Via Condotti, I must say, is the home of all the expensive Italian designer labels in Rome. There's YSL, Bruno Magli, Armani, Hermes, LV, Valentino, Ferragamo and more.

The street is filled with people, I bet most of them were tourists like us.  Via Condotti is a narrow street and located near the Spanish Steps. 

We didn't do much shopping here but we did buy some leather stuff and ties.  

The Imago Restaurant at Hotel Hassler is best-known for it's scenic views of the city. I have to agree with the comments of most first-timers that the food is secondary; we all came here to experience the beautiful landscape of Rome. 

This one is truly an elegant restaurant. The interiors, the lay out, everything! Naturally, the dining experience comes at a price. It is quite expensive. Well, it was our wedding anniversary so splurging was justifiable. Anyway, we ordered duck foie grass followed by fussiloni pasta and donnafugata for dessert . We washed it down with chardonnay. I forgot the name of the wine. It was good. I believe it was aged for 5 months. 

The Imago is perfect for romantic dinners. My wife enjoyed it. 

The Colesseum was built in the year 70-82 AD. It was originally built as an amphitheater to hold spectacles. I would imagine gladiator match ups and other forms of entertainment during the Roman empire. The Colesseum is made of cut stone and bearing masonry. The elliptical structure can accommodate 50,000 spectators. There are 80 entry points so that the crowd can easily get in and out of the amphitheater.

The structure is so huge. Actually, it has 3 layers of arcades. Maybe to hold different events all at the same time. 

A definite must-see in Rome. 

The Pantheon is one of the best preserved building in Rome. This huge structure was originally built as a temple for all the gods. There is so much history in this building. And I think the Pantheon is the largest dome in Rome if not in the world.

We made the trip in the early morning so we could spend more time strolling. There was a long queue by the time we arrived. I guess everyone wants to get there first.

Anyway, the various paintings and sculptures on displays are really amazing.  My personal favorites are the Assumption (located on the left side of the entrance) and the statue of St Agnes. When you look up the ceiling, there greets you a huge dome with elaborate designs. It was a sight to behold.

Since I was in the vicinity, I trudged down the piazza to see the Trevi Fountain in person. I've read a lot things about Trevi especially the legendary coin throwing. Legend has it that if you throw a coin in the fountain, you are  ensured that you'll return to Rome. Tourists were aplenty that day. I did throw a coin for good luck.

Mornings draw more crowd as I have observed. I paid another visit to the Trevi in the evening. It's more serene and relaxing. 

Portrait Suites is by far the most splendid hotel in Rome. The best part of the hotel is its location. It's near Via Condotti and from the rooftop we have a great view of the Spanish Steps. There are plenty of restaurants nearby. Service was utterly superb. The staff were just perfect -- hospitable and very accommodating.

 This is a medium-sized hotel. There were just 14 rooms if I remember it correctly. Each room is fully furnished by the amenities of modern living. We even had an espresso machine in our room!

The service was personalized and did I say superb?

There were lots of upscale shops outside the hotel. Great location!