What a productive day

Today we planned to get our SIM cards and just walk around to orientate ourselves but it ended up being a very productive one!

We left the hotel this morning on our way to Rome Termini where we were directed to a few phone shops to buy SIM cards. Upon arrival, the shop assistants asked us for our passports to verify our identities. We didn't know we needed these and they were still in the safe at the hotel! So I decided to go for a quick jog back to the hotel to grab our passports whilst Carmina and the kids did some window shopping! Anyway, long story short, I arrived back with the passports and those who wanted SIM cards got them! We continued to browse and purchase some snacks then left Rome Termini around 11.30am

From there we went and walked around the Piazza della Republica and had lunch around the corner. In true Italian style, we ate pizza and pasta to the tune of a piano accordion.

After lunch, we decided to walk to the Trevi Fountain and on our way walked past the residence of Italy's President. This building was heavily guarded with 'i carabinieri' (police) and national guards with M3s!! They even performed a changing of the guard as we went past!!

The Trevi Fountain hasn't changed much in many years but still is as beautiful (and popular) as ever! I will endeavour to upload a few photos.

We walked from there to the Pantheon and had a brief look inside. The Pantheon was built about 2000 years ago and to this day is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. It was built as temple for all gods of Ancient Rome. We enjoyed a gelato each and continued on to visit Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona is a large oval shaped area with a fountain in the middle. The Fountain of Four Rivers has four nude statues that represent each of the four continents at that time: the Nile (Africa), Ganges (Asia), Danube (Europe) and Rio de la Plata (The Americas). Here we also found many interested characters including an Egyptian pharaoh standing painted gold and standing completely still. As well as a cowboy painted in a metal colour all over and a person with no head but was wearing sunglasses and a hat... You need to see the photos!

Sorry for going on so long, off to dinner soon! We are going to Pompeii tomorrow for a full day tour (7am-6pm).