• The Roman Forum - Mom talked me into going into the Forum yet again and I am so glad we did. As we were trying to get our bearings in front of Castor and Pollux's temple, a young man approached us and asked if we would like a free tour. We agreed and joined about a dozen other people for a delightful, informative glimpse into the people who lived here and the buildings they left behind. He ended by giving us a great rendition of Shakespeare's speech by Mark Antony ("Friends, Romans, countrymen; lend me your ears...") in the spot where it would have been originally made. Very enjoyable. Turns out he was with "Roman Adventures", a walking tour company trying to drum up business. You can reach them at (+39) 066-880-9550.
  
• Nero's Golden House - not worth the wait. There are many more interesting and wondrous things to see in Rome.

• Chiesa di San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains) - not a whole lot to see here EXCEPT Michelangelo's Moses and the tomb of Pope Julius II - and that is a lot. What a truly monumental sculpture - well worth the trek from the Colosseum.
• Vatican treasures - we took our time and explored the sculpture this trip - Incredible!

• In the piazza of the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere I had marvelous Spaghetti Carbonara while we watched 3 priests pose for a commercial.
  
• Near the Pantheon we discovered the restaurant, L’Eau Vive, which (as you might guess) serves French food (divine) and is run by Carmelite missionaries from an island in Indochina. It's an interesting experience - they pass out song sheets for a sing-along of "Immaculate Mary" right before dessert. Fun!
  
• We also discovered Pizzeria Leonine near our hotel with some of the best thin-crust pizza we had all trip.

Please see the description on the Rome itinerary page from our 1997 trip.

We spent a week here this trip and it was far too little time for all we wanted to see. Be sure to save some time for day excursions to places like Ostia (for more great ruins) and Tivoli. We also stopped at Hadrian's Villa, but decided it wasn't worth it - we'd become "ruined" out by then.

As we've said before, don't try to do Rome and Florence on the same trip - it's just too much. You get sensory overload and don't appreciate the second of the two that you visit nearly as much as you would otherwise. Go somewhere to unwind after Rome, like Amalfi, Tuscany, or the South Tyrol. You'll be glad you did!