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Adventures in Tourism: Rome, Day II


Hello, friends!

On a small editorial note, I have finally returned from study abroad! I haven't been updating my blog recently due to final exams, the difficulty of packing up all of my belongings, my vacation to Prague and Munich, and my general inability to accurately estimate how long any given task will take. However, I'm hoping to blog more frequently now that I'm back home, and I am contemplating blogging daily until I have to leave for camp. Let's move on to the travel content!

As it turns out, Sunday is not the best day for traveling in Rome. Nearly everything is closed, and activity options are somewhat limited. 

Our morning plan was to visit the Pantheon, and we were happy to find that there was virtually no line in order to do so. Just a few minutes after we entered and started looking around, an announcement that I didn't fully understand played. We ignored it, and continued to wander around and take photographs. Soon, an employee came by and started angrily ushering us and the other tourists out of the Pantheon. As it turned out, mass is held in the Pantheon every Sunday morning, and we were in the way. I was satisfied with our brief visit, but being kicked out left us without any plans for the morning. 

Image of the Pantheon from our first day in Rome, featuring the long line to get in. The Pantheon is gigantic in person, and I feel like this photo captures some of its grandeur.

This image features the domed ceiling at the inside of the Pantheon, along with some of the elegant detailing on the Pantheon's walls.

This picture was one of my efforts to capture the immensity of the Pantheon, this time from the inside.

We decided to split up and explore different activities. I wandered absentmindedly near the Pantheon and picked up some souvenirs. One of the highlights of my exploration was the Elephant and Obelisk statue. As it turns out, this statue features the smallest obelisk in all of Rome! I appreciated having some time to walk around and explore Rome, without the pressure of rushing from one destination to the next. 

The Elephant and the Obelisk. Even though it was before noon, the weather was quite dark and stormy.

After meeting up for lunch, we went to McDonalds to grab some coffee. I was impressed by the fancy presentation of this McCafe drink. Although McDonalds locations in Europe have relatively standard food options at affordable prices, these small differences completely change the McDonalds experience.


We finished off our official activities for the day with a visit to the Mouth of Truth. Unfortunately, those photographs currently live on my friend's phone, so you will have to trust me when I say that it was a touristy and enjoyable end to our travel day.

Best wishes,
Lydia

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