Roma- Forum and the keyhole...

We went to the Roman Forum after lunch and a gelato. The Forum is where the senate and Roman government had its start. It is also where the Vestal virgins who guarded the "eternal" flame had their temple, and where the Ceasar's lived. It is where the people of ancient Rome congregated. It was both Murat and my first time there and it was fun to walk around this giant place and surround ourselves in the ruins. Here are my favorite pics from the Forum.

Murat and Marco Aurelio in the Forum Museum ;)

After walking around the Forum, imagining all the people who were here before us, we headed out to visit one of my favorite places in Rome. In 2001, I read about a keyhole through which you had an amazing view of St. Peter's Basilica. The guide book would not say where it was, but it said that if you ask any "true" Roman, they would know. Unfortunately for me all the Romans I asked had no idea what I was talking about. On my third trip there, with Sarah, I finally found someone who knew. It was definitely worth the wait and all the hard work. I could not wait to show it to Murat! No pictures ever do it justice because you just can not see it clearly, but the dome is perfectly framed by the path.
The keyhole is in a very quiet area of the city. Just a residential area with small churches, quite streets, and small parks filled with Italian families and couples (with gorgeous views of the city). It was so nice to get away from all the crowds and just spend some time in this little known area...
It was a perfect end to a wonderful day!