So this is actually my fourth time in Rome, with the first two visits being very ho-hum trips through the city by train on our way to the airport, and the third being the disaster last week. Given these previous experiences, I was perhaps understandably reluctant to get on a bus and go back, but one of the realities of exploring Europe the way I have is that I don't always get a vote on how we get around... I just have to be glad I get to go at all. And this time around, Rome was to be our destination, not just a stopping point on a trip someplace else, so it seemed there was only so much that could go wrong. 
Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised in this case by how smooth the trip actually went. It seemed that in no time at all we had arrived in the city, checked into a hotel, grabbed a quick lunch, and were on our way to meet our guide for the afternoon walking tour at the Colosseum. This legacy to ancient Rome manages to stand despite being bathed in automobile exhaust 24/7 and also having been looted time and again for material to build other structures. Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian and built in 72, the Colosseum was inaugurated in 80 with a series of gladiatorial battles between men and thousands of wild beasts. One of the most popular legends about the site - that Christians were fed to lions - seems to have been discredited by today's historians. However, the Colosseum's popularity as a tourist attraction experienced an unprecedented surge as a result of the recent Russell Crowe film, The Gladiator, which seems to indicate that historical accuracy isn't nearly as effective in drawing visitors as a good, thrilling story. Glad I don't have to tell that to the anthropologists.
After spending some time looking at the Colosseum's exterior, we moved on to immediately adjacent Roman Forum. Walking from one site to the other, you pass through the Arch of Septimius Severus, erected in 203 to commerate the 10th anniversary of the Emperor's accession. 
Then, proceeding past the Temple of Saturn and the Rostra, we arrived at the impressive Basilica Julia, erected by Julius Cesar in 54 B.C. This temple, which has been restored and used as a church, was the seat of the civil magistrates court.
Moving on from the temple, we walked through a small meadow, finding ourselves at the House of the Vestal Virgins. The priestesses who lived here were selected for this duty at between six and ten years old, and were expected - on pain of death - to preserve their virginity until their 30-year term was served. They were also whipped if the sacred flame died out, as this was their primary duty. For this they enjoyed status, financial security, and the power to pardon condemned criminals. Was it worth it? I supposed that's anybody's guess. 
Opposite the House of the Vestal Virgins was the Basilica of Constantine, upon which construction began in 308 by Maxentius and was completed by Constantine in 312. 
Finally, as we followed the path out of the site, we ascended Palatine Hill to get an overview of the entire forum, before continuing on the rest of our walk.
At this point we left the forum and proceeded north to the Piazza del Campidoglio. This Piazza's geometric paving and building facades were designed by Michelangelo and added as a "facelift" to the existing buildings in 1536. From that piazza, one descends a long staircase to arrive at the side of the Victor Emmanuel Monument, inaugurated in 1911 in honor of the first king of the unified Italy. This building is particularly immense, and it's guarded by the fiercest traffic imaginable. Since there are few traffic signals in this part of town, crosswalks are negotiated by getting together in a very tight herd and crossing as one single unit. Lone pedestrians rarely survive a crossing unscathed.
Although we still had three major sites to visit, it was beginning to get dark by this time and I was unable to get much else in the way of pictures. Still, we got to visit the Pantheon (completed in 125), the Fontana de Trevi (famous as a result of the film, Three Coins in the Fountain), and then our tour ended at dusk at the Piazza de Spagna and Trinita dei Monti, better known to English-speaking tourists as simply the "Spanish Steps." Here, among the rest of the sightseeing horde, we decided to call it a day and give our feet a rest, heading back to the hotel via a very crowded subway.
That put us in bed by 10:00. A rare occurance, but we had a 7:30 date with the Vatican, so it made sense to turn in early. Can't keep the Pope waiting, you know.
Buona sera,
Leanne
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