So, this last blog from Roma will be sadly devoid of many photos. My super awesome camera is not all that great in low light situations. Let me take that back. It does GREAT in low light, provided I am using a tripod. Since all of my tripods were in Columbus at the time, I had to make due. Rome was amazing, at night, btw. We stopped by the Piazza Navonna, which was having an Xmas market. I ate roasted chesnuts. The others got something akin to an elephant ear lathered with Nutella. The alleys of Medieval Rome were pretty cool in the dark.
The Pantheon is the oldest continually used building in Rome (the world?). Originally dedicated as a temple to ALL the gods, silly Christians later turned it into a temple for just ONE God (if you can call a god that has a son who is also, somehow, a part of the same god ONE god).
The dome of the Pantheon is also among the largest domes in existence. It is certainly the largest dome (in diameter) until modern times. The dome, itself, is constructed of poured concrete. Coffered frames reduce the amount of weight contained in the dome. An oculus at the top allows Natural Light to spill down onto the interior (I think I've attended parties where the same was true). By the way, the space contained beneath the dome forms a perfect sphere.
Tis photo provides a better sense of the interior space. I wish it had been less crowded and better lit. Both of these factors inhibited my photography. :(
Someone let go of a helium balloon in the shape of a horse. Now it is stuck in one of the coffers. Ha ha!
La Fontana di Trevi, or the Trevi Fountain. This grand design is also the work of Bernini. Like was the case with the Pantheon, the darkness combined with the crowd made this a difficult place to photograph. To top things off, this place is polluted with pan handlers and scam artists. A dude selling flowers walked up to Katie and tried to hand her a flower. She said "no thank you." He said, it's my last one, I'm giving it away. She said "thank you." He then turned to me and said "how 'bout a little something for the flower." I reached in my pocket and pulled out the change that I got to throw in the fountain. It was, like, .25 Euro. He got mad, gave it back to me, and took back the flower. We're Americans from the big city, dammit! I know better than to get out my wallet near a pan handler in a crowd. The way I see it, he's out .25 cents! Anywho, here endeth our day trip into Rome. We would hoof it back to the Termini Station to catch the late train back to Orte. Next up: Civita de Bagniareggio.
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