Rome was one of the places I was most excited to see, although I was starting to have a hard time getting around. Remember my little mishap in Budapest? I was starting to think that I’d really injured my ankle as I couldn’t walk very long without excruciating pain. But given that Rome was one of the places I was most looking forward to with the Colossem, the Vatican and a day trip planned to Pompeii, I wasn’t about to let my bum ankle keeping me from seeing all of the sites. Have I ever mentioned that I can be a bit stubborn?
Since I only had a few more weeks left in my trip, I opted to not to go the doctor while traveling. To be honest, I was a bit afraid that they’d tell me to stay off of it, which would’ve put a major kink in my plans. Instead I asked my Dad to make me an appointment for when I returned home. I may not have mentioned quite how much pain I was in, as he would have insisted that I see someone in Rome. (Boy, was he mad when I got home and it turned out that I’d permanently injured the tendon in my calf and had to go to physical therapy 3x a week until I moved to Spain. Thousands of dollars later and a diagnosis that I would have eternal chronic swelling didn’t make him any happier.)
The Colosseum:
I spent a day walking around the Ancient city. One of my first stops was the Colosseum. This is one of the main symbols of Rome and dwarfs every other ruin in the city. It’s absolutely huge and it’s easy to imagine it being filled with the 50,000 spectators that it once held. It’s quite a journey to walk through the all the different levels and know that there used to be gladiators standing in those exact spots.
Leaving the Colosseum, I walked by the Arch of Constantine on my way to The Palatine Hill.
The Palatine Hill:
The Palatine was the site of the earliest Latin settlement on the Tiber and the center of the Eternal City. It eventually became the residence of the Roman ruling class. Augustus was born here and later when he became emperor, built the Imperial Palaces on the hill.
Pantheon:
Architects still wonder how this 2,000 year old temple was built. The dome is a perfect half-sphere and the largest of its kind. The light that enters the roof was used as a sundial to show the passing of time.
Piazza del Popolo:
This was once the favorite location for public executions. It’s now a popular hang out.
Spanish steps:
Have you ever been to Rome? What did you think of the Ancient City?
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