We needed a brief rest to digest all that we had seen and the Panini sandwich that started as the size of a Quizno’s 9-inch only to be squished to the thickness of a quesadilla. It was just 10:00 in the morning and we already felt we had had a full day’s excursion. Yet now we were off to even more!

Even more began with the ruins of the Roman Forum. We had some interesting views and our guide pointed out many buildings, although her descriptions are beyond a blur as I try to recall any of them now. (I guess if I really want to know, there’s always Google.) I was most excited about seeing the Colosseum. This was probably the top of my list of world highlights I wanted to see in my life. Being there on a beautiful day and sharing this experience with Dan brought tears to my eyes with the emotion of it all. (And a few still come while typing this now.)
 

Seating 58,000, the Colosseum is comparable to modern-day stadiums and ball parks. I asked Dan if he thought PetCo would be standing 1000 years from now…we already know Qualcomm’s shelf-life is limited. The archways are beautiful and inviting even as they look old and worn from centuries of enjoyment by the people. Even though part of the outer section is missing, as can be seen in so many pictures, it adds character and beauty to this landmark. Inside we could see what would have been under the now missing wooden floor. There are tunnels and pathways that were used to store animals and work trapdoors for gladiators. While standing there inside we could feel the history and energy and nearly hear the roar of the crowd…well, maybe that was just the voices and footsteps of the thousands of tourists walking all over like trails of ants that discovered a tasty round morsel to devour with photographs and digital video.
 

Still fired up over our morning adventures, we headed back to the hotel for a break. Word was that my suitcase had by now been found and would be delivered later in the evening. Nonetheless, I was aching to get out of my sweaty, stinky two-day clothes and Dan was encouraging me to take advantage of the travel insurance we purchased before leaving. Dan is an amazing and patient boyfriend, waiting and helping while I tried on several skirts, tops, and shoes in a colorful boutique before I walked out the door in an entirely new, much cooler and more stylish outfit. We had some lunch (it’s only lunchtime!) and rested a bit at the hotel before starting the afternoon round of tours.

For the afternoon we took a walking tour of several squares or “piazzas.” We began in Piazza di Spagna where there are the famed “Spanish Steps.” One hundred thirty-four steps to the top just so the wind could constantly blow up my new skirt and Dan could get a beer. The fountain in the center of the square was surrounded by tourists. Nearly every square has a fountain, statue, column, obelisk, or combination thereof smack in the middle. You cannot walk or drive around Rome without nearly tripping over some piece (large and small) of history.

We find the mix of ancient historical treasures, large business and apartment buildings, and fancy shopping to be rather awkward, yet interesting. Dan’s favorite analogy to describe it would be if you took Beverly Hills shopping, put it in the heart of Tijuana, sprinkle in a heavy dose of the crazy Las Vegas spectacle (stripping away all of the neon and acknowledging that the ancient structures were all real palaces and churches) then you would have Rome.

We then walked to the Pantheon. What was once a temple to many gods is now a church and honor to many saints. Again surrounded on all sides by marble, paintings, sculpture, and mosaic we were able to look up into another magnificent dome. This one is designed with a diameter equal to its height and open at the top to reveal the sky. Simply amazing.

Another simply amazing experience is the Roman gelato. Hmmmmm. Yup.
 

Piazza Navona was the last official stop on this tour. This plaza was the shopping mall of vendors and street entertainers. Dan and I were optimistic that balloons could prove profitable here. We stayed here for a little while and found a little success, but then decided to try our luck at wandering around. With so many vendors and street entertainment concentrated in one area, most people quickly had their guard up and a short “No, thanks” promptly passing their lips. We walked a bit between the local piazzas and the Pantheon. Later we stopped for a nice dinner at a street-side café. The gnocchi was delicious!  With an addiction for exploration beginning to settle in, we decided to take the map I grabbed from the hotel and head for the Trevi Fountain. The fountain lit up at night is absolutely gorgeous, but it was difficult to appreciate because of the mobs of tourists and the many vendors who were quite intrusive. After the streamlined processes we enjoyed as part of our tour through St. Peter’s, the Forum, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon, the scene at the Trevi Fountain was nothing short of chaos. (You can see pictures of the Trevi Fountain later in our trip.)

Continuing our exploration, we decided to walk back to our hotel traversing half the city. Dan was impressed with my map reading skills and determination to accomplish this task, especially because our hotel was not quite on the map we had in hand. We saw several more piazzas along the way and made it back with barely a blister to show for it. Upon our arrival we were informed that my suitcase had arrived and we were quite happy to see it in our room. At the end of this long day, the twin beds beckoned to us and it took our last drop of energy to set the alarm so as not to miss the bus for our next journey to Florence.

Now we are on the bus, driving through the rolling landscape of Tuscany on our way to a stop in Pisa to see the church and, of course, the famous leaning tower.

Continue to Pisa, Italy