WHEN IN ROME...

We took our first class Friday field trip to Rome, where we took an intellectual tour with our fantastic professor, Marco. He showed us the sites and shortcuts that most folks don't see, which I found fascinating. We only visited the tiniest fraction of what Rome has to offer, and as it's only an hour train ride away from Orvieto, we were left with quite the list of things to revisit. This "antipasto" to Rome (as Marco called it) was much better than my last trip to Rome, as we literally did Rome in a day in the burning heat of June. It's nice to know that this time I can truly absorb all there is to offer, hidden within the graffiti and chaos.

We started off at the Colosseum, but we're on our own to visit the interior...next time Rome, next time.



Despite our 7AM departure from Orvieto (thus up at 545, I was excited.



Then onto the Roman Forum.


Rome is a fascinating example of how the big city deals with the countless layers of history surrounding them. Giant streets cut through archeologically rich areas, and thousands rush by without even noticing the incredible beauty and mystery right around them. On the side of the Roman Forum, I paused for a moment to discover a pile of 'junk':



Marco showed us the quick way up the back of the Mayor's office to the Capitol area by Michelangelo.