il Colosseo...

Il 31 ottobre

Roma

If you like to walk and enjoy using a map to figure out where you are and where you're going, then Roma, like most cities, is very easy to navigate. Although we used public transportation at night (bus and Metro), most of our daytime traveling was on foot, which is how I like to see a city. Although I always have a map with me, I usually don't mind getting a little lost, provided that it's light outside and I feel safe in the neighborhood I find myself in. A visit to Roma usually begins with il Colosseo and the surrounding Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. I had been to the Colosseum before, which was a good thing because the line to get inside this arena of gladiator fights and bloodthirsty animals wound partially around the walls and it would have been well over an hour just to enter, only to be part of a crowd of hundreds (many hundreds) climbing up and around the ruins. So Patricia (an Australian friend of my classmate, Joan) and I looked in from outside the gates and there was still plenty to see; I could even hear the roar of lions. We explored the area and I especially enjoyed reading some Roman history posted outside the Forum. The Roman Emperors liked to outdo one another (Has politics really changed much in all these years?) and the Forum is actually a group of individual forums, one next to the other, as successive emperors added on to the original spot; each one wanting bigger and better.

We found a lovely spot for lunch and ate outdoors in the Roman sunshine (bruschetta, salata, vino). Then it was in and out of some shops and lots of walking on charming side streets until we had to meet up with Margie and Joan at the Piazza della Repubblica. In front of a theater on the piazza were lots of people on either side of a red carpet and we found out that a couple of the movie stars from the Twilight Saga were due to make an appearance. No, I did not join the crowd of Hollywood fans, but chose to have an aperitivo with my friends at the bar across the way. Based on the shrieks we heard, we were aware of the comings and goings and were content to stay where we were and talk about the where and when of our next meal.

I suggested going first to la Fontana del Tritone (Trevi Fountain) as it wasn't too far to walk and I needed to throw in my three coins...which I did after navigating through the masses of people who were sitting around the fountain. I was tempted to take off my shoes and walk in (like in the movies), but the moment just wasn't right...I needed to be wearing a black evening dress and have Marcello waiting across the way. Dinner was wine and pizza for me (the first of many I ate in Roma) and then it was back to the Casa Tabor. A good day was had by all.