Rome (Day 4) - Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and more food...

On the 4th day of our trip, we spent time visiting Ancient Rome.

After walking over 10 miles a day, we finally decided to make use of a bus in Rome. You buy a ticket for 1,50 from a newstand or shop and it's good for 100 minutes, just gotta make sure you validate your ticket when you get on board.

First stop was the Colosseum. We didn't book a tour, but instead opted for the audio guide which was not bad. Though there's not much there...for me, visiting the Colosseum was fascinating. Obviously, it looks much different from its original use. It was built in 80 AD, but has undergone many changes, and looks the way it does today because a lot of the stone was used to build other structures, notably St. Peter's Basilica. Not to say I necessarily endorse gladitorial contests and fighting to the death, but it is crazy that it all happened here! Simply visualize the movie Gladiator and compare it to what you're walking through. Enough with the words, I'm just going to post a whole bunch of pictures.

Our next stop was the nearby Roman Forum. Quick tip: start at the Colosseum, then do Palatine Hill if you are planning to, THEN Roman Forum (makes the walk easier).

Roman Forum was also pretty fascinating, but it's a bit hard to picture what was there. I would suggest getting one of those Ancient Rome past and present overlay books to get an idea of what the place actually looked like. Nonetheless, it is incredible seeing these ruins and knowing this was the center of the Roman government.

Arch of Titus

Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina

Temple of Vesta

Temple of Vestal Virgins

The Curia (Senate House)

Other Roman Forum landmarks

Here are a couple pictures of the Roman Forum from above. 

Palatine Hill - I think there was more to see here, but honestly, we got a little tired. However, I think it would have been worth our time...

Piazza de Campidoglio with a replica of a statue of Marcus Aurelius. Behind is the Palazzo Senatorio or mayoral palace.

For a small snack, we went over to Bir and Fud in Trastevere. There we tried a Bruschetta Pomodoro and Pizza with potato. Potato on pizza turns out to be quite common in Rome, and it actually tastes pretty good!

Between then and dinner, we just kind of walked the streets, found some things we missed, and just enjoyed the feel of the city. We walked around Trastevere, and settled on more pizza by the slice for dinner. We went to Forno La Renella. It was good, not the best pizza we had, but the lowest on the list was still great!

Finally, we tried Gelateria Grom. Sometimes I try to venture into the more creative flavors, but when it comes to gelato, I realize I like the simple ones...my two favorite: Nocciola (Hazelnut) and Pistacchio.