Day 3, Rome Continue, The Pantheon

Still in Rome and still day 3...yes it was a very full and busy day!  This is Ernie either checking his phone to see if he got the picture or getting ready to take a picture as we approach The Pantheon.  This was one of my Rome highlights.  The building is a true marvel.  It's gorgeous, it's massive, it's impressive inside and out.

This close up shows you holes in the cement.  Our guide Ziggy told us those are holes that have been drilled to add steel (in my mind I though rebar when she talked) for strength.

The Pantheon was a Roman Temple and is now a Church, an active church.  The earlier temple was commissioned by Marcaus Agrippa during the rein of Augustus, and completed by Hadrian about 126 A.D.  There are several important burials there: Raphael The Painter, Annibale Carracci also a painter, Arcangelo Caorelli a composer, and Baldassare Peruzzi an architect.  Raphael perhaps the best known is there on the left where you see the statue.

Day 3, Vatican and Rome with Ziggy, Bramante Staircase

This photo is from Wiki, so you can see what the modern  (built in 1932) Bramante Staircase looks like.  It's a double helix design, modeled after the original built in 1505.  It's purpose is to move traffic in two directions without interruption.  

The original was built to accommodate animals and people, and to connect the Belvedere Palace of Pope Innocent VIII to the outside.  Built in a herringbone paving pattern with granite doric columns.

Day 3 Vatican and Rome with Ziggy, Part I

Ziggy was out local guide, lady in the black coat.  She was a hoot.  Great since of humor.  Quite knowledgeable.  She was German, married to an Italian and told us her Mother was French.......so to say she had background would be quite an understatement.  Francis the guy to her right with the notebook was our tour Director.  He is actually Austrian, but has lived in Italy for years and his wife in English.  He speaks several languages as does Ziggy.  Between them English, Italian, German, French, Austrian...and perhaps more; but those are the languages we know about.  We boarded our coach for a quick ride to a meeting place to collect Ziggy where we can began our very LONG day 3, she accompanied us the whole long day.  Many thought she was too knowledgeable and offered to much detail in her commentary.


The description for that day says a local guide will lead you through the priceless art collections of the Vatican Museums, ending in the Sistine Chapel to spend time with Michelangelo's famous ceiling.  A special VIP behind the scenes look at the Bramante Staircase.  Later to St. Peter's Basilica, followed by a walking tour of Trevi Fountain and Pantheon.  Then have time to relax and absorb the atmosphere of Piazza Navona. 

Day 2 Continued, Meeting up with the Tour Group

 Day 2 Continued.......we met up with our tour director Francis Touschek and the other 38 members of our group.  (we had a full coach). We boarded the coach and went for a group dinner at Amedeo where Francis gave us some history, and a few organization items needed for the tour.  Dinner was ok, not as good as what we had the night before; but it was fun getting to know a few people.  Names are hard to remember (I thought that last year in Ireland), so decided this year I would make notes. These are pictures from their website, as we forgot to get a picture while there.

We dinnered with Jeanie and Earl and their friends Sharon and Bill.  Others were at our table but at the other end of the table so hard to chat much.  The 4 of them traveled together.......knew each other from high school days; but no longer live in the same town.  I believe I had eggplant something from memory and red wine.  We board the coach to return to the hotel. 

Half the group returned to hotel, meanwhile the rest of us opted for our first optional experience (add on) for a night tour of Rome.  Yes, my eyes are closed...and I was sleepy...though that's not why my eyes were closed.  I do that often in pictures unknowingly.  Mostly we were on the coach, but for about 10 minutes here for photo's at St. Peter's Basilica at night without the hoards of people.  Tour was about 1.5 hours long and cost 19 Euro's per person.  In retrospect, going back and going to bed might have been a better option.  We really didn't see much at night, and most of what he said then he repeated later on our tour.

So, if you're looking to take Insights Italian Escape Tour, I would not recommend the first optional called Rome by Night.  Two fold, most of the group arrived that day and still hadn't had a decent nights sleep.  While we had arrived the day before, we were still very tired. And secondly, the info he gave us that night was repeated, as I mentioned above.  So, really nothing missed if you opted not to do the first optional.

Day 2 in Rome Italy, before the Tour

 Breakfast was to be included with our hotel but, we were so tired we slept too late to get our breakfast buffet at the hotel.  So, we rested and ventured out on our own with a plan to head to The Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Neighborhood.  It was our understanding those weren't on the list of things we'd see with our tour group.  As we wondered around we came upon what is called The Old Roman Wall (Auirelian Walls).  These walls were built for defenses of the Eternal City way back in the 4th century BC.  The 6th King of Rome Servius Tullius initiated the first defensive walls built from large blocks of volcanic tufa that were about 10 meters high.

There was about 500 years of peace in The Roman Empire, during the Golden Age and little need of defensive walls.  However, later as Rome grew and more lands and peoples were involved that changed.  The Barbaric Hoards were a problem so Aurelian, who was then the Emperor had the walls rebuilt and it included all of the 7 hills of Rome and Trastevere district south of the Tiber River.  It only took 5 years to build these walls that covered 3500 acres, as the Emperor used Rome Citizens, not just the military.  It was completed just after the death of Aurelian.  Later Maxentius doubled the height of the walls to increase protection.  There were 381 square watch towers built at 30 meter intervals with 18 gateways in and out of the city.

These walls, and gateways remained after the fall of The Roman Empire.  After 16 centuries the walls were breached at Porta Pia on Sept 20th 1870, which was the beginning of the unification of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II.  Though Italy is old...very old, it has not been a unified country for very long.  A little confusion on the date, as I also read the date of 1861 as the date The King declared the country unified, so perhaps Porta Pia was a battle after the fact.

These walls are the largest monument in Rome as they extend into everyday life.  You see the walls, you still go through the gateways, some of the walls are included in peoples homes and other buildings throughout the city.

Hubby, as we were walking about.  I needed to prove he was there. LOL- This was a park near the above wall and gate.  

 We made our way to The Spanish Steps, but it was terribly crowded, and quite hot.  So we walked around a bit. 

Us half way on The Spanish Steps with Trinita dei Monti Church behind us.

Lots of shopping around The Spanish Steps

Trying to get a feel for the steepness of the steps down into the square.  The Spanish steps were built to link the Church at the top of Piazza di Spagna to the Spanish square below.  

Another view of the church

Was hot and we needed a break so found a little place for lunch, Trinita Snack Bar.  We shared a sandwich and had our first very cool Italian Gelato after lunch.  Sparkler included!  I did not find a webpage for this little restaurant, but did a favorable review on yelp, and here's the link to their facebook page.

Beautiful statues everywhere, as we continued on walking after lunch.

 Even at Government Buildings, which is where these very steep steps go.  We found shade though!

 Even the streets are pretty, notice the mix of color between the white government buildings.

Statues abound.  At this point, I was done.... (broke my foot in March and not totally healed, as it takes they say a year), so we called Uber and made it back to the hotel to rest a bit, and get showers in order to meet up with a tour guide and group members for a welcome dinner that evening.

A wonderful and full day before our tour.