The sun sets on the Forum.
Strap on your sandals and join me for a walking tour of Rome...
Walk along a sidewalk in Rome. It doesn't have to be a particularly noteworthy sidewalk; just about any will do. See the fence next to you? Look over, and down, and chances are, you'll find ancient Roman litter. Rome, remember, was once inhabited by over a million people, and they left a lot of old stuff for us to look at. Time has covered most of it up, with over 20 feet of dust and detritus. But you will soon learn to look down, to the Roman level where ceasars and senators once strode, on the very same lanes you're strolling now.
Walk into the Pantheon, and marvel at the ingenuity of your ancestors. They built the monument to "all the gods" but their gods are suspiciously silent now, awed by what their worshipers wrought in their names. No deity can compete—and the deities didn't even have to worry about plumbing, which ancient Romans conquered along with half the known world. Just take a look at the still-standing aqueducts, which carried water over long distances (on the train to Frascati you can see a good portion of them) and the enormous bath palaces they built.
You may find there are just too many people walking around Rome today, all of them wearing the sensible shoes of tourists. If so, time your visits well: avoid the Forum in the middle of the day, when the main drag (Via Sacra) is jammed with human flesh, and go in the evening an hour before it closes.
Visit Palatine Hill just above the Forum instead, where for a price (11€), you can see even more extensive ruins than the Forum. Palatine Hill was the high rent district of ancient Rome, where wealthy Romans lived. It's also where Iron Age huts were found, similar to the ones where Remus and Romulus were born. Plus, it's remarkably free of tourists, something you'll come to appreciate the longer you stay in Rome.
Fortunately, your ticket to Palatine Hill gets you into the Colosseum as well, allowing you to avoid the long line for tickets. Of course, if you were an ancient Roman you wouldn't call it the Colosseum; you'd call it the Amphiteatrum Flavium. The term Colosseum only came about in the Middle Ages.
Cross the street, avoiding modern Roman traffic, and visit Trajan's Markets and the Imperial Forum, still undergoing excavation. While you're there, gaze up at Trajan's Column. It's amazing how much Trajan looks like Pope Sixtus V, isn't it?
There are other bits and pieces of ancient Rome, too many to see in one day, or even three. But perhaps you're ready to fast forward through time to the Middle Ages, to the time of the Renaissance. A different god was worshiped, in fact, many of the Roman temples were simply renamed for saints. Christianity made its mark here, its art no less impressive than the monuments the ceasars built. You can also visit the Christian catacombs under some of the churches, an especially good place to visit if it's raining.
Join the throng of tourists queuing for the Vatican City museums and the Sistene Chapel. Michaelangelo spent 4 years painting the ceiling; the least you can do is spend a few minutes craning your neck to see it. (Prepare to be underwhelmed however, if it's a cloudy day and the chapel is dim—there's very little artificial light except for some ugly florescents around the floor. And try to ignore the loudspeaker telling you to be quiet, and the tourists ignoring the commands not to take photos.) On your way out, take a photo of the Swiss Guards; they stand there posing for hours.
Hungry? Head over to Campo de Fiori open air market. There you can buy your dried (and fresh, this time of year) porcinis, fruit, nuts, fresh capers, olives, squash blossoms, and other seasonal goodies. If you get there after the marquees fold up (around 1:30) some of the shops near the market sell food items too, but remember, you'll have to lug that can of olive oil around with you the next few hours unless you're staying nearby.
Save some time to wander up Via Veneto and experience la dolce vita. If you haven't seen the movie by Fellini, don't fret; there are several inviting pastry shops where the sweet life is available in carbohydrate form.
You'll inevitably tramp up and down the Spanish Steps at least once, dodging teenagers on holiday. Want to climb more steps, in a more awe inspiring location? Find the Victor Emmanuel Monument —it's easy to find, in fact, you couldn't possibly hide such a monument—and climb the steps, after first paying your respects to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Reserve a day to go to Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman port town. Ostia once held over 100,000 residents, and much of the town is visible today. It's preserved much better than many of Rome's ancient sites, and has fewer visitors than Pompeii. Scuffling over pine straw covered streets, you'll have no trouble imagining ordinary Romans walking around, bathing, selling food in the taverns, swimming in the pool, renting out flats and catching a play at the theatre...just don't try to use the ancient toilets. (Use the modern ones instead.)
Now pull up a chair. You deserve a rest. Pour a glass of wine and revisit the places you've been...
Continue reading for some practical advice:
If you want to see a model of Rome in its heyday, go to the Musea della Civita Romana. I didn't make it there, and the spot where I've been kicking myself still hurts. But I did buy the book Ancient Rome: Then and Now at the airport on the way home, which features photos of the model.
Don't waste your money on a tour. Let me say that again: Don't waste your time and money on a tour. Tours advertising "native English speaking guides" are probably lying to you, and your guide may have limited English. How many times do you want to hear "is very important place!"? Plus they rush you through places you might want to linger, and conversely, you may spend an hour and a half just waiting for the tour to start. (The tour of Ostia, which picked me up at my hotel at 7:45, didn't get out of Rome until 9:30).
Get a guidebook instead. Better yet, get three. Take yourself to the places you want to go, and bring the guidebook. Get an audioguide if one is available, or buy a guide to the place if they sell one. At the Forum, you'll need to bring a good map showing the main structures—entrance is free and doesn't include a map or any information.
Consider the benefits of a Rome Pass or a Roma and Piu (countryside) pass, which gives you free entry to two sites (including Palatine Hill/Colosseum) and free public transport (including the train to Ostia or Tivoli) for three days. You can buy it at the airport, or at any tourist info centre.
Most restaurants close at 3 or 3:30 and don't open for dinner until
7:30. But I found one that's open all afternoon, and serves decent
food—Tavernetta Sistina, at Via Sistina 147 (near Barberini).
Walk confidently into the streets at pedestrian crossings. They'll stop, but be prepared to run if they don't. Tag along while a local crosses if you're uncertain.
Wear comfortable shoes. Rome was built on seven hills, none of which are too terribly steep, but be prepared for uphill walks.
Public transport in Rome is not as bad as they say. The Metro is composed of two lines, red and blue. It will get you to the Vatican, and to the train station (Termini), and a few points of interest between. The red line goes to Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Barberini, and the blue line goes to the Colosseum. However, most tourist sites are within easy walking distance from all central hotels. Your map will be your friend.
If it rains, there's a pedestrian underpass that goes from the top of Via Veneto to Spagna Metro. Underneath is a grocery store, hidden from the ritzy hotels up top, that may sell many of the products you'll find at rip-off prices up above.
