



Our second day in Rome, we headed to the Colosseum. On the way we passed several Egyptian obelisks, which the medieval Christians cleverly disguised by placing crosses on the top:













The Colosseum was pretty incredible. Here's the hypogeum area. I should really write a scene that takes place here. Oh wait . . .









The next day, we boarded a ship and started a cruise of the Mediterranean.





The first stop, the city of Messina on the island of Sicily . . .





Messina





The golden Madonna welcomed us to the port. Ave, Maria! What's up?





We checked out the mechanical clock in the town square, which was cool. Hephaestus approves of the robotic bronze rooster:

Haley was more interested in this ancient relic we discovered on the street. We believe it is called a payphone.









We also saw the fountain of Orion in the central piazza, though after writing about Orion in Blood of Olympus, I don't know how I feel about this:









Finally we had lunch at a place called Baciamo Le Mani (We Kiss the Hands). It was the best pizza we'd ever had, without question. Here is mine, the Stromboli, shaped like a science experience . . . I mean, a miniature volcano.









That night, we sailed through the straits of Messina, the basis for the myth of Loggins and Messina:













I'm sure our guide told us all sorts of interesting facts, but being ADHD, we took a picture of this lizard instead:









And proof that Vesuvius still looms over the ancient city. That little peak you see on the right? That used to be connected to the big peak on the left. And then BOOM. Sawed-off volcano. The official song for the Bay of Naples is: Livin' on a Time Bomb, because that baby is still active.



