Right Hand, Left Shoulder

Here's Day 3! (August 30)

Buongiorno!

Can I just say that walking out of the metro station to this view almost every morning does not get old!!

So today we started at the Capitoline Museums which have many pieces from Ancient Greece and Rome. This is some of my favorite sculpture so I really enjoyed this museum! Here are some of the highlights:

Bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius (yes the real thing art history nerds )

I've decided I want to be preserved in marble. What a flattering gesture right?!

New favorite hairstyle. Be warned, I may just come off the plane like this.

Side view

No this is not a portrait statue of myself, though this is often what my hair looks like. This would be Medusa

The museum also had some spectacular views of the Forum.

Postcard status eh?

After that we headed to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is one of my favorite architectural pieces here in Rome. For being over 2000 years old it is looking pretty dang good! And the engineering brilliance behind it just blows my mind! So indulge me:

View from below

View of the Dome

 The dome is made of cement so to lighten the weight of it and prevent it from collapsing, the Romans made cut outs in it called coffering. I've never seen something so beautiful made out of cement!

Sunlight coming in from the oculus

Brag moment: saw a postcard with a similar view. My picture was better. :)

Libby and I

Fountain just outside the Pantheon

 The Pantheon has some of the best Gelateria's around so of course we had to stop! We tried one called Grom. It is the latest and greatest in Rome's "going green" food. Everything was very fresh and flavorful! I got the refreshing combination of Limone e Lampone (lime and raspberry) and it was delicious! (Mouth watering pictures to follow...)

Next stop on the list: the Baths of Caracalla!

These are Ancient Roman ruins of one of the biggest baths here in Rome. Public baths were spread all throughout the city and most citizens spent the majority of their day there. The Baths had everything from hot, warm, and cold baths, a gym, saunas, poetry readings, massages, etc. 

Caracalla was HUGE

Not too shabby huh? I definitely wouldn't have minded spending a few hours here everyday, lifting both body and spirit! Oh to be a Roman....

A group of us finished off the day with a trip to the Trevi Fountain by night to toss in our coins! Rome's fountains are magnificent and this one is the most grand.

At the fountain, you are supposed to toss the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder. The legend is when you toss in your coin the first time, wish to someday return to Rome. The second time, wish to fall in love in Rome. This would be my second time so you know what I was wishing for! I have one week...I'll be keeping my eyes open! And hey...here I am in Rome again so apparently they do come true ;)