Third and Final Full Day in Rome: A Funny thing Happened on the Way Back from the Forum

Well... last night our second wind took far enough to go to a sit-down restaurant for dinner. With no reservation, but going before 8:00pm the manager nicely got us in. This is the the salumeria portion of the Roscioli bakery we have been getting breakfast and pizza at. We originally tried to go to Ditirambo which tripadvisor had rated very highly and is near Campo de Fiori, but it is closed for all of the high tourist season. That really makes me want to go to it now.

You can see the macaroni and cheese (fresh mozzarella) in tomato sauce in the background and my carbonara in the foreground. The ham, which I can't remember specifically, but I want to say was guacanale) had a crispy, salty exterior and a luscious, soft interior and the cheese... boy oh boy. This was food to die (or kill) over. I asked for red wine and the waiter said he chose a good wine for the carbonara... the dude was a wizard and only appeared to be a human... crazy delicious.

 We ended with a cioccolata (chocolate) fondue with biscuits (cookies) and fruit.

 Our last full day in Rome begins...

 Today we actually split up since Bailley and Abigail did not want to go back to the Colosseum and did not want to tour the Roman Forum. It was Madison and I who went to go into the Colosseum and tour Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Above is Madison in front of one of the gardens on Palatine Hill. This is the centermost of the seven hills in Rome. Legend has it that Palatine Hill is the location of the cave where the she-wolf found Romulus and Remus. It is the hill where many of the old palaces where built and directly overlooks the forum and Colosseum.

 Here I an in the middle of the Roman Forum. It looks pretty cool from the road going toward the Colosseum, but when you get in the middle of the ruin you realize how far from the road the ruins actually are... it is incredibly impressive. I wish the pictures could capture everything, but there's just no way.

 And finally the highlight (for me anyway) of the day: The Colosseum. Completed (pretty much) in 80 AD, it held over 50,000 spectators. This would be a large stadium by todays standards and it is an ancient building. I guess with effectively infinite money and slave labor, the sky is the limit.

 After that, Madison and I made our way back to the apartment, but not before it got a little dicey. I thought we were blending in well, but against our best defense, we were attacked. 

 At that point it was ON gladiator! A man has to do what a man has to do (especially after paying 2 euro for a picture). Hey, it was either the gladiator or those guys selling the umbrellas or hats, and I was much bigger than them. This just seemed more fair.

 We get back to the apartment a little after Cindy, Abigail, and Bailley returned from shopping. We almost immediately head back out for our unanimous choice: Roscioli's pizza. 

Just above (sans the 3 pieces of cheese pizza the girls have already grabbed) is the best 16.12 euro I have ever spent in my life. And that's not the 660ml of G. Menabrea e Figli talking either. 

What a beautiful, colorful, historical, amazing place. The only thing that keeps me from being sad about leaving tomorrow is that we are leaving for Venice. I cannot wait to see what it holds.

Ciao!