Rome with the Parents, Day 2: Roman Forum, Palantine Hill, & Colleseum

Day 2 was a full day packed of adventure.  We started off nice and easy with a breakfast in our hotel, which is a traditional European breakfast of cold deli meats, crackers, yogurts, cheeses and boiled eggs, and pastries.  It was delicious.  After breakfast we cleaned up and had our hotel transport us to the USO Rome.  We had book a 5 hour outdoor tour with them of the Roman Forum, Palantine Hill, and Colosseum.  We were all nervous given the length of time and the fact the Preston was going to have to ride in the backpack. :)  He was a trooper and we all had a wonderful time.  

We were blessed with amazing weather this day as well as you can tell from the photos. Our tour guide was phenomenal and must have been a history professor because he literally didn't stop talking for 5 hours.  Rome is full of history and architecture.  I would bore you to death trying to explain everything we saw (including but not limited too: Arch of Constantine, Temple of Julius Caesar, Senate, Temple and House of The Vestal Virgins, Temple of Castor and Pollux, Temple of Saturn, Basilica Emilia, Arch of Titus, etc. etc)  but here is a glimpse of a few of the amazing things we say that day!!

As the morning portion of the tour was concluding, we were beginning to come near to the ever awaited Colosseum.  This was the highlight of the tour and much anticipated by everyone in our tour group.  We were lucky to get some great photos from afar then get to experience the Colosseum up close and personal.  

The picture above is one of the fresh spring water fountains in Rome.  All of their water is fresh water ducts and drinkable!! Everyone stopped to fill up their water bottles and then we proceeded to the much anticipated photos below.. The Colosseum!!

I am pretty sure we were taken back at the beauty of this sight.  This is where the Gladiators went to fight, literally!!  The stories told from our guide were intriguing and how these men literally fought to the death.  Dad was secretly hoping they would make an appearance but they must have had the day off.  However, Preston decided he had had enough fun and wanted to take a snooze. :)

After our tour concluded, we taxied it back to our hotel and rested for a little while.  We then ventured out for another night of fabulous pasta and wine.  My new favorite Italian dish is Amitracana.  It is a simple pasta dish with a tomato-bacon sauce!! Fabuloso!!