Started the morning being the first two visitors inside the Colosseum. Nicely done, as we slipped ahead of the line with our RomaPass. The building is impressive... what was going on there was too! Flooding the floor for naval battles, gladiators slaying beasts from around the globe, even hunting a floor full of ostriches? Getting inside was a bit like standing under the Eiffel tower or on top of the Empire State Building... You just can't quite believe you are where you are. I think we were so excited we wandered the inside twice!

The Colosseum, Foro Romano and Palitino Hill come in an inclusive ticket! It's an easy way to spend a morning in Rome... We left the
Colosseum and began to roam the ruins at our own pace. It turned out to be a leisurely stroll, not getting too busy until we hit the heart of the ancient ruins. Lots of students on tour and bus loads of visitors. The ruins were a bit confusing, as we often didn't have a name to put beside what we were looking at. However, the sheer extent of the buildings and mass of architectural and artistic work is more than enough to appreciate the sights and sounds.

Laid out above the ancient ruins is Piazza Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo. The centre piece for the square is a replica of a bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius. The piazza is bounded on each side by Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, forming the Capitoline Museums. In the Museum complex my favorites pieces were the original Statue of Marcus Aurelius and the bronze statue of Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf. The complex was very well kept, and statues, busts and paintings lined the opulent rooms we visited.

Near the museums is Vittorio Emanuele II Monument, an ungodly mammoth of a building that is described by many Italians unfavorably as the "wedding cake", "false teeth" and "the typewriter". It gleams in its starkness, made from pure white marble. In front is the tomb of the unknown soldier, built following World War I. Inside were artifacts and artwork from Italy's involvement in WWI. Notably, we saw at no time any actual reference to World War II during our stay in Italy, beyond the mentioning of architecture left behind from the Mussolini era.

After visiting the monument, we made our way across the street to get a better picture of the front facade. It also was a perfect time to stop for sustenance and Jane zeroed in on the Scholars Lounge Irish Pub sign. We hunkered down there for pizza, sandwich and crisps, several black and tan and multiple Guinness for about 1 1/2hrs of relaxation. Great visit and some superb people watching. It was fun to watch the Italian business men frequenting the pub, street goers stopping for the "loo", and we had a great "grub-up".

We were ready to take on the world when we left the pub!!! We trudged our way back to Via Imperial Foro where we saw Trajan's Column/Forum and the Forum of Augustus. The street was recovered during the fascist era from 1926-34. Under the direction of the administration almost all the modification acquired over time were eliminated to bring the original Roman architecture back to prominence. It is an odd feeling, as once again the dichotomy of traffic speeding by ruins that have existed for millennia is bared in front of you.

Our last stop was Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, near Termini Station. The basilica is vast and part of the Churches of the Vatican. Its 18th-century exterior conceals one of the best-preserved Byzantine interiors in the city. St. Mary Major is another unbelievable church in Rome... and from ceiling to floor there are very few compromises. An awesome building.

It was early to bed on Day 4, as we departed early for Florence the next morning.