Sunday (Rome)…

Awoke to another sunny day in Rome…forecast to be the warmest of our visit. Another filling breakfast…yesterday's held us over till dinner…Italy has enough of our money. Filled our water bottle…Rome has countless, free-flowing water fountains all over the city for cool, fresh refills.

Headed a short distance to the three-building Musei Capitolini high atop Capitol Hill…the seat of ancient Roman temples and even pre-historic settlements back to the Iron Age. The museum has an amazing sculpture collection. We finished our visit in the open-air section of the museum that overlooks the Forum. This section is the Roman temple of Jupiter.

Another long afternoon walk, starting with a daytime stop at the Pantheon…free, easy entrance into this impressive architectural wonder…originally a Roman temple…now a church. Next stop, the controversial modern building on the Tiber constructed to showcase (and protect) the ancient Altar of Peace…a huge, gleaming-wite marble "box"…carved with intricate figures. We viewed the Altar from the outside for free 🙂

Across the street, the simple church of San Rocco…in Rome, even the small churches are gems. Hit a couple of tourist meccas on our walk back to the hotel: viewed the famed Spanish Steps from afar…across the heads of a gazillion people. Popped by the Trevi Fountain…a brilliant fountain, buried under the weight of popularity.

Took a long winding path back to the hotel…past the gleaming monument to Italian unification; past the Forum; past the Colloseum; past the Circus Maximus. Dinner one last time in the Travestere…pizzas and wine from a recommended spot. The Travestere was full of Italians…in town for the three-day holiday weekend. Had one last wonderful gelato. Saw our angry mime again.

Fell asleep tired, but knowing we had wrung every last drop from the Eternal City.