My first days in Rome were overwhelming in the best of ways. I spent a lot of time on trips outside the city, but those days were I could explore Rome were truly magical. I was falling in love. Always the mythology and history fanatic, stumbling upon the Pantheon or galloping through the Forum were experiences I will never forget.
Nothing can prepare anyone for first seeing the Pantheon temple in Rome. Walking around the corner of any side street, the beautiful ancient building towered above me. I was overwhelmed. We walked in and the ceiling arching above us looked like a painting. My steps echoed in the marble circular chamber and I couldn’t stop looking up.
The Forum was probably my favorite place in Rome. They began to charge while I was there, but before they did, I went often and spent a lot of time there, musing about the ruins, the great orators and politicians, the amazing acts. I also contemplated my own place in the world, and all the studying I have done, yet I still know so little about the Roman empire. I loved the Forum, and went nuts every time I visited it.
One morning, at the Forum, I turned a corner and found a pile of flowers in a hollowed rock. It was the place where J. Caesar was laid to rest. *mind blown*
The picturesque lake (often swarming with turtles) lies in the middle of the Villa Borghese, a large park in Rome near Piazza de Popolo. The man in the boat was offering boat rides for tourists.
