Third Day in Rome

Our guide, Nino, met us at the hotel a bit after 8 a.m. to begin our walk to the Colosseum and the Forum. Nino walks very fast, but he stops often to point out all sorts of interesting things along the way -- everything we pass, from fountains to Madonnas to oddly-shaped buildings. He has encyclopedic knowledge of Rome.

Had it not been for Nino, we'd have never guessed that our hotel sits only about 30 meters from the spot where Julius Caesar was assassinated, or how to properly drink from a Roman fountain (or that it is safe to do so). We wouldn't have known about the family histories of some of the large, often fairly plain buildings that are actually opulent palaces on the inside. And we certainly would not have wound our way through the narrow back streets to get where we were going.

Nino (right) looks out at the arena.

At the Colosseum, Nino assisted us in avoiding the longest of the lines (though there was still some waiting to get through the metal detectors). We had to make an advanced group reservation back in December, otherwise we might be waiting in a queue for days! He spent quite a bit of time explaining the construction and operation of the Colosseum, and the students were clearly getting antsy to actually to out and see the arena, rather than to talk about the structure.

After the long tease, however, they got to see it all. They were able to see it from a place a well-positioned spectator might have sat, from where the emperor sat, and from where the gladiators would have entered.

Next, it was time for the Forum. Even though they are the same site, with one ticket, one leaves the Colosseum and then must go through a completely different metal detector to enter the Forum. The line for this was well over two blocks long, but Nino took off walking to an alternative entrance where we practically walked right in. Saving us an hour or more in line was priceless.

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The weather for our visit to the Forum was absolutely phenomenal! On average, February in Rome is cloudy and rainy with highs in the mid-50sF. We had gorgeous clear blue skies with a temperature of 64F (near the all-time record high for the date of 66F).

Capitoline Hill

Our guided tour ended in the Forum, so we bid farewell to Nino and gave the students their free afternoon in Rome. Some remained in the Forum, others to museums, most went shopping. Mary and I climbed the Capitoline Hill for the view. We then set out walking toward Piazza Repubblica. Along the way we stopped for a light lunch and a cold beer at a sidewalk pub so that we could rest our legs.

Organ in one of the chapels of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

At Repubblica, we visited the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, a basilica in the remains of a Roman-era public bath that was adapted into a church according to a design laid out by Michelangelo.

Bernini staircase: High altar above, Nativity relic below.

From there, we walked on to Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, a grand baroque church featuring too much art work to catalog here: A German group was in the crypt -- at the bottom of a staircase designed by the sculptor, Bernini, who is buried here -- adoring the relic of the true (or so it's claimed) manger of the Nativity. Mass was being prepared in the grand Borghese Chapel. And 5th century mosaics decorated the side chapels. Quite a place.

Borghese Chapel -- sorry for being off kilter, no photos allowed here, so had to get it on the fly.

We walked farther on to Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains), where we not only got to see the chains that supposedly bound St. Peter while he was imprisoned in Rome, but we also got to see Michelangelo's marvelous statue of Moses. Fortunately, we arrived and got things seen and photographed a few minutes before the huge Japanese tour group arrived and crowded everyone else out of view of the Moses!

Moses, center stage.

We hoofed back across Rome to get back to the hotel. It had been an 8+ mile day of walking, but worth every step. We dined in a little, hole-in-the-wall fish restaurant that had been pointed out by Nino as "the best fried cod in Rome." It was good, but clearly Nino has not enjoyed fish and chips in England.