From the Colosseum we moved on to the ancient Forum in Rome, Italy, where the crowds and the heat were still in high gear. The Forum was considered the public life center of ancient Roman. This is the remains of the Temple of Romulus…I just love that purple and green combo. June 1, 2017

The Forum in Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is the ruins of an ancient Roman temple along the Via Sacra in Rome, Italy’s, Forum. It was built by emperor Antoninus Pius (A.D. 86-161) to honor of his wife, the empress Faustina (who died in A.D. 141). After Antoninus died, the temple was dedicated to both. In the Middle Ages, the temple was converted to a church and then much of its stone was used to build and decorate other churches. June 1, 2017

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is the ruins of an ancient Roman temple along the Via Sacra in Rome, Italy’s, Forum. The grooves in the upper portion of the columns are said to be rope marks used to pull the columns down. June 1, 2017

The crowded streets of Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017

The streets and alleyways in Rome are paved with these hard core cobblestones. The bottom of my feet and my shoes took a beating as we walked through through the cobblestone streets of Rome. This is not a complaint, just a fact because I love everything that we got to see…even through the heat. The old cobblestones, known as “sampietrini” are made of bevelled stones of black basalt and placed one next to the other. June 1, 2017

The huge white marbled National Monument of Vittorio Emmanuelle II, often called “the wedding cake” by locals, was named in honor of its first king after Italy was unified in 1861. June 1, 2017

The Obelisk of Montecitorio in front of the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome, Italy. The ancient Egyptian obelisk functions as a solar clock and was brought to Rome around 10 BC by Emperor Augustus. June 1, 2017

A close-up of the Obelisk of Montecitorio in Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017

The stunning “Trevi Fountain” in Rome, Italy. By the time we got to the fountain, we were tired and it was crowded, but we hope to go back…before we leave Rome…so we can throw our coins into the fountain. June 1, 2017

The Pantheon, a Roman temple turned Catholic Church, was commissioned during the reign of Emperor Augustus but the present day building was completed by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD. June 1, 2017

Inside the very crowded Pantheon, a Roman temple turned Catholic Church, in Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017

The crowds gather around the tomb of Raphael, an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, inside the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. Many of Raphael’s works can be found in the Vatican, including my favorite, “The School of Athens.” June 1, 2017

Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s statues on the “Fountain of the Four Rivers” with an Egyptian obelisk, in the middle of the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017

A close-up of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s statues on the “Fountain of the Four Rivers” with an Egyptian obelisk, in the middle of the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017

While walking back to our hotel, Bonnie and I came across this cute little street, Via della Pilotta, in Rome, Italy, with its succession of romantic arches. June 1, 2017

The sun setting on the Forum in Rome, Italy, over the columned remains of the Temple of Saturn (to the left) and the Temple of Vespasian and Titus (to the right). June 1, 2017

The sun setting on the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. June 1, 2017