Rome, day 1

Rome: The Eternal City.  We got an Airbnb apartment next to the Vatican, and right by a bus stop.  We had a terrible time finding the apartment when we arrived late at night after Siena.  We finally found our way, and were able to get in touch with the point of contact for the apartment.  He showed us where we could park, and stood in the parking place while Josh and I walked back to our car that we had parked at a completely different lot a few blocks away.  It was kind of crazy.  We finally got settled, had a noisy night next to the busy street and above the pub, and got a fresh start the next day.  

We were among many of the tourists that couldn't resist and purchased a "Selfie Stick" from one of the street vendors.  Here are my parents perfecting the art of selfie-taking in Rome.   

Constantine's Arch

A temple at the Forum.

More Forum.

The boys got some new bucket hats to protect from the HOT sun.  Here is Brig, chilling on the ruins at the Forum.  He was taking a picture for us with his camera and instead of saying "Cheese," we were told to "Say archaeology!"  What a kid!

Maddie with a photo-bomber.

It's crazy to think that these entire buildings and ruins were completely underground and have been uncovered over time.

It's also crazy to think that things so old have survived.

From the Forum, we walked down the street to the Colosseum.

Isn't he such a cute little tourist?!

The boys really love seeing new things and getting to explore and learn.  We have been blessed with some really awesome travelers for children.

The Temple of Venus

The Pantheon, rebuilt in 126 A.D.

The Spanish Steps were so crowded, we didn't even stop to rest on them.  135 steps are called the Spanish Steps because they link the Spanish Embassy at the top to the Holy See at the bottom of the steps.

We happened to walk through a crowd of Justin Bieber fans, waiting for him to make an appearance outside this hotel.

We had lots of fun with big bubbles!

He's a natural!

It was a beautiful fall evening and this Piazza del Popolo was a perfect place to spend it.

We opted to walk down by the Tiber River and avoided some of the crowds.

Castel Sant'Angelo, originally built as a mausoleum for the emperor Hadrian and was later used by the Popes as a fortress.  Was once the tallest building in Rome. 

St. Peter's in the distance.

A different view of the Castel Sant'Angelo.

Siena

Siena, a charming little hillside village on the way to Rome, was well worth our quick stop.  It is beautiful, and is filled with lots of history.  

Look closely to see my dad and Briggs, on the steps of the cathedral. 

Piazza del Campo is the town square and hosts a famous horse race, the Palio, every year.

 

This is the church where St. Catherine's head is displayed.  It was smaller than I thought, and was very well preserved.  Relics are weird.

Check out the size of that pizza!

Siena's Duomo - it was beautiful, with lots to see inside.

This particular floor piece was Benson's favorite.  Maddie told him the story of the slaughter of the innocent, and he talked about the dead babies for days.  It was terrible.