I had my very first night of full, blissful & uninterrupted sleep last night. It probably has something to do with that crazy steep climb to the top of Vesuvius the previous day. This meant I got up a little later than usual today.
Once I got up and out on the town, I decided to just go walking around and see what I would stumble across today. I walked down to the Imperial Fora, a long street created by Mussolini to showcase the glory days and military might of Rome. It started at Palazzo Venezia and was a straight line ending at the Colosseum. Along this road were the ruins of forums built by emperors Nerva, Augustus and Trajan.
What I find amazing on my walks around Rome is that you can have a busy 6 lane street and right along on the side of the road are these ancient ruins. It is the most extreme version of the present living with the past that I've ever seen.
From these ruins, I walked to this quaint little church where I took no pictures and can't remember the name of anymore. There was some sort of ceremony taking place inside, so I didn't stay long. From there I walked over to the Vittoriano.
The Vittoriano is a 100-year old monument in honor of Victor Emanuel II, the first king of united Italy. From what I understand, locals really don't like this and refer to it as tasteless and over the top. It looked pretty cool to me though.I then grabbed a bite to eat (Pizza!) and some gelato and came back to get a little rest before my day trip to Florence tomorrow.
Before I go, I want to talk a little about the drivers here in Rome. If you decide to come here to visit, just remember one little thing: ALL DRIVERS ARE INSANE!! They drive in the wrong lane, play chicken with buses, drive up on the sidewalk, run red lights way after the light has changed and most importantly: they don't care much for pedestrians. A crosswalk does not mean they will stop. You have to be bold and step out in front of moving vehicles if you want to cross the road. On rare occasions they might stop, but most of the time, they will just drive around you. Women with baby strollers, old people, young kids and nuns - drivers stop for no person. Don't let it discourage you, just be aware at all times when you are crossing the road and you should be just fine. As insane as these drivers are, I have yet to see or hear one accident and I have yet to see a damaged car either - so they must pay attention a little at least.
OK, time to rest. Tomorrow: Florence
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