• We stayed two nights in the Westin Excelsior Hotel in Rome.

• The Westin Excelsior Hotel in Rome

• The Altare Della Patria (Altar of the Country) is located on Piazza Venezia

• The Capitoline Museums and plaza

• One of three wings of the Capitoline Museum

• A view from Capitoline Hill. The dome in the center is Saint Peter's at the Vatican.

• A view of the Altare Della Patria (Altar of the Country) from Capitoline Hill

• The Capitoline Wolf - Sculpture of Romulus and Remus nursing on the she wolf

• Sculpture of a boy picking a thorn from his foot

• Diana of Ephesus - This work is a Roman copy of the original Greek cult statue at the sanctuary of Artemis at Ephesus.

• Diana of Ephesus

• Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius

• Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius

• Portions of a monumental sculpture of Constantine - Age of Constantine, probably 330-337 A.D., Gilded bronze

• The Roman Forum viewed from the Capitoline Museum

• A wall of Roman bricks

• Ancient Neptune statue

• Satyr

• The Capitoline Venus

• A monument to Giordano Bruno in the place he was executed, Campo de' Fiori

• Fontana del Moro (Moor Fountain) in Piazza Navona

• Fountain of the Four Rivers

• Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona

• The Pantheon

• Interior view of the Pantheon dome

• The occulus in the Pantheon dome

• Visiting the Trevi Fountain with ...

• ... just a few of our closest friends.

• The Spanish Steps

• Piazza Garibaldi, located on the highest point of the Janiculum hill on the west side of Rome, offers panoramic views of Rome to the east.

• The Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument is located in Piazza Garibaldi on the highest point of the Janiculum hill.

• The she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus is a recurring image in the city of Rome.

• From the Janiculum hill we walked down to the Trastevere neighorhood and explored the river walk before beginning the Trastevere walking tour in Rick Steves' Guide Book.

• The walls along the Tiber River were built in the 1870s to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding.

• The Tiber River and the Sisto Bridge (built 1473 - 1479) with Saint Peters' dome in the background

• This was a particularly busy area in early Rome as it was as far upstream on the Tiber River that large boats could sail and that the river could be crossed by bridge.

• Before enbarking on our Trastevere walking tour, we each enjoyed a grattachecca from a stand recommended by Rick Steves. They hand-shaved the ice and were delicious.

• Beginning our exploration of the Trastevere neighborhood

• Church of Santa Cecilia

• This building is a school from the Mussolini era. It is still being used as a school.

• Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere

• The building with the bell tower is the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.

• Inside the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere

• Galleria Borghese

• Porta Pinciana, a gate in the Aurelian Walls of Rome, built between 271 AD and 275 AD

• The Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria houses one of Bernini's best known statues.

• Inside the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria

• Bernini's Saint Teresa in Ecstacy

• Piazza della Repubblica

• The Baths of Diocletian were transformed into the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli by Michelangelo.

• Interior of the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli

• An exterior view showing the expansiveness of the Baths of Diocletian, now the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli

• Baths of Diocletian/Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli

• The National Museum of Rome

• Minerva

• Mosaic of Dioniso

• 'Conversazioni' - Oliviero Rainaldi, Sculptor - 2011

• USA Embassy in Rome

• USA Embassy in Rome

• Civitavecchia - The Port of Rome

• Civitavecchia - The Port of Rome

• Civitavecchia - The Port of Rome

• Civitavecchia - The Port of Rome

• Civitavecchia - The Port of Rome