When in Rome...

...do as the Romans do. At least, that is the famous saying. So, what did Jane and I do during the last portion of our Italy excursion - went to Rome. And how classical was it. We arrived on Friday, May 26th, and after checking into our "iffy" hostel near the train station, we began to explore the wonders of the old city. First, the Colosseum.

**I must warn you, I do not look very good in any of these pictures as my allergies were the worst they have ever been. I think my eyes watered for 3 days straight."

Colosseum
That's the Colosseum below. That enormous building standing behind me. Yes, it is huge and yes it is magnificant. It's amazing to think that this building was built before the time of Jesus. It is more than 2000 years old. I suppose you could say that the Romans were like the Americans back in the day. They liked BIG and the decided to put two theaters together to make a circular amphitheater that seated more than 50,000 people.

Seeing the buidling makes me think of the movie "Gladiator" which I watched for the first time this past spring. The Colosseum was a gathering place for young and old, men and women, as a place of entertainment where they watched Gladiators, criminals and wild animals fight to the death. The floor has been removed from the arena to reveal the labrynith of passage ways and holding rooms for the gladiators and animals.

The Roman Forum
Down the path from the Colosseum, is an area known as the Roman Forum. This was the political, religious and commerical center for the Romans. The most important buildings both political and religious were located here. When Rome's empire expanded, this area became the center of what they knew as the civilized world.
It's hard to beleive that admist all of these ruins, famous rulers such as Julius Caesar once ruled the area and walked along the same paths in which I trampled on. From Temples to Basilica's to the spot where Caesar was burned, it almost felt wrong to be walking on such "sacred" ground. The old columns make you wish that you had birkenstock sandals on and were walking around in a sheet. Everything is old. These green doors are still on their ancient hinges.


Later that evening, we headed to Campo de'Fiori (Field of Flowers - and why it is called that is beyond me because there is no field and there are no flowers). This place was filled with bars, cafes, restaurants, mimes, fire eating men, and lots of people.















Palatine Hill
The next day we went started off at Palantine Hill which contains the ruins of the imperial palaces. The world PALACE comes from this hill, where the emporers chose to live.



Mamertine Prison
Outside of the Roman Forum is the Mamertine Prison. This prision is more than 2500 years old and Saints Peter and Paul were once held here. Saint Peter was once chained to to this column. Of course, the picture did not turn out very well due to the low light.







Pantheon
Later that afternoon, we went and saw an example of Rome's best preserved interior. The Pantheon. And, because it became a church, the barbarians left it alone and didn't take what they could from it to build something new. With it's 142 foot high Dome, it was Europes biggest until St. Peters in the Vatican topped it with 3 more feet. Of course, in this picture you can not see the dome.















Spanish Steps
The Spanish Steps were next on the list, however I just realized that I did not get a single picture of them. They were so crowded anyways, that you probably couldn't have seen the steps. So, I borrowed this picture from google. I'm still not so sure why this place is so popular by everyone who visits Rome, but it seems to be the place to go. Of course, we climbed in stairs and sat for a bit because when in Rome, do as the Romans do. The steps are located in Piazza di Spagna and are named for the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican which has been in this location for 300 years.

Trevi Fountain
Later that evening, we went to the Trevi Fountin. Now, when I was first heard about this fountain which was probably in the book "Angels & Demons" I just assumed this was a normal fountain like what you would see in a park. Circular with spouts of water shooting in all directions. Then, when I first saw the fountain, I thought, "WOW". Now, that's a fountain. There are no streets that lead to this fountain, but you can hear the excitment as you approach. For hours, folks sit and eat gelatto from one of the many shops in the square. Rome is filled with aquaducts and this fountains shows how Rome took full advantage of the abundance of water.

Rome is a wonderful city that will keep you on your feet and tire you out before you realize it.One thing I really liked about Rome was that you can't dig in Rome without finding another underground building. The old Roman cities seemed to have sunk and the new city was built on top of it. Also, on around every corner and on every street is another Church. I think you could spend days in Rome and not see everything, but I also think that there are more beautiful places in Italy to spend your time.