Josh Bernstein, DDS, Cosmetic Dentist

Ah, a day to relax without a tour guide! A leisurely breakfast, then an early morning visit to the Pantheon, where we had the entire temple, including Raphael's tomb, all to ourselves. Well, so much for this leisure!

We "strolled" over to the Piazza Navona to see Bernini's magnificent Four Rivers Fountain, which was under renovation. Then we strolled over to the Trevi Fountain, which was practically deserted in the early morning as it opened. We threw coins over our shoulders into the fountain to ensure a return trip to The Eternal City!

We continued our "stroll" back to the Spanish Steps and by all the fancy designer shops, wishing that Mavra were with us to guide us around her favorite designer stores — Gucci, Prada, Burberry — all the stores she can't possibly afford on her paycheck! We meandered around the narrow, cobblestone streets all the way back to Michelangelo's square in front of City Hall, the center of Roma, adorned with Marcus Aurelius on horseback, and a fountain with Romulus (and his brother), the namesake of Rome, raised by a she-wolf on the site of the Forum.

We revisited the Roman Forum and took classic photos of the Forum and the Coliseum, reviewing the history that Francesca taught us a few short days ago. We remembered, looking at the Arch of Titus that the destruction of the second temple of Israel is depicted on the arch. 50,000 Jewish slaves brought from Israel helped build the arch.

We also remembered that the Catholic Church built the Vatican with materials salvaged from the destruction of ancient Rome. The gorgeous colorful marble adorning St. Peter's Basilica was taken from the Coliseum, reminding us that the Coliseum was much more colorful than most people imagine. There was a time that to be a Roman, you could not be a Christian. Later, there was a time that to be a Roman, you had to be a Christian. It made us once again understand the importance of religious freedomÂ…and the importance of not imposing our own belief system on others. So many world problems have come from violent religious conflict, including today's problems. The Vatican was only too happy to plunder Rome similar to the way that Rome destroyed the second temple of Israel. As we continued our last walk through the forum, we paid special attention to the Palatine Hill, where Julius CaesarÂ’s enormous palace once stood. We bid farewell to the Coliseum and the Forum and wandered through (got lost in ...) the back alleys of Rome in time for an outstanding Roman lunch (fried olives for antipasto!) at a quaint little trattoria near our hotel.

After a 10-minute nap that lasted 3 hours, we woke up disoriented, and sleepily left for an afternoon visit by taxi to the fancy Via Veneto hotel district with its expensive cafes and shops. We stopped in at the Hotel Excelsior where I had stayed in 1969 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon! We walked back to our hotel and got ready for dinner, miraculously connecting with Jack's friend, Jack Ziegler, who is on a pilgrimage to Israel for his Bar Mitzvah at Masada. The kids had a blast at dinner together and walked up to the Trevi Fountain for some memorable photos.

After the kids went to bed, Allison and I enjoyed a late night cappuccino at an outdoor cafe, facing our old friend and neighbor, The Pantheon, splendidly lit at night, wondering when we would return to Roma and looking forward to our brief train ride to Firenze tomorrow!

Arividerci, Roma!