This is one of my favorite things about Italy so far. The gelato is better than anything I have ever had in America. From chocolate(which is like brownie batter), to niccola`hazelnut), to melon, cafe`, zabione(ronnie you would love this one), cappuccino, strawberry, caramel. The list continues for about a half hour. I cant get enough of it, and pops they are two euro a piece. Even the Italians can't get it down to a dollar a cone.

This is a capitol of a column that was over 80 feet tall.

the capitol itself is over 10 feet tall.

It sits at the base of Trajan's Column Near the Roman Forum.

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This is a shot from our studio window into Campo on a Saturday night. This place has more people in it than Times Square. All the bars are open and the only things to eat is gelato and panini.

This is a sculpture adjacent to Santa Maria in Tresetevere

The top of this facade reads SENTUS POPULUS QUE ROMANUS
roughly translated means the senate and the people are here in Rome.

This is the Temple of Jupiter

Roman Forum

Basilica of Maxcentius

looking towards the Colosseum

Tribute to Vittorio Emanuale

Romans call it the wedding cake or musalini's typewritter.

Stairs of Compidoglio

Capidoglio

Roman Forum

The term old has new meaning. Just standing there you can just imagine how it used to look. Or you could just watch gladiator.

Owen and Spiro on the right scouting out spots for soldi tomorrow.

Soldi is a tax free sale day. Vendors slash up to 50 percent off everything. Which is still a lot more than what we pay in the states.

Primo Giorni in Roma

Walking down into the piazza in front of one of the oldest standing buildings in Rome. So far the most astounding I have seen yet.

This place is too much for words. The food, people, and architecture here are amazing. I wish the pictures could do a justice. Here are a few I have

taken already, and more are to come.

This is a sun dial about a block away from Compo dei Fiori on the side of a building. Its accurate even in the winter to about 20 minutes.

Compo di Fiori:

This is what I see looking out my windown in the afternoon. The piazza is filled with tons of people thoughout the day. In the morning around 6 am the vendors start setting up tents and filling them with some of the freshest food you can imagine. They make way in the afternoon for the resturaunts and bars to start setting up for the night. Then the piazza is filled with singing gypsies and people strolling around buying tons of gilato. A picture of the Gilato mountains is on its way. Americans think they know ice cream; they have no idea.

The oculus of the Pantheon. This is a site that takes your breath. I must of stood there at the door for ten minutes in awe realizing where I was. The transformation this place has undergone is mindboggling. You can see through the buildings age how the surrounding neighborhood has evolved around it and it has changed along with it.

Giordano Bruno

A brief history: He was one of the first to suggest a seperation of church and state in italy. People were so enraged at the notion they burned him at the stake right here in Compo di Fiori. Later after he was dead someone said, "hey, maybe he had a good idea." Then they built this statue to commemorate him.

Our apartment is on the right side three stories up.

I will post more pictures later. Right now my stomach is tellin me to go and eat some more delicious food. Hopefully I'll find a better medium to get my pictures to you quicker.

Thanks,

John