"The Fountains of Youth in Rome" a Rome Travel Page by treebeard50

Rome may be old and sport ruins but it also brings life to anyone who comes looking for it. I found the Italians to be friendly and helpful at every turn. The subway system is simple to understand, even for those who have never ridden one before 9 (I was a novice until June), and only has two lines with clearly marked stops. Find your way to as many of Rome's wonderful fountains as reasonably possible, not only to look upon the wonderful design but to cool off on a hot day!

The Vatican tour was interesting from begining to end. We started early so as not to have to wait long in line and began in the courtyard. The tour was wonderful and the frescoes got better as we went. One fresco(pictures painted directly onto the wall while the plaster is wet) is by Raphael and depicts all of the great "Minds" in history to that point. When we finally got to the Sistine Chapel it was overwhelming! They had recently cleaned hundreds of years of soot and dirt from the surface and they were bright as if recently painted. The images appeared three dimensional and silence is required. No pictures were allowed. Afterwards, the church of St. Peters was also amazing with huge side altars everywhere. The piazza in front holds the crowds for mass and the recent papal funeral.

The afternoon was spent at the Coliseum and through the Roman Forum. The coliseum is impressive even from a distance and considering that every "Christian" group in Rome since the empire has pillages stones to build other things like churches and baths. The basic structure is still there and you can see where the hidden chambers under the floor were.
The forum is full of ruins and arches some still being excavated. The arches at both ends are huge and detailed. After the forum you emerge at the Italian federal building sometimes called the "wedding cake". We visited the Pantheon, still intact probably due to the hole in the roof and the fact that it was converted to a catholic church centuries ago. Raphael is buried there.