Today was a marathon of sightseeing! According to Rick Steves, we did the “Caesar Shuffle,” which includes the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps. After about 10 miles of walking, my legs are definitely feeling it.

We started early with an 8:45 AM ticket to the Colosseum. Although we were a little sleep-deprived and skipped our usual espresso, the Colosseum more than made up for it. We used Rick Steves’ audio guide, and while I think a guided tour might have been better, we still enjoyed it. Walking through all that history was surreal. 

Rick shared some wild facts about how cruel the Romans were with their death sentences. Some prisoners were forced to act in plays that depicted their own deaths, often cast as gods from mythology and dying in the same way the myths describe. It’s crazy to think that was a form of entertainment.

The Colosseum’s arena floor is gone, revealing the tunnels and ancient elevator shafts that the Romans used to create different “scenes” for their shows. They would store animals in cages down there, and they could pop up through one of the 80 shafts spread throughout the arena at any moment, adding to the spectacle.

Another fact Rick mentioned was that when the Colosseum first opened, about 2,000 gladiators were killed during the 100-day grand opening celebration. That’s an intense start for any venue!

On a lighter note, the parakeets we saw in Florence were all over the Colosseum as well! Their constant squawking echoed around the arena, and they perched everywhere, which added a funny contrast to such a historic, solemn place.

After the Colosseum, we were starving and headed to Ristoro Della Salute, a restaurant with a great view of the Colosseum (minus the fence for construction.) There has been a lot of construction while we’ve been here in preparation for Jubilee 2025, a special year of celebration that happens every 25 years apparently. We finally had a classic breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, and cappuccinos. I’ve been missing a good American breakfast, so this hit the spot!

Fueled up, we continued to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, using Rick’s audio guide again. Walking down the Via Sacra, which was built in the 5th century BC, was especially cool given our background as a roadway engineer. After exploring the Forum, we headed up Palatine Hill for some beautiful views. I spotted a new bird—a Eurasian Blue Tit—which was a fun bonus!

Next up was the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. This was an unexpected highlight of the day because the top of the monument has a restaurant with an amazing view. Jordan and I had Moscow Mules and Aperol Spritz while looking out over the Colosseum. There was a little drama when I had to stake my claim to a table at the ledge, though. Another girl tried to swoop in, and we almost flipped a coin for it, but in the end, I sat down first! She walked off mumbling that “she would be the gracious one” but there was nothing to be gracious about since I did get there first. The view was absolutely worth it.

After drinks, we took the elevator to the top of the monument for even more stunning views of Rome.

Then, we walked back to the hotel to charge our phones before our 5 PM ticket for the Pantheon. I can’t believe this building was built in 25-27 AD! It’s been so well-preserved because it’s been in continuous use as a church since it was built. 

Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain! Jubilee construction had mostly been minimal, but you really noticed it with this monument. They had fences around the whole thing, and the water was turned off! We didn’t spend much time here, but we did snap a few pictures for memory’s sake.

We finished off our Caesar Shuffle with the Spanish Steps. By this point, my legs were seriously feeling all the walking, but it was still worth it to climb to the top and enjoy the view over the city.

For dinner, we tried to go to a spot recommended by the concierge, but the wait was too long. We ended up at another restaurant close by, Alfredo alla Scrofa, which wasn’t our favorite. The service was slow, and it ended up being our most expensive meal of the trip at €125—much more than our usual €50-70. It wasn’t that the food was bad or anything, I don’t mind paying for quality, but this meal didn’t quite justify the price.

After all the walking, it felt amazing to finally lay down. We have another big day tomorrow—Vatican City is calling!