Once again back to our European adventures. I decided I wouldn't write as much this time, partly because it takes so long, partly because it can be a bit of a dry read, and partly because it's been almost a year since the trip and I'm starting to forget the dry details anyway. If you have any questions just leave them in a comment below and I'll answer them as best I can :).....

Day 5 - Part 2- When I left off last time we we enjoying our selves on Palatine Hill. From there we crossed over to the forum, and what do you think we saw first? Why another arch of course!!

This one was the Arch of Titus. We were getting a bit thirsty by this time, but the only water to be found on site came from a couple of old fountains....

The Basilica of Constantine

I believe this is the temple of vespasian

The House of the Vestal Virgins

The Rostrum where Mark Antony and Cicero would have spoken from.

We went inside the Curia(Senate House) which housed a number of old roman artifacts

The original floor that all those Roman senators would have walked on

Temple of Saturn

And another arch!! This one was the arch of Septimius Severus

 We left the Forum and climbed up the stairs behind Capitol Hill

 There were some older men dressed up as Roman soldiers on the grand staircase in front of Capitol Hill. I don't remember what they said to us but I seem to remember the one on the left asking us where we were from and then remarking on all the crime in the US.

Victor Emmanuel Monument

 From there we made our way towards the Vatican via the Pantheon

A glimpse inside the Pantheon

Yes, that big red truck is driving down that narrow street through the pedestrians and cafes. Okay, well not through the cafe but right by it.

We stopped in a little shop to buy some water....

 They sold some enormous pasta!!

We crossed the Tiber River by the Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (seen below)
 

There were a few rather intriguing street performers around the Castel Sant'Angelo who dressed themselves up to look like statues or inanimate objects and held very still. They never made a sound and only moved when you dropped money into theirs cups at which they would move in a stiff way as if they were only machines. This one would bow his head very slowly.

 Then We came to the Vatican...

A picture of the Vatican taken, I believe from the border of Vatican City.

The lines to see the Vatican were incredibly long

After leaving Rome we drove around the Umbrian countryside for several hours trying to find the place Mom had found for us to spend the night, eventually arriving around midnight after stopping at a bar and asking for directions. Immediately below is a picture of the area we were driving through and below that are pictures of the place the next morning, which was really quite lovely and I wish we could have stayed longer.