Pictures of The Roman Forum, Campidoglio, Pantheon, Il Gesu, and The Spanish Steps... AND Notes on Paris!

So I am in PARIS at the Manoir De Gressy with Amy. It's a beautiful chateau in the metro-Paris area, in a village called Gressy. I'll get some pictures in the daylight tomorrow and post them here. The flight was smooth, the hotel is beautiful, and everything is shaping up as planned. Amy's birthday is in 13 minutes (as of when I'm writing this), and that means MY birthday is in 13 minutes too! Happy birthday to us! Anyway, without further ado, here are the 24 pictures I promised earlier:

An amazingly large arc within the Roman Forum. Amazing how something can be so old and still stay as solid as this. We should learn a thing or two back in the states.

A nice shot of the Temple of Saturn within the Roman Forum.

A shot from under the Temple of Saturn showing its sheer height.

Another temple within the Roman Forum.

One of my favorite shots of the Forum... just a few ruins with the very predictable Roman sun behind it. I tell you, the weather in Roma is something of the Gods.

Another of my famous panoramics. This one is of Michelangelo's Campidoglio. The campidoglio is Italy's version of capital hill, as it literally translates from "Capitoline Hill." Everything within the design of this complex, up to and including the pattern of the pavers along the grounds of the Campidoglio, was intentional and planned by Michelangelo.

One of the fountains outside the modern-day Capitol Building.

The guy on the horse in the middle of the Campidoglio is Marcus Aurelius.

The stairs which lead up to Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio).

The Pantheon... unbelievable. Need I say more?

The oculus within the Pantheon and the dramatic shadow it casts.

The inside of the Pantheon. Beautiful red marble everywhere.

Another shot of the inside of the Pantheon.

Another shot of the dome and oculus within the Pantheon. Absolutely gorgeous. The last of the exteriors of the Pantheon.

The interior of Il Gesu. Il Gesu is the mother church of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). It's facade is known as the first truly baroque facade. This church is absolutely stunning in decoration, and the frescoes, painted by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, are creative and unlike anything else I've ever seen. You'll see in some future pictures that he managed to paint these frescoes in a way that they look like 3D statues emerging from the ceilings. Unreal to see in person.

Another interior of Il Gesu.

The exterior of Il Gesu. Again, credited as the first truly baroque facade. As beautiful as it is, it still doesn't do the interior justice (in my eyes).

A Crucifix scene which they are restoring in one of the chapels of Il Gesu.

The eerily realistic fresco I referred to earlier. Just amazing how Gaulli could create this kind of dynamic at this scale!

Onto the Spanish Steps... this was a visit on the morning of Friday, the 19th, whereas the rest of this entry was from the 18th. This is a fountain in Piazza De Spagna, just in front of the Spanish Steps.

A shot while I was on the steps, eating my lunch while sitting on the handrail and people-watching. Though these steps don't really "get you anywhere," they're still a must-see while in Roma!

A shot through the balustrade while on the Spanish Steps and being harassed by the countless street "vendors."

From the bottom of the steps looking up. Definitely a hot spot in town!

That'll do it. As I warp up this entry, it is now officially my birthday and Amy's birthday. We're 22 and 21, respectively. Very exciting! And we're in Paris for our birthday! Even more exciting! There's not great cell service within the hotel, so if I normally call you, and you don't hear from me at the normal hours, no worries... I'll call while I'm actually in Paris tomorrow. But I will give it a shot from the room, as I'm getting one bar of service flickering in and out. That's enough blabbering. See you all soon! On with my birthday! Keep on checking back, and I'll keep on updating!