September 2006 - Rome, Italy - Major Monuments & Squares with Classmates

This week we did quite a bit of sightseeing with our classmates Montse, Corinne and Barbara.

We started at the Pantheon. No matter how many times we visit this site, we are always amazed at its tremendous size. We hit all the big tourist spots including Trevi Fountain pictured above.

Then we strolled over to the Spanish Steps area.
No trip to the Spanish Steps is complete without being harrassed by a rose vendor. They force the thorny roses into your hand and then insist you pay for it.

Here is Casandra avoiding the forced rose like a pro. It looks like a game of tag and of course she bursts into a fit of laughter.

Another must do at the base of the Spanish Steps is taking a drink of the incredibly cool, fresh water that springs from the fountain. Most of Rome's fountains run on a constant stream of fresh water pumped down from the mountains surrounding the city. As a result, the water is potable at nearly all of the fountains. Kenny was the only one brave enough to try it, but hey he "drank" the water in India and we all know how that worked out for him. After leaving the Spanish Steps, we went for a walk down the Via Condotti. This street houses all of Italy's high-end designers as well as some French ones.