Roma! (Day 2)

The day started with a trip to the bus tour company at the top of the street from our hotel. For 35 Euros, we would be able to take the "Hop on/hop off" bus to all of the major areas in the city for the entire day. Made sense to me! Here's me and Terry on the bus.

First hop off location was the Castel Sant'Angelo (Also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian)--

The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 CE and 139 CE.  The popes converted the structure into a castle, beginning in the 14th century; Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St. Peter's Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo. The fortress was the refuge of Pope Clement VII from the siege of Charles V's Landsknechte during the Sack of Rome (1527), in which Benvenuto Cellini describes strolling the ramparts and shooting enemy soldiers. Decommissioned in 1901, the castle is now a museum.

We hopped back on and let the bus kind of take us around the city to take some photos...

Here's the Vatican from the top of Via del Concilazione.

And looking towards Castel Sant'Angelo from the Vatican down Via dei Corridori. To the left is the secret passage that was built for the Pope to escape the Vatican to the Castel. 

Castel Sant'Angelo seen from the Lungotevere Tor di Nona across the Tiber via the Ponte Sant'Angelo. The Ponte, or bridge is a pedestrian only bridge.. Lots of street vendors.

Random building and the second one is the American Embassy.

First photo- SCOOTERS!!!!! Second- Religious art.

First Photo-In the distance is part of the Vittorio Emanuele Monument 

Second Photo- Me and Terry in front of the Trevi Fountain

This one deserves it's own explanation! 

In front of the Pantheon-- These guys are selling knock-off bags at low-medium prices and they are very persistent and will just about be haggled down to pennies on the dollar for these things. However, if the Guardia di Finanze (Finance Police) catch them with these bags- they get a HUGE fine!

And Finally-- Piazza Argentina--  della Largo di Torre Argentina. This piazza hosts four Republican Roman temples, and the remains of Pompey's Theatre. It is located in the ancient Campus Martius area. The four temples, originally designated by the letters A, B, C, and D, front onto a paved street, which was reconstructed in the imperial era, after the fire of 80 CE.

Temple A was built in the 3rd century BCE, and is probably the Temple of Juturna built by Gaius Lutatius Catulus after his victory against the Carthaginians in 241 BCE.

Temple B, a circular temple with six columns remaining, was built by Quintus Lutatius Catulus in 101 BCE to celebrate his victory over Cimbri.

Temple C is the most ancient of the three, dating back to 4th or 3rd century BCE, and was probably devoted to Feronia the ancient Italic goddess of fertility.

Temple D is the largest of the four, dates back to 2nd century BCE with Late Republican restorations, and was devoted to Lares Permarini, but only a small part of it has been excavated