The first thing I noticed on our walk to the Pantheon this morning was the occaisional bit of ancient Rome popping out unexpectedly -remnants of ancient buildings almost looked like they were growing on the modern ones - bits of the past hanging on.  Once inside the Pantheon, I learned two things I did not know: one, it is still an active church and two, this is where Raphael is buried.  Outside the Pantheon, we watched a procession of mostly drummers that I later learned were from Calahorra, Spain: they were rehearsing for a papal audience to be held the next day - very exciting to watch!

 

We stopped to look at the Largo Argentina, and our local guide showed us how to get water to squirt up from a nearby drinking fountain.  On our way to the Capitoline Hill was another ancient bit of Rome that stuck out - the Comune di Roma:  nestled between the modern Victor Emmanuel Monument and Michaelangelo's steps up to the Campidoglio.  We paused at the hilltop square for a look around and a few photos then continued on to the Forum.

 

Oddly enough, the Forum was much larger than I expected, and the Colosseum, on the other hand, was smaller than I thought it would be -  I was equally awed by both.  I took my time working my way back towards the hotel and eventually found my way to the Campo de Fiori.  It was getting late and they were packing up the canopies, so I headed back to the restaurant that I had chosen earlier for dinner and took a seat outside.  It had been a nice, sunny day as predicted, and I had been introduced to just a tiny bit of Rome. The Trevi Fountain was under renovation, so I didn't get to toss a coin in, but maybe I'll get to return anyway.