Explore the Roman Forum and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

To properly appreciate the Roman Forum it requires patience and imagination. Too many tourists just zoom through the ruin and snap a few pictures and then move on. Take your time and make it a point to sit down in different places around the forum and try to envision what it may have looked like in its time. One good tip would be to pick up a guide book that has a map of the forum that shows how it is now and what it would of looked like back in the day. Walking through the Roman Forum is like taking a trip back in time, so, no pun intended, take your time and enjoy the wonder of it all!

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Within St. Peter there are many amazing things to see, but if you hurry to fast through everything there are many unique views you will miss. The true beauty of the Vatican comes from viewing things from different angles, take the time to appreciate the architecture by looking at it from a different set of eyes than that of the average tourist who just speeds through it all snapping pictures. A good example of looking at things from a different angle is shown with the following picture.

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Rumor has it that they are thinking about, if they haven't already since I was there March 2007, of rebuilding the entire floor. This would be a shame as one of the great thrills of visiting the Colosseum is admiring the winding tunnels that make up the underground and imagining how they were used. I will say that having the floor being partially rebuilt does provide excellent contrast to how things would of looked back then and how the underground was used. Back in the early to mid 1900's the floor of the Coliseum was completely covered with sand. They way they have it now is just about perfect with the 3/4's of the underground maze exposed and the a 1/4 of the floor rebuilt for contrast.

UPDATE: Feb.2008
Turns out the rumors are false, they are not going to rebuild the entire floor, rather they are keeping as it appears in the picture. During my most recent visit I spoke with several people who work in the Coliseum who said that while they have many different renovation plans underway, most of the plans are rebuilding the outside of the Colisuem.

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Many people who visit the Vatican see St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel but often they miss out on climbing the Cupola of the Vatican and missing out on all the fabulous views that it offers from within the Cupola and from the outside as well. You have the option of taking the stairs which is about 5 euro, to take the elevator costs a few euro more but will save you about 300 or so steps. Keep in mind though you will still have to climb the stairs within the dome. Generally the wait time to climb the stairs during the low season is about 30 to 45minutes, but it is well worth the wait.

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Whether your walking up a side street, getting off a tour bus or dropping from the sky, the Coliseum will take your breathe away no matter how many times you have seen it. From no matter what angle you view the Coliseum it will be as though you are seeing it for the first time! Make it a point to walk around the Coliseum and take the time to appreciate it from different angles. Some of the best long range views of the Coliseum are from the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. As you can see from the pictures the Coliseum is an astounding monument that deserves to have the time set aside to properly appreciate its eloquent beauty.

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The inside of the Vatican is a maze of magnificent mystery. How can so much art, decor, and sculpture be in one place at one time? Art lovers will be delighted and entertained, and even people like me who normally would be bored by art will be stunned by all the eye has to see. The first go around in the Vatican was just taking in everything, I'm next time I will be over the shock and be able to actually understand what I'm seeing. But one thing I can guarantee is that whether you understand art or not, visiting the Vatican will blow your mind!

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Getting in to see the Vatican is like waiting to get on a ride at Disneyland, you first have to wait in a seemingly never ending winding line. However unlike Disneyland, when you finally get into the Vatican you will not be let down. During the low season the wait is about an hour to an hour and a half, during the high season it could be double. Be sure to account for the wait time in your days plans. One way to help pass the time is to have a Vatican guidebook to look through while your waiting that way the history behind the things you will be seeing will be fresh in your mind. Or you can just stare at the back of some guys jacket for two hours.

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No, the title is not a golf reference, rather its paying homage to the unique hole in the ceiling that the Pantheon boasts. The Pantheon is a marvel in engineering, how the people of ancient Rome could construct such a building is a complete mystery, a mystery as depth defying as a hole in one on a par five...finally a golf reference! The Pantheon can't really be described, rather it simply must be seen in person. The Pantheon is centrally located in Rome and is in a square surrounded by cafe's and gelato shops. During the day the Pantheon is always jam packed with people but at night the traffic thins. I would recommend seeing the Pantheon at different times of the day as the shadows and sunlight shining through the big hole in the roof is a sight to see!

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This is the protocol for how you handle your whirlwind visit to Trevi Fountain, it is a complete madhouse no matter what time of year or day. Throngs of people clog up what I'm sure is a beautiful fountain and make it very difficult to get a decent picture. However be patient eventually you will get a chance to take a picture, and preform the coin ritual. It is said if you throw a coin over your right shoulder into the fountain you will return to Rome! So far its been true for me going on three times. What a lot of people don't know is that after you throw the coin in the fountain listen closely and you may be lucky enough to hear the fountain whisper back to you, "Thank you. Come again!"

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The Spanish Steps is the perfect place to end a day of exploring Rome. Whether your a tourist or a local it seems that everyone finds their way to the Spanish Steps at one point in the day. Find yourself a step to sit on and take in the views while your wait for a friend. Or spend some time people watching, one thing is for sure the Spanish Steps has to be the people watching capital of the world! But perhaps the best part of visiting the Spanish Steps is hoping that you will meet someone new to talk to! With the amount of people who come to the Spanish Steps to meet and greet it is almost a certainty that you will meet someone new. There is always an excitement in the air around the steps, its as though all the energy in the city concentrates itself in that one place. It is definitely worthwhile to make the Spanish Steps a staple of your visit to Rome.

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