Wednesday: My feet might wear away too, like St. Peter's

Hello Fellow Travelers – I didn't have a firm sightseeing plan today, but I ended up seeing a lot. I started off quite early with a walk to the Spanish Steps, only to find that nothing was stirring. This was nice, in that I got to look over the area in its tourist-free state. But there was nothing to do, so after a short reconnaissance, I decided to take care of some logistics. I took the subway back to the Termini station and bought my train ticket to Florence for tomorrow.

Next, I walked back to my hotel and got myself situated with a “Walk and Talk Rome” tour that I had downloaded to my Ipod before leaving home. I had neglected to download the accompanying map (and could not find it on the internet this morning) so it took me awhile to figure out the starting point for the tour. I finally did however, and pointed myself in the right direction. On the way, I stopped by Capitol Hill which I had somehow missed after the Colosseum and Roman Forum on day one. This area brags a square and stairway designed by Michelangelo which I dutifully took in. The square is nice enough and I read about its significance as a Renaissance statement, but it is hard to see what the big deal is about the stairs. Anyway, after snapping more view photos of the Roman Forum from this vantage point, I made my way to the Ponte (bridge) Sisto where I fired up my Ipod and started the tour.

I discovered these walking tours on an earlier trip and I must say, I think they're pretty cool. The recorded tour provides step by step directions that take you through lesser known streets and piazzas. It has you stop at various landmarks and points out architectural and artistic elements you would otherwise not notice. This tour lasted about an hour and a half, and took me through the Campo de Fiori (open air market), Piazza del Biscione (where Caesar was killed; the senate was temporarily meeting here rather than at the Curia building at the Roman Forum), Via Guilia (a street with numerous remarkable palazzos) and Piazza Farnese where the impressive Palazzo Farnese is located. This is one of the largest palazzos in Rome and now houses the French Embassy.

After a cappuccino break, I walked to the Pantheon, a classically designed church with dome that survived the fall of Rome unscathed. The dome itself is concrete and oddly, looks likes something you might see in a modern U.S. Setting (if we had domes, that is). Like other Roman sights, the scale of the dome and the granite columns out front is enormous. Despite the large piazza, it's hard to get far enough away from the Pantheon to take a full front photo.

Post Pantheon, I trekked back to the Spanish steps. The place was now swarming with tourists. I ducked into a McDonalds to use the restroom and was overwhelmed by the crowd of (slim, for now) teenagers eating and flirting. It was mobbed, and I suddenly flashed on the 70,000 sweating Romans socializing at the Colosseum.

The Keats-Shelley house is at the foot of the Spanish steps, and I had hoped to tour this building. Both of the poets lived there, and Keats died there. The small building is a museum and according to my guide book and its own posted hours, should have been open. Alas, it was not and all I could get was a photo of the exterior. I also snapped one of a home across the street where Byron once lived and wrote – my photo shows a man on a cell phone going in the front door.

After a late lunch, I convinced my tired self to take a short visit to the National Museum, which houses far more exhibits than I could appreciate. I did see some amazing frescoes that had been preserved from the House of Livia, one of the structures that I trod past at Palatine Hill on day one. Done in, I returned to my hotel and prepared for my departure for Florence tomorrow.

Click here for today's selected photos!