going inside the Colosseo was being able to climb to the second story. It allows for great panoramic views of not only the Colosseo but the Foro Romano.

The Foro Romano is one of the most iconic monuments in Roma. This is a picture of me in the Foro with one of the ancient arc's in the background. It was amazing to see the detail work!

The first picture of the fountain. There were so many people during the day.

Fontana di Trevi is one of the most iconic fountains in the world. This is a monument that is a must see during the day and at night! It is not on a main street so it may be difficult to find unless you have a map.

The statues on either side of Oceanus stand for fertility and health.

The third time I went to the fountain I was able to touch it!

Roma! The Colosseo, The Arc di Costantino, Vatican City, and the Pantheon

This is the first picture I took in Rome! It was a first of many beautiful days I would spend there. Right behind me is the Colosseo. This is where many gladiator battles took place centuries ago. It is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. It is amazing to think about the great history this structure has seen.

This is a picture of my mom and I, we are standing right outside the Colosseo with the Arco di Constantino in the background. One of the many things that surprised me about Rome is that many of the structures are blocked off. The Arco di Constantino is one example of that. No one is able to go under the Arc, which is very different than it is in Paris. This Arc is the largest and most well preserved of the arcs created by the Romans. It is stunning to think this has been standing in that spot for over 1,700 years! Now I know why they are taking such precautions when it comes to tourists coming so close.

This picture is a great example of the complex architecture that took place when contructing the Colosseo. I can only imagine the creation of such a building in 80 AD.

The Arc di Costantino and the Colosseo in the background.

This is the first view I had of Vatican City from the Roma Christiana tour bus. The part of Rome I was most looking forward to was the Vatican. This small city-state contains so much of what I have grown learning about and believing it; I was excited to see what more it had to offer!

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest Catholic Church in the world. It was where the first Catholic Pope, Saint Peter, is buried. His body is directly below the dome and the alter.

I am so glad I was able to share this experience with my mom. She has worked so hard to raise me with a Catholic upbringing by sending me to Catholic school from kindergarten through high school. This was the first time for both of us to be here. My favorite part about being able to go to St. Peter's Basilica with her was being able to attend mass.

The Pieta, by Michelangelo, is the most beautiful sculpture I have seen. It is a sculpture of Mary holding her Son after He was crucified. Mary is depicted as being young to show her purity. I highly suggest renting an audio guide or buying a book explaining everything St.Peter's contains. Although walking through is beautiful I got so much more out of it having the guide. It helped explain the meaning behind many of the works of art.

The Pieta is behind a glass wall and is closely monitored because people have attempted to ruin it before. Many of the masterpieces are not allowed to be touched in order to keep from wearing the artwork. This is not the only masterpiece in the Basilica, many of the greatest architects and artists have had a part in creating this ultimate masterpiece. Some of the artists are Bramante, Raphael, Peruzzi, Antonio Sangallo and Michelangelo.

This is the alter inside the Basilica; it is directly under the dome. The alter and the dome were erected in that spot for a specific reason, that is where St. Peter is buried. This is where the Catholic Church has its roots with.

This is actually not the original Church built by Constantine. The church stood in that exact spot for over 1,000 years; it experienced many restorations until it was rebuilt in 1506.

Right before arriving in Rome the current Pope, Pope Benedict, named the previous Pope, Pope John Paul II, blessed. This is the first step taken in making someone a Saint. There was a beautiful museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II. It displayed his life and the many amazing things he has done. My mom and I both enjoyed the museum very much!

I am standing outside the Vatican Museum. This is where the Sistine Chapel is located. We were only able to spend three hours in the museum which was not nearly enough time. This also required an audio guide, it might cost you a few extra Euros but it is well worth it. It helped me appreciate how much hard work it took to create the masterpieces that were inside. The museum is actually part of the Papal residence. Although, the main attraction here is the Sistine Chapel there are still so many other pieces of art work that should not be bypassed. The second most beautiful thing I saw while in the Vatican Museum were the rooms Raphael painted for the Pope.

This is the current government building in Rome. It is a beautiful white building that is closely watched by the police. The security will not allow anyone to sit on these steps, only standing is allowed!

This building is directly behind the Foro Romano. A map is an essential part to being able to get around Rome. It is very easy to get lost without one! I made sure to keep two in my purse at all times.

The Italian are very proud of their government building, they have Italian flags waiving high! From the government building it is only a short walk to the Pantheon. The walk is only short if you do not get lost! The only way I was able to get to the Pantheon was by following the signs for the Pantheon McDonalds.

The building from the outside is no indication of the beauty that is the Pantheon. It is amazing to think how to the dome was put on the building. This dome is made out of cement and had not been reinforced making it the largest one ever created. The hole in the top of the dome is called the "eye of heaven" and allows the sunlight to illuminate the beauty of the building. To my surprise going into the Pantheon was free!

This is the tomb of the artist Raphael who is buried in the Pantheon. He will eternally be resting in the city he loved so much. His tomb was the most popular sight within the Pantheon.

This is a photo from the outside of the Pantheon. The outside of the building and the inside differ very much.

Viterbo

o   Little to no tourism

o   No English menus

o   Mostly Italian tourist area

o   Places close really early

o   Hard to find places after 9

o   There were no tourist at the monuments- cardinals house or church

o   American students studying were shocked to see other Americans