The Pantheon, in terms of construction and its legacy, is pretty impressive. Those columns in front are made from 40 foot, single pieces of granite, quarried in Egypt, shipped on the Nile to the Mediterranean to Rome.
The floor of the Pantheon is 1,800 years old, and 80% is still the original stone.
This is Raphael's tomb. I've been to some famous cemeteries in my lifetime, but it is weird to think Raphael is buried right there. He lived so long ago... it's like he is some mythical figure.
The concrete dome of the Pantheon is it's most important feature. 23 feet thick at the base and just five feet thick at the top, it opens up to oculus, the buildings only light source. It's completely open and almost 30 feet across. This dome inspired buildings around the world.
Rick claimed that it took the outstretched arms of four large tourists to reach around them. Psh. We must be extra large, because we did it in three.
Like most of Rome and Morocco, pictures of the Trevi Fountain do not do it justice. It is... majestic. Rome was showing off all the water in their city because of their aqueducts. And it's true - there are fountains all over Rome. This one is just gorgeous. I probably took 20 pictures of it.
And most importantly, you've got to throw a coin in and make a wish to return to Rome!
And so concludes my trip to Morocco and Rome... just four months after I went on the trip. It's been fun reliving the experience on the blog, and to be honest, I'm kind of sad it's done. I look back at these posts, these pictures, and it seems like a distant memory. It's a world so far off from the one I live in everyday. It was like a dream.
I'm convinced that there are some moments in life that really do stop you in your tracks and leave you breathless. So many of those moments in my life happened on this trip. Rounding the corner in the Marrakesh airport and seeing Cara waiting for us. The first view from the rooftop in Essa. Walking into St. Peter's. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it.
It's my hope for many more moments like these in my life, and that all my friends and family get to have moments like that, too. Moments that blow you away.
Click here for links to all my Rome and Morocco travels!
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