Roman Forum

After enjoying the beauty and splendor of the Colosseum, I recharged for the Roman Forum with some lunch at an authentic little restaurant, which took a good deal of wandering away from the "American tourist" menus.  I had spaghetti al cacio e pepe, which is spaghetti with salt and pepper, a very rich dish that had a sort of peppery, creamy sauce, washed down with a refreshing mineral water.  I don't know what I'm going to do without my constant supply of carbonated water here; it's the best way to cool down here, since ice isn't served in most beverages.

Once lunch was finished, my friend and I headed to the Roman Forum from the southernmost entrance, which was very empty and uncrowded for a Saturday afternoon.  We wandered through ancient ruins, one of my favorites being the Palatine "stadium," which was a hippodrome, originally an area for exercising horses in the Flavian Palace.  This area eventually became a giant flower garden where citizens could stroll on foot or in a carriage.

The hippodrome

After the hippodrome, I walked to the Ancient Gardens of the Domus Tiberiana, which included the Farnese Nursery, where rare plants from the New World were grown.  Plants from all over the world are still grown here, and I had a lovely time strolling the gardens, looking at tropical plants and narrowly avoiding wild skinks which made their homes in the vine-covered trellises.  

View from the Farnese nursery

Ancient gardens

Wild lupines at the southern entrance to the Forum

Piece of a column decorated as a lion.  Part of the beauty of the Forum was the artwork I would find like this, among the most functional of objects and structural components.

After viewing the gardens, I continued down to the actual Forum, which was absolutely fantastic.  I thought about all the history that has occurred within the boundaries of the columns around me.  It was very relaxing to tread among the ruins, since it was late afternoon and relatively tourist-free!