The Travels, The Dreams

I'm Back

2009-10-18T00:48:00.001-07:00

Hi guys, it's been a long time since I updated this blog. And now, here I am writing again a post so that I can still keep in touch with my blogger friends. Well, for the past months I was very busy that's the reason why I can't divide my time updating all my blogs. But now I will try my best to catch up. Anyway, I would like to thank all my blogger friends who are always visiting my blogs. Thank you very much...:-)

Spread The Love Award

2009-07-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Ate Lisa for this love award. Ate Lisa was the one who encouraged me to join in the blogosphere and the one who taught me a lot of things about blogging. Thank you very much, Manang.

Rules:

1. Copy the badge and put it on your blog.
2. Link back the person who passed you this award.
3. Spread the love to at least 10 or more bloggers.

Now I'm passing these awards to all my blogger friends.

The Beauty Of Bohol

2009-06-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

If I will take a vacation in the Philippines, I want to go and visit Bohol. Since it is one of the place that I'm dreaming to visit in PI. Right now, Bohol is considered as one of the most visited places in the Philippines and it is getting popular not only among foreign tourist but also local visitors. In fact, the government of Bohol and the Department of Tourism are promoting Bohol as "a land of history and natural beauty."

Here are some informations about the different history and natural beauty of Bohol.

The Chocolate Hills is the most popular attraction in Bohol. It consists of approximately 1,268 hills with heights ranging from 40 to 120 meters. During summer, the dome-shaped grass covered limestone hills dries up and turns brown. Then the area transforms like a seemingly endless rows of chocolate "kisses".

Bohol is best known also for its tarsiers. The tarsier is a very small animal. It is one of the smallest known primates (no larger than an adult man's hand). The tarsier is arboreal. It spend its entire life in trees and travels by leaping from tree to tree. It sleeps and gives birth clinging to a tree trunk. Tarsiers cannot walk on land and they hop when on the ground. The tarsier's eye is bigger than its entire brain. It can rotate its head almost 180 degrees in each direction and has pads at the ends of each finger and toe that allow them to climb trees.

Aside from the mainland, Bohol has 61 smaller offshore islands and islets. One of the most popular islands is the island of Panglao which is being known for its unpolluted waters. It is rated as one of the best diving sites in the world.

Bohol is known for being the BLOOD COMPACT site between Spanish Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Rajah Sikatuna. It was held on March 16, 1565. They done this blood compact to insure friendly relations between the Spaniards and the natives. It was to be the first treaty of friendship and alliance between the Spaniards and Filipinos.

The BACLAYON CHURCH which is also known as the Immaculate Conception Parish Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It was built by the Jesuits in 1596. In 1994, the Church was declared as a National Historical Landmark.

A Lovely Award

2009-06-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Mommy Chris of The Mommy Journey for this award. Thank you very much for this award. I appreciate it so much...:-)

Rules:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
Pass the award to other blogs that you’ve discovered. Remember to contact the blogger to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now I want to award this to my fellow lovely blogger:
Eva
G-Anne's Vita
Geraldine
Hopeful

Piazza Venezia

2009-06-02T08:14:00.007-07:00

One of the place that I visited when I went to Rome is Piazza Venezia. It is one of the most beautiful spots in Rome. The Palazzo Venezia was built by cardinal Pietro Barbo who later became Pope Paul I in 1455. It is built around the church of San Marco and was used as a papal residence by many popes. Benito Mussolini spoke to the crowds from the first floor of Palazzo Venezia. When the Vittorio Emmanuelle monument was built the Palazzo was moved and the Assicurazioni Generali di Venezia palace was built.

On the southern side of the piazza one can find a truly monumental structure, which almost dominates the entire piazza. It is an impressive and beautiful complex built between1885 and 1905 to celebrate the unification of Italy. It is officially known as the Altar of the Fatherland. Many ancient and medieval structures were razed to build this monument. An impressive staircase rises to the top of the Altar of the Fatherland. A statue of the goddess Roma adorns the center. Two lateral staircases lead to the 12 metre high statue of King Vittorio Emmanuelle II. In the last century piazza Venezia was considered as a worthy place for the monument of king Vittorio Emmanuelle II.

This is one of the few structures in Italy, which arouses an ambivalent attitude in its citizens, and almost everyone has his or her own individual opinion on it. In 1921 the tomb of the Unknown Soldier was incorporated into the monument.

Towards the left behind the monument one can find the Risorgimento Museum. This is a museum, which is dedicated to the cause of the nationalist movement. This brought on the resurgence of the Italian movement, which lead to the unification of Italy in 1861by the coming together of many little states under the House of Savoy Via Corso meets piazza Venezia it its northern end. Palazzo Bonaparte lies on the western corner of the piazza and the Corso. This is where Napoleon’s mother lived after the fall of the French empire.

This piazza is one of the busiest and most happening areas since it is in the bus route of almost all the buses which run through the city so it is a frequently visited square in Italy which takes pride in both its modernity and antiquity.

Top 10 EC Droppers For The Month Of May

2009-06-02T08:14:00.002-07:00

It's the start of another month. As usual, it's time again to reveal who are my Top 10 EC droppers for the month of May. Well, I would like to thank all my blogger friends who spend their time dropping my EC. I hope you will continue supporting me...:-) Grazie mille.

Here are the list of my Top 10 EC droppers:

Dropper - # of drops
1. Cacai's Step and Journey - 30
2. Travel on the Tide ~ - 21
3. SURVIVOR:the REALITY of my LIFE - 16
4. Otherside of my LIFE - 16
5. Good Life Review - 15
6. Chuchie's Hideaway - 12
7. My Sweet Haven - 11
8. WhereAbouts - 5
9. Are You Hungry? - 5
10. Upgrade Your Life! - 5

Dreaming To Visit Venice

2009-05-29T07:14:00.001-07:00

One of the place here in Italy that I want to visit someday is in Venice. According to my husband this is the top most visited places in Italy. During summer a lot of people are going in this place to see it's beautiful sceneries. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light". It is often cited as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Here are some places that I want to see in Venice.

Rialto Bridge

St Mark's Basilica

A small canal in Venice

10 Places In Europe To Visit This Summer

2009-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Europe is one of the best continent. It is so rich in culture. Each country is so diverse wherein sometimes it's very hard to decide in what places are we going to go. Since it has so many wonderful countries.

Here are some 10 ideas for places to visit this summer in Europe.

1. Vienna is a place will is certain to be popular this summer with Austria and Switzerland hosting the Euro 2008 football tournament. Vienna (or Wien as it is known locally) is the capital of Austria and is certain to be lively and it is a pleasant place in its own right to visit. The city can be lively and has some decent museums and galleries and is small and easy to move around in.

2. Barcelona is always a good city to visit and in the summer, as long as you avoid the hottest month, which is August, Barcelona is a great place to visit and has some excellent sites worth visiting including the Sagrada Familia, the marina and Guell Park. Barcelona is a perfect long weekend destination and in the summer months there is a good possibility of fine weather.

3. Dublin is a lively city even in the middle of winter, with bars and pubs full of people having a good time. As well as excellent pubs, Dublin is not a bad place for shopping, live music and theatre and museums.

4. Venice, Italy is a favourite of many and a visit to St.Mark's Square or along the river in a gondola is a one off experience. If you are interested in churches and architecture this is your city.

5. London is simply excellent for musems, galleries and many other attractions. A visit to the British Museum, the Natural History Museum or the like, will keep you busy for days. There are also many fine restaurants and some decent pubs in the capital.

6. Helsinki in Finland is not everyone's first choice for destination but Helsinki is an interesting city to visit in summer time. Time it well and you can experience the two to three weeks when it barely gets dark at night and when many Finns party around the clock.

7. Cap D'agde in France is a town rather than a city and it is an eye opener literally with tens of thousands of nudists letting themselves get an all over tan in what is the world largest nudist village and resort. You can shop, get a haircut, swim, eat and do much more without wearing a stitch.

8. Paris, France is of course also well worth a visit and the Louvre and the Champs Elysees are two attractions than one immediately thinks of and which are certainly worth seeing.

9. Athens in Greece is a must for fans of architecture and history. Athens is a city rich in history and Athens mixed with a few days on the Greek islands can be a great way to spend a week or two.

10. Lisbon, Portugal is one of the smaller European capital cities and is an interesting city to visit. Lisbon similar to Athens, has some interesting architecture and history. This is mixed with the modern which includes a state of the art shopping mall near fans park.

Most Famous And Most Beautiful Fountain In ROME

2009-05-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Trevi Fountain is one of the place that I visited when I went to Rome last 2007. A friend of mine who was with me asked me if I watched the movie MILAN before. Because this is one of the place that was been seen in that movie. It's the place wherein the main actor is looking for her girlfriend named Jennifer.

Trevi Fountain is the largest and most ambitious of the Baroque fountains of Rome. There are some people who consider this fountain as the most famous and arguably the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. It stands 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8meters (65 feet) wide. It is located in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy.

There is a traditional legend that if you will throw a coin into the water/fountain, you will return to Rome. *Before throwing the coin, you should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.*

According to Wiki, approximately 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day and are collected at night. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy.

Here are some sample photos that I took when I went there.

Islands For Sale

2009-05-15T06:09:00.001-07:00

Are you dreaming living in a tropical paradise? Well, if given a chance I want to live there. It's my dream to live in a tropical paradise together with my loveones. But I don't know when it will happen. Maybe when I will become a millionaire...:-)

Last Monday, I saw an article regarding an islands that they are selling in Australia. There are several islands off the Australian Great Barrier Reef that are for sale. Since we are experiencing a global crisis, the prices of the islands are cheaper than usual. The Capricorn Coast division of Coldwell Banker Real Estate sells nine islands, some of which have luxury homes around the Great Barrier Reef with prices ranging from 1.3 million Australian dollars (962,000 U.S. dollars) up to 90 million Australian dollars (67 million U.S. dollars). Then, there is one island for sale in Long Island wherein the price decline to 42% in its starting price, set at 6.5 million Australian dollars. Others are sold at a price at least half that of a year ago.

Some of the islands that is on sale right now are Temple Island, Avoid Island, Marble Island and Hinchinbrook island. So, if you are interested, grab the opportunity now.

Happy Mother's Day Mom

2009-05-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

Me and my mom are miles away from each other. But eventhough, we are that far from each other, I am very proud to say that she is the best mom that I have. I want to thank her for bringing me up. I want also to greet her on this very special day a Happy Mother's Day.

Top 10 EC Droppers For The Month Of April

2009-05-04T05:24:00.001-07:00

I want to thank all the bloggers who visited my blogs and spend their time dropping my EC. Thank you for the support. Hope to see you again...:-)

Dropper - # of drops
1. Cacai's Step and Journey - 29
2. Travel on the Tide ~ - 26
3. Good Life Review - 22
4. Make Money on the Internet - 20
5. Chuchie's Hideaway - 16
6. MyLifeStory - 14
7. WhereAbouts - 13
8. Shalampax Speaks - 12
9. My Sweet Haven - 11
10. My Life's Adventure - 11

100 Truth About Me

2009-04-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by one of my best sisters here in blogosphere - Madz. Thank you for sharing this tag to me...:-) I appreciate it very much....

001. Real Name: Richelle Rebugio-Lori
002. Nickname(s): Chelle
003. Age: 30 (will be 31 this year)
004. Horoscope: Saguittarius
005. Male or Female: 100% female
006. Elementary: Don Rufino Tabayoyong Central School
007. Middle School: Don Rufino Tabayoyong Central School
008. High School: Manaoag National High School
009. College School: Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University ( Agoo, La Union )
010. Hair color: Black
011. Long or Short: Long
012. Loud or Quiet: Depends on my mood.
013. Sweats or Jeans: Jeans.
014. Phone or Camera: Both phone and digicam
015. Health Freak: No
016. Drink or Smoke: Drink
017. Do you have a crush on someone: Yes, before when I'm not married.
018. Eat or Drink: Both.
019. Piercings: Ears
020. Tattoos: Nothing.
021. Social or Anti-Social: It depends upon my mood... But I think I'm a loner.
022. Righty or lefty: Righty
023. First piercing: Ears.
024. First relationship: My childhood crush, but he was married to someone else...
025. First Best Friend: Donna ( a former student)...
026. First Award: When I was in elementary...
027. First Kiss: My 1st boyfriend of course!! hahahahha
028. First Pet: A dog...
029. First Big Vacation: Los Banos, Laguna (at the house of my uncle)...
030. First Love at first sight: Can't remember...
031. First Big Birthday: On my 18th birthday...
032. First Surgery: None..
033. First sport you joined: Volleyball...

This or That
034. Orange or Apple juice: Orange Juice...
035. Rock or Rap: Rock...
036. Country or Screamo: Country
037. NSYNC or Backstreet boys: N Sync.
038. Britney spears or Christina Aguilera: Britney...
039. Night or Day: Both
040. Sun or Moon: Both…
041. TV or Internet: Both...
042. Playstation or xbox: Playstation.
043. Kiss or hug: Both of them...
044. Iguana or turtle: Turtle...
045. Spider or bee: Neither of the two...
046. Fall or spring: I like Spring...
047. Limewire or iTunes: iTunes...
048. Soccer or baseball: Soccer...

Currently
049. Eating: banana cake...
050. Drinking: Sprite.
051. Excitement level: 60 %...
052. I’m about to: take a bath...
053. Listening to: my MP3 player.
054. Plan for today: Watering my plants and blogging....
055. Waiting for: an OPP...:-)
056. Energy Level: Medium, since I feel not okay today...
057. Thinking of someone: yes, my family in the Phils....
058. Want kids?: Of course!
059. Want to get married?: YES I AM!
060. When?: July 28, 2006
061. How many kids do you want: 1 or 2
062. Any name on the mind: Sophia (if it's a girl) , Stefano (if it's a boy)
063. What did you want to be when you were little: A nurse...
064. Careers in mind: A successful mother and business woman someday...
065. Mellow future or wild: Mellow!
066. Something you would never try: Drugs
067. When do you want to die: I don't know.. It depends to God's will...
069. Romantic or Funny?: Both!
070. Shorter or Taller?: Media...
071. Protective or Caring?: Both
072. Romantic or Spontaneous?: Romantic
073. Nice Stomach or Nice Arms?: Nothing in particular
074. Sensitive or Loud?: Sensitive
075. Hook-up or Relationship?: Relationship
076. Trouble Maker or Hesitant?: Neither of the two!
077. Muscular or normal: Normal, but not sexy hahaha
078. Kissed a stranger: Nope.
079. Broken a bone: Nope.
080. Lost glasses or contacts: Contacts
081. Ran away from home: Nope.
082. Held a gun/knife for self defense: Nope.
083. Killed somebody: Of course not!
084. Broken some one’s heart: Maybe...
085. Had your heart broken: A couple of times...
086. Been arrested: Nope.
087. Cried when someone died: Of course.
088. Liked a friend more than a friend: Maybe…

Do you believe in
089. Yourself: Very much!
090. Miracles: Yep!
091. Love at first sight: Yes…
092. Heaven: Yep
093. Santa Claus: When I was a kid, yes.
094. Tooth Fairy: Nope.
095. Kiss in the first date: No.
096. Angels: Yes!

Answer Truthfully
097. Is there 1 person you want to be with right now?: Yes...
098. Are you seriously happy with where you’re in life now?: Yes...
099. Do you believe in God?: Yes...
100. Post as 100 truths and tag 10 people: Ate Lisa, Rechie, Cacai, Hopeful, Melody, Mira, Tita Beng, Eva and Gagiers.

Top 10 EC Droppers For The Month Of March

2009-04-06T01:05:00.001-07:00

Thank you for all the bloggers who visited my blogs and spend their time dropping my EC. I'm sorry because I can't go to your site and drop your EC regularly as what you're doing. Anyway, thank you very much for the support that you're doing on my sites... Hope you are always there and I'm always there too..:-)

Here are my Top 9 EC Droppers: (one is not already existed in entrecard)

Dropper - # of drops
1. Cacai's Step and Journey - 29
2. Rambling Thoughts in SMK Serian - 22
3. Chuchie's Hideaway - 18
4. Good Life Review - 18
5. My Life's Journey in Italy - 16
6. WhereAbouts - 16
7. Kitchen Recipes by Chelle - 14
8. From This Side - 14
9. My Life's Events And Anecdotes - 13

Happy And Sad

2009-04-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, when I opened my computer and read some messages on my blogs, I felt disappointed to find out that one of my blog's PR was gone. Ate Lisa, was the one who discovered it and she send me a message. Then Dhemcy followed, asking me where is my PR... Before my blog, Kitchen Recipes by Chelle got a PR 4. Then, it went to PR 2. Now, ZERO. And I don't know why and how it happened.

But I'm still lucky because this blog is now PR1. I just hope that Mr. G will not going to get it...:-)

3 Awards In A Row

2009-03-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

I received this three special awards from one of my cutiest blogger friend Chie of Whereabouts. Thank you so much for this. I'm so glad that you passed this award to me... You're such an amazing girl...:-)

Rules:

Name 7 things/person that you love then pass this on to 7 other bloggers.

1. First, is our Creator.
2. My husband.
3. My dad.
4. My mom.
5. My grandmas.
6. My in-laws.
7. My neighbors and friends.

Now, I am passing this award to Geraldine, Honney, Jhaelexis and Melody.

Pietà

2009-03-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

When I went to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, I saw the famous creation of Michelangelo, the Pietà. Pietà is an Italian word which means pity. This work of Michelangelo shows how Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus. Virgin Mary here is unusually youthful, and in repose, rather than the older, sorrowing Mary which was seen in most earlier pietà statues. This makes the interpretation of Michelangelo different from the others.

My Top 10 February EC Droppers

2009-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank all my fellow bloggers who spend their time dropping my EC. Thank you very much for the support. I hope you are still going to continue visiting and dropping my EC...

Droppers - # of drops

1. Chuchie's Hideaway - 21
2. My Life's Perception and Inspiration - 14
3.Spices of Life & Everything Nice - 13
4. Cacai's Step and Journey - 13
5. From This Side - 11
6. Lovesomatic - 9
7. My Life's Journey in Italy - 9
8. World Through Coloured Glasses - 9
9. G-aNnE's ViTa - 9
10. Good Life Review - 8

World's Most Amazing Archipelagos

2009-02-17T02:28:00.000-08:00

I came across this site who features the World's Most Amazing Archipelagos. And it really amazed me very much. I hope that someday I could visit one of these islands...:-) How I wish....

These geographic wonders have a wealth of beauty.

An archipelago is an “expanse of water with many scattered islands,” or a cluster of islands, typically found in the open sea. Although generally the result of volcanic activity, archipelagos are also shaped by other forces of nature, including erosion and rising or falling sea tables; as dynamic land masses, archipelagos tend to offer dramatic scenery.

Here are some of the most amazing examples worldwide:

Tierra del Fuego
Photo by longhorndave.

At the southern end of South America, the last echoes of the Andes Mountains collapse into the sea. Tierra del Fuego, the Land of Fire, is renowned for its snowy peaks rising from turbulent waters above Antarctica. The Patagonian forests are complex and mystical with huge cypress trees and pudu-pudu, a deer that’s only 20 inches tall.

Tristan da Cunha
Photo by brunosan.

The volcanic rocks of Tristan da Cunha are the most remote scraps of land on Earth. The closest land is the island of Saint Helena, where Napoleon was exiled, and that’s still 1,500 miles away. Africa and South America are both 2,000 miles away.

A handful of flightless birds seen nowhere else in the world keep the 250 inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha company while stalwart British fishermen keep a wary eye on the volcano that destroyed their only settlement 70 years ago.

The landscape of the islands is austere. While there are no glaciers, the bare ground of Gough Island—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—seems surreal. What lies behind the high cliffs of the aptly named Inaccessible Island?

The Thousand Islands
Photo by Alberto OG.

In the Saint Lawrence River between New York State and Canada, the Thousand Islands have long been home to the rich and famous; in fact, many of the islands are privately owned. The curiosities inhabitants have left behind make the 1,800+ islands of the archipelago as strange as they are beautiful.

Heart Island supports an actual castle with towers, a yacht house, and a stained glass dome. The crumbling ruins of a Revolution-era fort adorn one island; Yale University’s secret society, Skull and Bones, owns another.

Other islands are so tiny that they can barely support a single house, though all of the islands must be above water 365 days a year and must support at least two trees to be considered part of this archipelago.

Svalbard
Photo by gogoolplex.

Svalbard, meaning “cold edge,” describes a group of islands found halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Though geographically large, the Svalbard has only 2,500 permanent inhabitants.

Local law requires residents and visitors alike to carry hunting rifles outside the settlements at all times—a last-resort defense against the 500 polar bears that roam the islands. Svalbard has no trees, but during the four months of constant daylight, Arctic wildflowers bloom everywhere.

Truly entrepreneurial spirits should know that citizens of countries signatory to the Svalbard

The Artificial Islands
Photo by Pete the painter.

The Dubai harbor has more than doubled its size in five years; massive dredging has created very large and expensive artificial islands off the coast of the city-state whose exploits approach mythic proportions.

Between the three Palm Islands, the vast artificial Waterfront, and the massive archipelago called The World, Dubai’s new land will house over 3 million people when done. The islands already look like nothing else in the world.

The artificial islands are resorts, their beauty entirely artificial and entirely commercial. Whether it is a tremendous waste of resources, or greedy profiteering, or mere vain showmanship, Dubai has done the impossible and made land where there was none.

The Dodecanese
Photo by Michelos.

Many of the world’s most beautiful archipelagos gained their renown for pristine beaches, clear oceans, or stunning terrain. The famous Dodecanese, off the southwest coast of Turkey, have all of these in abundance, but they also bear the stunning marks of 3,000 years of advanced culture.

The islands have been ruled by the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottomans, Italians, and — finally — by the Greeks again, and all of these cultures have left their mark with spectacular ruins and structures.

The Colossus of Rhodes, a Wonder of the World, briefly stood guard near (or, more whimsically, over) the most famous island’s harbor. John of Patmos allegedly received the visions which became the Book of Revelation on Patmos. The Knights Hospitaller built a massive Crusader fortress on Rhodes, and churches abound.

My New Lay-out

2009-02-13T04:49:00.000-08:00

The beauty behind this creative lay-out is no other than Dhemcy . I thank her for making this site lively and artistically for the eyes of the viewers. If you want to make your blog more beautiful, artistic and colorful, just contact her.

Forum Romanum

2009-02-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

Another place that I visited in Rome is the Forum Romanum. At first, I didn't know what is this place until I searched it on the net. I found out that this place, was the center of life in imperial Rome, the evidenced by the many remains of triumphal arches, temples and basilicas.

And here are some of the photos of the remains of many buildings from different periods.

1. Triumphal Arches

Three triumphal arches were built on the forum. They were used by emperors to commemorate their victories. The first one, constructed by Augustus, does not exist anymore. The Arch of Titus, built in AD 81 AD commemorates the victory in the Jewish War. It is located at the Via Sacra on the eastern side of the forum. At the other end of the forum, near the capitoline hill is the Arch of Septimius Severus. It was built in AD 203 to commemorate the victory over the Parthians.

2. Curia Julia

The Curia was the location where the senate assembled. The rectangular brick building could seat up to 200 senators.

The original Curia was built by the third king of Rome (although at another location). It burnt down four times, first in 80 BC but it was rebuilt each time. After a fire in 53 BC Caesar moved the Curia to the Forum Romanum. The current building was constructed in AD 283 by Diocletius. In the 7th century the Curia was turned into a church, but fortunately the building was mostly kept intact.

3. Rostra

The Rostra was a speaker's platform, originally built in the 4th century BC at a nearby location. The name Rostra, which means 'battering rams', was derived from the iron-clad battering rams of Volscian war vessels captured at the battle of Actium in 338 BC. The platform was decorated with many of those battering rams.

As part of his modifications of the Forum, Caesar built the Rostra at its present location, this time in marble.

Thanks to Spakespeare's version, the most famous speech at the Rostra was given in 44 BC by Marcus Antonius when he addressed the crowd during Julius Caesar's funeral "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears...".

4. Temple of Saturn

The first Temple of Saturn was built during the last years of the kings. It was inaugurated at the beginning of the republic in 497 BC. The current ruins date from 42 BC. The temple was used as the state treasury (Aerarium). It also housed the banners of the legions and the senatorial decrees. In 20 BC a tall column, the Miliarum Aureum, was placed in front of the temple by emperor Augustus.

5. Temple of Vespasian and Titus

Construction of this temple was started in the 1st century AD by Titus in honor of his deified father Vespasian.

Emperor Domitian, Titus's brother and successor, completed the structure, now dedicated to both Titus and Vespasian. The temple had a hexagonal plan with a large cella (sanctuary) with statues of the two emperors.

6. Temple of Castor and Pollux

Only three pillars remain of the Temple of Castor and Pollux. The original temple was built in 484 BC, the current ruins date from its last reconstruction in 6 A.D. The temple was built by the roman dictator Postumius who vowed to build the temple if his army would beat the Tarquin Kings who previously ruled Rome. According to the legend, Castor and Pollux, mythological twin brothers, helped the Roman army to victory and announced the victory at the forum.

7. Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina was built in 141 AD by emperor Antoninus Pius to honor his deceased wife Faustina. After his death in 161 AD the temple was rededicated to both Antoninus and Faustina. In the 7th century the temple was converted into the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda. The church was rebuilt in 1601.

The deep grooves in the marble columns are attributed to attempts to tear down the columns. The cords burnt into the columns, but fortunately they did not budge.

8. Basilica Julia

In 54 BC Julius Caesar started construction of the Basilica Julia, a building used as the seat of the centumviri, a court of civil jurisdiction where magistrates held tribunals. The large building, 101m long and 49m wide, was destroyed by fire in 9 BC but rebuilt again seven years later. After the fall of Rome the basilica was sacked. Not much remains of it today but you can still clearly see the floor plan.

9. Basilica Aemilia

The Basilica Aemilia is the oldest basilica at the forum, originally built in 179 BC by consuls Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Marcus Fulvius Nobilor. The purpose of the basilica was to provide a sheltering place so that many of the businesses and administration that normally took place outside could be carried out in case of bad weather. It was last modified in 22 AD; at that time the great marble hall with four aisles incorporated a number of public shops (tabernae).
The Basilica was destroyed by a fire during the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in 410 AD.

10. Temple of Vesta

The circular temple of Vesta dates back to the 4th century BC. The small temple was one of Rome's most important as it was dedicated to the protectress of both the family and State. Here the Vestal Virgins guarded the sacred eternal flame, symbol of the eternal life of Rome. The Virgins guarding the flame were chosen by the Pontifex Maximus, the supreme religious authority of the State. The girls, who had to be aristocrates, had to serve for 30 years. During that time they had to stay virgins, otherwise they would be buried alive (this happened to 10 of them). The Vestal Virgins were highly regarded and enjoyed many perks.

11. House of the Vestal Virgins

Right near the Temple of Vesta stood the House of the Vestal Virgins. As soon as a girl was chosen as a Vestal Virgin (at the age of 6), she would move here. The large house featured 50 rooms for the six girls and their servants, spread over three floors. The rooms opened onto galleries surrounding a courtyard.

12. Temple of Divus Romulus

Opposite the House of the Vestal Virgins is the circular Temple of Romulus, built in the 4th century AD. The building mostly survived due to its incorporation into the church Santi Cosma e Damiano. The large well-preserved bronze door is original. There is still a debate going on as to who this temple was dedicated to. For now it is assumed that this temple was dedicated to the son of Maxentius, who died young in 307 BC.

13. Basilica of Maxentius

Construction on the last of the large basilicas was started by emperor Maxentius in 308 AD. After his defeat by Constantine during the famous battle at the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, the basilica was completed by Constantine.

The basilica measured 100m by 65m and was an impressive 35m high. It consisted of a large central nave with enormous corinthean columns and two smaller aisles. One column was moved in 1614 to the square of Santa Maria Maggiore. A 12m high statue of Constantine, partly in marble and partly in wood, occupied the western end of the Basilica. Parts of the statue can now be found at the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, part of the Capitoline Museums.

14. Temple of Venus and Rome

Ancient Rome's largest religious structure was built at the end of the Forum Romanum, near the Colosseum. Designed by emperor Hadrianus in 135 AD, this temple measured an impressive 100m by 145m. The temple was dedicated to Roma, the personification of the city and Venus, mother of Aeneas (assumed father of Remus and Romulus). The building contained two cella's (sanctuary) with statues of the goddesses, each located at one side of the temple. Part of the cella dedicated to Roma is still standing today.

15. Column of Phocas

This 13.5m high column is the youngest of the forum. It wasn't part of any temple, but a monument built in 608 AD in honor of the Byzantine emperor Phocas, who had just visited Rome.

More remains

Remains of several more structures can be found at the Forum Romanum, among them the Sacellum of Venus Cloacina, the Porticus Deorum Consentium, the arch of Actium, the Regia, the Temple of Divus Julius - built by Augustus in honor of Julius Caesar - and the Temple of Concord.

St. Peter's Basilica

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St. Peter's Basilica is the next place I visited in Rome.

The Basilica of Sain Peter is officially known here in Italy as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and it is commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica (in English). The Basilica is located within the Vatican City and it occupies a "unique position" as one of the holiest sites. It is consider also as " the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

In Catholic Tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to Tradition, was the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. While St. Peter's is the most famous of Rome's many churches, it is not the first in rank, an honor held by the Pope's cathedral church, the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

The Basilica of St. Peter is one of four major basilicas of Rome, the others being the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul outside the Walls. It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City. Its dome is a dominant feature of the skyline of Rome. Probably the largest church in Christianity, it covers an area of 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres) and has a capacity of over 60,000 people.

Colosseum

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Italy is a beautiful country. It is a place of olive oil, pasta, wine, mafia and sunshine, roman ruins and renaissance palaces. Italy has a lot to give to its tourists. It has a lot of amazing and interesting sceneries. This is one of the country that I dreamed to visit. And I'm lucky because my wish was been granted when I married the man of my life.

Right now, I've visited some places in Rome already. But since, I didn't saw all of the beautiful attractions in Rome, I'm planning to go back there someday.

Colosseum is the first place that I visited.

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome. It is the largest ever built in the Roman Empire and is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

It's construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Originally capable of seating around 80,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined due to damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torch lit "Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheater.

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

My New Travel Blog

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I've been inspired with the result of my first blog My Life's Journey In Italy, that's the reason why I created again a new blog. In this blog I will going to tell some facts about the places I've been and the places that I'm dreaming to visit someday.I hope that with this new blog, you will still going to support me.