Yesterday I left you after we finished touring the Colosseum. From there, we switched tour guides and took off to see the Roman Forum.
The Forum was basically "downtown". All the important government buildings were here, as well as other important buildings that helped develop and control Roman society. The Forum is nestled in the valley between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill.
You have to really use your imagination when viewing some of the buildings and the area. Many of the buildings are nothing more than the corner stone and a few half walls left. As I walked around here I was struck with the fact that people walked here 2000 years ago. Amazing to me.
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| Temple of Antoninus and Faustina |
To your immediate left is the house of the Vestal Virgins. The Vestal Virgins were an interesting story to me. They were a group of 6 hand-picked women who held an unparalleled position of status within the city. They had rank and level that most women were not afforded. They were responsible for maintaining the soul of Rome.
There was a cost to be a Vestal Virgin though. Chosen from noble families at a young age - between 6 and 10 - Vestal Virgins had to commit to maintaining their virginity for the duration of their post - at least 30 years.
Temple of Vesta is located directly in front of the house of the Vestal Virgins.
Santa Francesca Romana Church was very well preserved. We didn't go inside as it wasn't part of the tour. The church was built in the second half of the 10th century.
The Arch of Titus was fascinating to me. Arches in general are amusing to me. Built to show their successes in battle and I think to over compensate for something. But that's just my theory. This arch was built in 82AD. This arch was used as the model for many other arches around the world...such as the Arch de Triumph in Paris.
Just before the arch, our tour guide, a hotty from Australia, informed us there's this little spring that would be the last option for water for some time. We got in line to fill our bottles. All the while I was sure it would taste gross, be warm and likely give me dysentery.
None of that was true. The coldest, best tasting water I think I've ever had. I wished I had the energy and strength to go back and fill my bottle up again after we were done.
Once on Palatine Hill we were given even more history of all the buildings. I lost track pretty quickly once we hit this part of the Forum. My feet hurt, I was hungry, tired, hot and done with walking. Still, there was some interesting points to mention.
The one ruin with the most to see was the Hippodrome of Domitian. This area looked much like what they called Roman Circus' - the place where games and other shows took place. Our tour guide said its exact purpose is disputed. While it is certain that during the Severan period it was used for sporting events, it was most likely originally built as a stadium-shaped garden.
Thus ends the tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. I took many more photos there, but I didn't want to bore you completely.
Once done there, Mom and I hopped on the Hop On/Hop Off bus and who should be on it, but Mike and Bev. Mom kept looking at all the buses all day saying, "I wonder if Mike and Bev are on that one." I, naturally, scoffed at the possibility. And yet, as we sat and waited for our bus to come, Mom said it again. The bus arrived and we hear, "Well hello there." Sure enough Mike and Bev were on that bus. Again, what are the odds?
This massive building could be seen from just about everywhere in and around the Roman Forum area of Rome. Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II). And by "massive" I do mean huge. I tried to get a photo of people in front of it so you can gage just how big this building was.
Victor Emmanuel II was the first king of united Italy until his death in 1878. To date, the Vittoriano is the largest monument in white marble Botticino (Brescia) ever created. I would have loved to have time to tour this monster. Next time, maybe.
Eventually it was used by Mussolini to give grand speeches during WWII.
These next photos I have no idea what they are of, but I liked them.
Mom and I eventually hopped off the bus and was in search of lunch. We found this little café just on the other side of the Termini station (our hotel was supposed to be close by). We plopped ourselves down, ordered ham and cheese sandwiches and water. I ordered a Peroni beer and was shocked to see the size of it when it came out. Mom put her water bottle next to it so we could see just how big it was. I didn't finish it, sadly, I just couldn't. But that ice cold beer hit the spot.
One of the last things we saw in Rome was the famous Spanish steps. Again, us and a thousand of our closest friends were at the steps. I was bummed that the fountain in front of the steps was being cleaned and restored, so couldn't get the photo I had planned. Oh well, next time.
This was a cathedral located just down from our hotel - Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. Mike, Bev and I visited it the morning we were leaving to get on the boat. It was beautiful inside, as many of them are.
Finally, no trip to a foreign city could be complete without a stop in to a grocery store. Mike and I walked through one and just gawked at all the differences.
The first thing that caught my eye was their "cold cuts" area was really all prosciutto and what not. That's my kind of cold cut.
Their deli had a different view too. Look at all those prosciutto's hanging there just begging to be bought, sliced and eaten.
Mike and I bought some packaged salamis to have during our happy hours on the boat. They were tasty and I wish I would have bought more. Salami is one of my many downfalls.
Up next, the Vatican.
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