A Day in Ruins

Because we purchased certain discount cards, we visited the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum all in one day. These ruins completely amazed me when I first saw them in 1992. Here I was walking on paths trod by Augustus Caesar perhaps...or Peter...or Paul! That giddiness has given way to a more thorough understanding of what I'm looking at, thanks to reading we have been doing as a family. Carter thinks that the outside of the Colosseum is better than the inside (it is) and wonders why more fuss in not made about remains of Iron-Age huts, perhaps those of Romulus himself (who legend says founded Rome in 753 B.C.) on the Palatine Hill. I agree, and we've started compiling a list of underappreciated sites. Why are the Spanish Steps a must-see and the hut of Romulus virtually unknown? In the Forum we all liked the Arch of Titus, especially the panel showing victorious Romans carting off the menorah after defeating the Jews. (David noted that he didn't realize just how troublesome the Jews were for the Romans.) On another note, Stephen has found a friend in the apartment, an 11-year-old boy named Andrea. They have been playing soccer and filming special effects together with Stephen's camera. Stephen also participated in his first Italian baseball game. He didn't get to do much since it was a game for boys ages 13-15 (Carter would have played but was sick). The field was impressive. It is somehow connected to the 1960 Rome Olympics, but we're not sure how.