Our Roman Holiday - Part Four

Sunday, June 26^th - The Pantheon and the Heart of Rome Walk.

Pantheon 

Taxis are affordable in Rome and we take an early morning taxi to the Pantheon and enter the cool and uncrowded building. Art has downloaded the Rick Steve’s audio guide onto our phones and we listen to the history of this monumental Roman temple and admire the immense dome that inspired the domes of Brunelleschi’s Duomo in Florence and Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome. 

Pantheon 

Interior dome of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

We leave the cool of the marbled Pantheon and are stuck by the heat as we wander towards Plaza Navona to admire the Plazas  three fountains. At one end of the plaza is a fountain of Neptune wrestling a giant octopus and coincidentally, Art is wearing an Octopus T-shirt from Apo Islands in the Philippines. John takes photos of Art beside the fountain. 

Fountain of Neptune battling a giant octopus. 

Art wearing Octopus T-shirt

The center fountain is the most famous; the baroque Bernini, Four Rivers fountain that is crowned by an Egyptian Obelisk and where horses plunge through rocks and exotic flora and fauna. The third fountain at the opposite end of the plaza is a Moor wrestling with a dolphin but it is the Octopus fountain that most impresses me.  

Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini

Four Rivers Fountain

John wants to go to Castel Sant’Angelo, a middle age castle, prison and tomb for emperors. The  formidable castle is build of ancient bricks and stands at the edge of the Tiber River. John walks the quay while Art and I stroll above and towards the elegant bridge to cross to the Castle. Our Roma passes get us a deep discount and we spend two hours within its stonewalls looking at armory and admiring the structure itself. The view of the St. Peters Basilica, the Vatican and Rome from the battlements is wonderful. 

Panoramic View of St Peter's Basilica from Castel Sant'Angelo

Art, John, St Peter's Basilica

Castel Sant'Angelo

River view, Castel Sant'Angelo 

View of the Tiber River from Castel Sant'Angelo

We continue the “Heart of Rome” walk; step into a stunning Cathedral and pass the crowded Trevi Fountain again and eventually pop down into the Metro near the Spanish Steps. 

Interior, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Tree installation,  Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Egyptian Obelisk

We take the metro to the train Station to buy tomorrows  tickets to Naples and onto Sorrento. John and I hope to still make it to the Catacombs of Priscilla (open on Sunday) but by the time we have figured out the train tickets, time is short. Art is more interested in horizontal time than exploring the Catacombs and we part ways. Our three-day Roma passes get us free bus and metro travel and the bus to the Catacombs leaves from the train station. As we wait for our bus, I pull out my Roma pass and realize that I have Art’s pass as well. I don’t want him to have to walk back to our hotel and scan the plaza in front of the train station. Miraculously, I spot him crossing the street a block away and John sprints towards him. When we catch up I give Art his pass and John and I return to wait for the bus but it’s after 3:00 P.M. and last entry to the Catacombs is at 4:30.  Reevaluating, I am afraid that this might be a wasted trip and when I scan the plaza I see National Sculpture Museum of Rome at a far corner. This is the main branch and according to Rick Steve’s, our new best friend in Rome, houses the greatest collection of Roman art anywhere. John and I flash our Roma passes, get a nice discount and spend two hours looking at the collections of Roman Sculptures and an extensive collection of Roman coins. 

Bronze Sculpture 

Discus Thrower - Roman Copy

Fish Mosaic

Mosaic

Marble Roman Carving

Ancient Roman Coin

Last night, John made reservations for dinner at a Monti neighborhood restaurant. Our reservations are at 8:00 P.M. and we have a reserved table on the street.  It is by far the best meal we have had in Rome and I regret that I didn’t  jot down the restaurant’s name or what dishes we ordered.