Ancient Rome has several badly-costumed Gladiators

Just went around Ancient Rome and Trastevere on foot, starting at about noonish.

My feet really hurt; I probably should've worn something besides flip flops, but I just love the feeling of open air on my feet. I can't stand socks and shoes, but I figured I'd get sore feet either way. Well, I'll try tomorrow.

I was looking for the safe in my room and couldn't find it.

I've been using Google Translate for all my translating needs.

So, I go up to the desk clerk and say, "C'è una cassetta di sicurezza?"

And she responds in a slew of Italian, to which I respond by kind of stammering and kind of wiggling my hands and shoulders. Then she tells me in English that I didn't have one in my room because it was right next to the desk, so there was always security.

So I went through the Ancient Forums, got tons of pictures of a bunch of old buildings, and I'm wondering whether these pictures are going to be exciting at all when I look at them later. The entire idea of taking pictures and sightseeing has never really appealed to me; so I'm not sure why I'm going along with the whole "walk around all day and take pictures of things you see," because it's definitely not as fun with only me by myself. It's not like I can take pictures of myself making Emperor poses on crumbling pedestals, at least not without enlisting the help of other tourists. I suppose the memories are good, but hell, it's not like I'm going to remember something incredibly profound with each photograph. I will look at them and probably say, "Oh yeah, I guess I was there. Didn't really remember much about it."

So, after taking pictures of a lot of old Roman buildings, I went to the Coliseum, where i heavily debated whether or not I wanted to wait 45 minutes and pay 12 euros to go inside somewhere where I've heard wasn't nearly as amazing as the inside that I've already seen dozens of pictures of. In the end, I decided I would because, hell, I'm in Rome and I should probably go see the sites like a good tourist, and I won't get a chance again, and I'll feel stupid if someone ever asks me if I went to the Coliseum in Rome and I have to say, "No, the line was too long and I didn't want to pay."

On the inside I bought a tiny 22 euro bronze gladiator. That was a debate, too, because that's about 30 dollars for something that's about as tall as my thumb. He was the only one I liked, because he was the only one who looked like he was about to attack, but he's got an axe, and I would've liked him to have a sword, but the only guys with swords were kind of just standing there, or raising the sword in victory. No, I want a gladiator that looks like he's two seconds away from splitting something in half.

Once I was finished there, the skies started turning grey and thunder was in the distance. Guys walk around selling umbrellas as soon as that happens. They feast on the flagging wills of hapless tourists. This one guy dressed up like a gladiator poked me with his sword asking me to take a photograph with him. I might've had I not known that they only do that so they can ask you for tips after.

I stood around near the Trajan Forum for a while, but then decided to duck into this little restaurant as soon as the storm hit the place. It was one of those storms that hits so fast but you know is going to be gone just as fast. But, while it was pouring outside, I looked around the place I was in, and discovered it was a wine tasting place! Lucky me!

I got seated, and as soon as I did, the waitress already brings out a plate of anchovies and potatoes and something meaty on a piece of bread. I was like, "Woah, what just happened, I didn't order this!"

Then two old Belgian ladies next to me tell me it's free, and that it was not just a restaurant, and not just a wine tasting place, but it was a FREE wine tasting semi-restaurant that was set up as a promotional venue for Rome's exports of wine and stuff.

Magic.

So I sampled one of their white wines and it was really nice wine. I'm not like, a connoisseur, but I could tell it wasn't shitty wine.

My standards just got raised.

After that, I started walking towards the Circus Maximus.

I thought it was going to be something like the Coliseum, or a Circus.

It's actually an enormous plot of gravel that goes in an oval.

They stopped having the Circus there a long time ago, apparently.

After that, I wandered across the Tiber to Trastevere! It's a much more residential part of town and much less touristy, although there are a few tourist spots such as what is apparently one of the oldest churches in town. I saw many more natives with their kids. Apparently there's supposed to be more street crime such as pickpocketing or purse-snatching over there, but I didn't ever feel like I was about to get mugged or anything. Although I looked behind me a bit more.

Then I came home across a bridge where a guy was playing accordion for change.

Tomorrow, the Vatican!