Ancient Rome.... check

Wow. I just got home after about 8 hours of site seeing. I probably could have seen more had I not slept in this morning. I had an alarm set for 8, but my jet-lagged slef slept right through it much to my embarrassment to my host family. After a quick breakfast and un caffee I set off on the walk they showed me on my map.

I wondered along the roads they marked, until I walked right into the colosseum or colosseo. I was stunned, there it was and it was just as beautiful as it should be. I waited in a long line for a combo ticket that included the forum, the colosseo, and the palatine hill (palatino). I finally entered into the forum. I listened to a Rick Steves' podcast guide on my ipod. It was really nice, entertaining, and helped sort out the otherwise confusing forum. I really liked it being on my own it was almost like having someone there talking to me. The forum was really neat, despite the weather getting a little too cool for my liking. I spent about an hour and half there wandering through ancient ruins. I would also like to note it is somewhat difficult to take picture of myself, so be forgiving of them!

I then consulted my map and guide book for a place to eat lunch. I would like to take this moment to thank my wonderful parents for training me to push through hunger, and not give in to the first over priced, crappy tourist trap restaurant you find. I pushed on and had a nice meal, a little expensive but worth it.

I had insalata di mare (picture), and then veal cooked some way with prosciutto and maybe bay leaves. I asked the waiter for a "specialita da Roma" and that is what he brought me. It was all wonderful. I also conducted my entire lunch transaction in italian. Yay me.

Afterwards, I felt very happy and loving Rome. It could have been the wine I had with my lunch, it was clear that not having wine was not an option. Italians and their wine I guess. I made my way to the Colosseo. It was amazing. I would try to describe how incredible it felt to stand there, imagining crowds of ancient Romans, gladiators, and emperors, but it wouldn't do it all justice. Suffice to say, it was thrilling. A high point of my day. To point out what is in the pictures. At one far end of towards the floor there is part of a wooden deck like thing built. That is what the old floor looked like, it was wooden and covered in about 9 inches of sand. What you see where the floor should be is all the inner-workings of the underground. This is where the gladiators walked to go on stage, stage hands got props ready etc. So all those tunnels are where people actually walked. Also if you can see a big metal cross (left hand side), that was supposedly where the Emperor would sit for the games. The first floor, closest to the arena, was for the nobility and VIPS, then the higher seats the less status the people had. There are all kinds of cool things that relate to us today, for example, apparently our word vomit comes from the fact that the entire colosseo could be emptied in 15 minutes, it would 'vomit' everyone out onto the streets. Or at least so says Rick Steves.

After this I made my way back to see the Palatino. I made a small mistake, apparently the ticket includes the Palatino during your visit to the forum. I explained my mistake to the ticket lady and she smiled and let me go back in.

I LOVED the Palatino, more than the forum. It includes the ruins of a massive palace (150,000 sq. feet) the Emperor Domitian built about A.D. 81. There was a stadium (picture), a fountain, private rooms, a huge garden, a courtyard (picture), and lots and lots of ruins. It started to rain at this point, and I would like to thank my mom and kate for throwing in that umbrella at the last minute. It saved me today. Not wanting to be a quitter because of a little rain I kept going. I saw the House of Augustus, which was pretty simply compared to other emperors. There were a few frescos that remained and they were really beautiful (picture below). I walked back to have a view of the forum and colosseo (picture).

At first I didn't like all the tourists, feeling like a sardine site seeing. But then I realized, if I pretended I was back in ancient Rome, the forum would be just as busy if not more. After all, it was THE meeting place in the city, where everyone from drunkards to the wealthy met, bought food, gossiped, watched the vestal virgins. It was where Julius Caesar walked the day he was stabbed to death and also where his body was later burned. So I pretended we were all back then, watching senators, and people in togas etc. It was fun at the colosseum too, all the people there helped me imagine what it was like full of spectators cheering gladiators. I can't say enough about my day today. It was really incredible. I even filled up my water bottle at a public fountain, after watching an older italian man do so I figured the water was safe for me too. I really got in the spirit of this city. I start my classes tomorrow at 8 am. So for the rest of today I am going to study italian and plan my bus route for the morning. Also, thanks to everyone for your encouraging emails and comments and everything! I can't say enough how happy it makes me to hear from home :)