Roma with my mom!

After doing some random things in Florence, we went to Pisa, Sienna, San Gimignano, and then had a day in Rome before we parted and my mom came. However, my port to upload those pictures from my camera isn't working, so I'll post those photos later and give you some Rome pictures I took with my mom. :)

I believe it was either our second or third day in Rome, definitely after having visited the Vatican, that my mom and I did the Colosseum and the Palatine Hills and Forum tour. 

I was lucky to have already gone to the Forum and Colosseum at the end of high school with my humanities class (so I didn't take too many pictures), but the Palatine Hills were totally new to me, and they were so cool!

It was raining the day we went, so we hung out under this thing. I think it's Severus' palace, but don't quote me on that. Either way, it was super neat.

Look at dem Roman arches.

It's just incredible to me how long everything's lasted.

We waited under here for a while. There was a chain and a fence kind of thing to block the area off, but if we really weren't supposed to go in, they'd have done a better job closing it off. Am I right?

My mom and I waited for the worst of the storm to pass before walking further to a spot where you could overlook almost all the forum and some of Rome. There's the Wedding Cake on the left towering over everything. 

Caesar's Palace? But again, not sure if I'm right...

By the temple of Hestia, where the Vestal virgins would keep the furnaces burning. Girls would enter the temple at around 10 years of age, and if they made it to thirty years of virginity there, they'd get a statue. If not, they were killed. Not many statues in that temple...

Everyone chilling in their ponchos or with umbrellas. Sitting on history. Casual. It still astounds me that this is real life.

I can't even imagine what this must have looked like during Ancient Roman times.

My mom and I went to the Pantheon again, too. It's probably one of the most influential buildings in history, inspiring most neoclassical architectural structures. (Most of my Pantheon pics are on my camera, so I'll upload those later).

One night, I just was really sick of Italian food. After two weeks of straight up carbs, you kind of crave something else...

So my mom and I went to Hardrock Café on Via Veneto. I had never been there before, so the one in Rome was my first Hardrock experience. It was AWESOME. My mom and I split a veggie burger, onion rings, and a delicious Mojito. I just needed some America that night. 

All the deep fried glory, and a perfect end to a night in Rome.