Gertrude Stein...

 ...was not in Rome when she uttered her famous line,"there is no there there"!
Here is one question asked often when someone starts planning a trip, Where should I go, what should I see? Obviously a place with more to offer than Gertrudes' muse, Rome is my answer. Of course I'm biased, so I'll try and justify my answer. Many places offer something that makes your jaw drop in wonder just looking at it. Paris, New York, London,Madrid,Barcelona have multiple vistas and spots to support their names. Rome has border to border coverage. City-wide awe and splendor. This isn't a green, grassy swath where you are asked to envision a battle two hundred years ago. It's live, vibrant, bold and right there in front of you waiting for you to touch it. The walls around the city are older than the city you now live in. That's a pretty general statement, right? But, unless you are one of the lucky ones living there, most likely true. History is not a course here, it's an every day part of life. The forum, the colloseum, the Pantheon, the Circus Maximus are all there in the hub of the city. You have to make choices daily, Do I go in? Do I walk through? Do I enter? Do I walk around?  Yes, I said walk and repeated it. From anywhere in the Centro historico you can walk, safely to the Vatican , the Baths of Caracalla, the Piazza Popolo, the termini, Trastevere, the Colloseum and so much more within 30 minutes. And your jaw will drop in each and every place. Don't over think this, Rome wasn't built in a day and you aren't going to "do it" in one either. Remember to sit and watch with something nice to drink. Do this frequently, it can become addictive...it was for me.

You are in Rome for two days with $1.98 budget, what do you do? Spend the budget on gilato, not sights. All of the churches are open at some time during the day, all are free and all are museums. Quiet, calm and spectacular. The Pantheon is the oldest church in the city. Many other churches are built on  sites of previous temples and some you can explore. Michelangelo's Moses is in San Pietro in Vincoli close to the Colloseum. Visit the Piazzas, Navona, Popolo, Campo dei Fiori, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain...they are free, until you sit down and order something anyway. If you have pranza (lunch) around two and nibble later that will help your budget too. Maybe your waist as well. Good walking shoes, the right clothing for the season and batteries for the camera, Rome is an open photo-op! Underpack, right, under! They have wonderful clothing that you will not find in Ashtabula!

See our friends Sandro and Fabrizzio in the Campo dei Fiori for hats, shirts scarves and other gifts for those at home and then sit at the Bar 36 and enjoy your good fortune! You are spending your time in the "caput mundi" and spending it in the perfect way!