Today we toured Rome some more, returning to see and tour the Coliseum in daylight. It is an amazing structure. Housing many games beginning in 79AD, it brought death as a spectator sport to the Roman masses.

Reading in a guide book given to us by a woman checking out if our hotel, we learned that less than half of the original structure remains, that it had wooden floors-covered with sand, elevators in the middle of the floor could bring "surprises" for the gladiators to deal with. Pretty macabre for my tastes. The Coliseum also had a series of awnings that were operated by sailors of the Roman Navy to provide shelter from the sun or rain, making it one of, if not the first domed sports stadiums.

We then spent several pleasant hours doing what the book describes as the "Caesar Shuffle", walking the grounds of the Roman Forum. It is amazing, and even though much of it is gone, you can still sense it's grandeur when you're in the thick of it.

Later in the evening we headed off to see the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, only a short subway ride from our hotel. For those who are thinking of traveling to Rome, I highly recommend the subways. A oneway ticket costs 1 Euro, and is good on the Metro (subway), and buses. A 24 hour pass costs 4 Euro and almost all of the must-see spots are an easy walk from the Metro stations.

Friday the 25 is our last day in Rome. We hope to see St. Peters Basilica, and then travel (by subway and commuter train) to Ostia Antica. Then we're taking the night train to Sicily.