Foro Romano was an out-of-body experience.
Running around -- or sloughing, as it was the afternoon and we had spent an hour looking for lunch -- in the graveyard of civilization took more than my head away. The ruins stand without much decoration or protection, a visual echo of a greater past. The intact temples and standing columns (Ionic? Doric? Corinthian?) are impossible to photograph. No human creation except the naked eye can capture the soul of Constantine's Basilica - its size, or its voice. Other ruins were less serious. Our group discovered that the scattered pieces of priceless marble - scattered like post-wedding confetti all over the Forum and Palatine Hill - made for excellent resting spots for weary feet.
The view from Palatine Hill is inexpressible. You can see all of Rome, or all of Rome that matters. This city has changed the world.
For 12 euros, one gains access to the Foro Romano, the Colosseo and Palatino. The Colosseum brought out great emotion in us... or at least, great acting inspired by Russell Crowe.
The view from Palatine Hill is inexpressible. You can see all of Rome, or all of Rome that matters. This city has changed the world. 
This is by no means the only picture of the Colosseum, but it is mine. The pictures fail. All pictures fail to capture this.
There is something of a soul about these ruins. The ancient Romans had vision, they had artistic perfection. They killed over 9000 animals in this buildings in one 117-day killing spree. They killed Christians. They killed slaves. And somehow they understood something about humanity and its possibility.
There is something of a soul about these ruins. The ancient Romans had vision, they had artistic perfection. They killed over 9000 animals in this buildings in one 117-day killing spree. They killed Christians. They killed slaves. And somehow they understood something about humanity and its possibility. Modern Rome has lost that. I love this city, but the real ruins are not ticketed.
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