Sunday, September 12th

The theme today is ancient Rome - pre Christianity. We saw the ruins of the Forum..where the Senate met, The Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. I found it incredible that we were in the same place where gladiators once fought, where Christians were sacrificed and where the throngs of Romans were 'entertained'. From the ruins we went to Tivoli where the elite of Rome went to 'rest'. We visted the Villa d'Este from which we saw beautiful panoramas of Rome in the distance, fantastic water fountains which served multiple purposes. The running water actually was the mechanism by which an organ payed music. We also went to visit Villa Adriana. The Emporer Hadrian (with an 'H') built a summer retreat that would rival many palaces worldwide. It is in ruins but there is a scale model of what the villa looked like in its day. We're having a marvelous time and learning an awful lot. I never had that much interest in history but what we're seeing is truly remarkable when compunded with the narrative of our skilled guides. This day was a beast although we made it to a restaurant in downtown Roma where we ate 'al fresco' (outside). It was truly a wonderful meal and veryrefreshing. Eating at 8-9 and 10 PM is not what we're used to but when in Rome I guess you do as the Romans!