We (ok, I) intended to do Rick Steve's walk from Trastevera. His book seemed to imply that bus 40 would take us across the Tiber to a good place to start the walk. After much nervous hesitation and packing the backpack, and re-packing, we left the hotel. I immediately felt way in over my head, since the relatively simple tasks in front of us - finding a place to buy bus tickets, buying bus tickets, finding the bus, stamping the ticket, getting off at the right stop - all seemed very intimidating. “I kept thinking ‘you ain’t in Kansas anymore, Toto!’” We managed to buy the tickets and find the bus without too many problems. No one on the bus spoke English, and it took 10 minutes before we were able to figure out how to stamp the tickets, and it still took some assistance (The only orange box on that bus used to stamp tickets was in the back of the bus. The yellow box is for passes only.) 

The bus rumbled through incredibly foreign territory. I realized I had no real idea where we were going, and it was not a pleasing thought. The plan was to get off the bus right after we cross the Tiber. We crossed it all right, and everyone on the bus got off and immediately vanished. We consulted a few Americans who indicated we were (surprise!) in front of the Vatican... the bus took us somewhere unexpected.

Roma - The Pantheon

We couldn’t go to the Vatican since we had shorts on. After 10 minutes of staring at the map I decided to try to walk to the sites. We walked back over the Tiber. I hesitated at every block, checking and rechecking the map. It didn't take too long to determine that we need to keep moving, and we needed to keep in the shade. Rome was in the middle of an astounding heat wave. Fortunately the rolling blackouts we'd heard about had apparently ended. 

We started down smaller streets in the general direction we wanted to travel. The streets got smaller and smaller – alleys with scooters whizzing past at the edge of control. After a little while it became apparent that we were lost, but this was why we were here. It was really cool, even though we were really very hot. Robby wasn't handling any of it too well. We stopped for gelato - Robby got strawberry, and CJ got cherry. They both got whipped cream, which turned out to be REAL whipped cream - neither of them liked it, and CJ soon decided he didn't like his at all. We continued onward, and soon dropped out into the Piazza Navano. 

It took 5-10 minutes for me to decide with certainty where we where. We lingered for a while, got our bearings, read ‘the book’, and I pointed out the Bernini statue. I also pointed the Tre Scalini café, which features ‘Death by Chocolate’ - Kathy didn't want any, which surprised me. RS' walking tour goes through Piazza Navano, so we joined the tour route and headed for the Pantheon. 

The interior of the Pantheon was incredible. It was the first of what turned out to be many simply amazing places you’ll never imagine unless you’re there. I took several pictures, and many of them turned out very well. We lingered for about 45 minutes to cool off and take in the sights before moving on. I was a little disappointed that ‘the book’ didn’t cover the interior of the Pantheon too well. I later learned that Mona Winks does cover it. 

We veered off RS' tour to look for the church. The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva was very unimpressive from the outside. We stopped in the shade – we’d cooled down quite a bit in the Pantheon, but Robby was already too hot (ok, all of were, but he was the only one saying so). I pointed out the Bernini statue in front of the church. I went up to the door of the church - two young men in tank tops and shorts had just walked in without removing their hats, and lightning didn't strike them, so I figured we were golden. I waved for the family to follow, and they did, albeit reluctantly. We took another 30 minutes or so in the cool church. I was lucky enough to take another few pictures that turned out well, including my first Michelangelo, The Risen Christ.  CJ took quite an interest in the chapels, and Robby liked the Filippo Lippi fresco of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Roma - the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva  Michelangelo's The Risen Christ - 1519-1521 St. Catherine's body is under the alter (her head is in Sienna)

We continued along the RS' tour. The Chiesa di St. Ignazio church was closed for siesta. We got the kids some gatorade, and eventually found the Trevi Fountain. 

The Trevi Fountain is amazing… you simply walk down the street, turn the corner, and there it is, one of the most famous sites in the world. It was very hot and very crowded. Robby was melting down. By this time we had walked 2/3 or 3/4 of the way back to the hotel, and I decided we'd just walk the rest of the way without telling anyone. Another 30 minutes or so and we were ‘home’. The whole adventure lasted about 5 or 6 hours. We were coated in sweat and stench, but we’d just had a walking tour of Rome.

We all crashed for a few hours, except for CJ who played gameboy until he was delirious and crying from exhaustion. He then crashed at about 7pm, and we went to McDonald's at Piazza Republica (Grandma stayed behind with CJ). I couldn't stop thinking about how incredible the day had been, especially the Pantheon. I really wanted to do it all again, taking in different sites along the way. But I was way too tired, and we had a lot of other things to see.