Pantheon peering

Today I guess was time to discover Rome's Historic centre - its Heart. A wonderful mixture of ancient monuments, churches, palaces, plazas and tiny streets, perfect to explore at a slow pace. Ideally it was to be explored with a famous La Tazza d'Oro coffee under our belt but it was closed - as were many places as it was Ferragosto - a public holiday. Still we found a place to drink coffee and then followed that up with an ice cream - with that the kids were agreeable to see anything I dragged took them to!

The Pantheon was as magnificent as I was led to believe, it was wonderful walking out and watching the people enter and see their amazement as they saw the interior for the first time. The light that was flooding through the oculus was so special - I am sure you could spend a day watching as it rotated through the dome lighting up the art adorning the walls.

Then we wandered..past the elephant sculpture on Bernini's obelisk, into Sant'Lgnazio church - where the children took some convincing that the dome did not exist but was just a huge trompe-l'oeil effect and rested at Piazza Navona. Here we witnessed the most sweetest of proposals in front of the fountain and decided that a long Italian style lunch was needed - with wine. With everyone now feeling 'energised' (although as I am learning with teenagers, their levels are decidedly lower than mine!) we continued walking, sticking to the shade in the 30 degree heat.

Down the beautiful Via Coronari and on to Via Giulia we went looking out for the old jail and through to Campo de'Fiori - where the kids were mesmerised by the street cleaning vehicle 'sweeping' up a pigeon - nice, hmmmm.... Finally to within throwing distance of where Julius Caesar was murdered (the kids knowing enough now of Roman history to know that nothing is as it was!) and finally to Largo di Torre Argentine - Cat Sanctuary. Where the kids got extra-ordinary amount of pleasure at seeing the cared for cats in the ruins and commiserating with each other about missing their cats at home!

We bused back to near the apartment - I wasn't getting too may more steps out of the family. However Sienna with the endless energy of a seven year old was still bouncing - so together we went off exploring just a bit more - to Piazza del Popolo, which was stunning in the evening light and finally to the supermarket for supplies for dinner.

Another full day...hoping I can muster everyone's energy levels up as we are only taking on the Vatican Museums and St Peter's tomorrow - wish me luck!!!