catch up...5...rome

the roma pass was well worth the 25 euro...gave usage of all public transporation...metro and buses, plus 2 museums...plus most other museums a 30% discount. student discount didnt seem to matter much in rome...did use it this week somewhere...saved a euro...that 2 bottles of water...at a grocery store. my unc student id is good till 2012...yes!!

visited colosseum late in the day perfect...entry pass then good for the next day at the forum and pallentine hill. the colossem, when opened had 100 days of events, celebrations, gladiators. 5000 wild beasts were killed and lots of people too. must have been a lot cheaper than keeping prisoners on death row...but i digress. an impossing, impressive structure.

forum and pallentine hill...shouldnt be done in flip flops. most amayed at lack of security and guidance...seem to have the attidude that the remnants have been there this long, have at it...not like in florence at the accademia and uffiy. also amayed that so much was concentrated in such a small area ...from the temple of julius ceasar to his grave to the senate house to the temple of saturn and more....recalled bits of western civ from charlie holmes class...thanks to rebecca marlin bolton for getting me his address so i can send a postcard

used rick steves guidebook...most handz...for back door entrance to victor emmanuel monument...saved climing 242 steps

boghese gallerz fills a former cardinals mansion...grand art collection...but tours are stricktly timed every 2 hours...so dont get there early...cant talk your way into this place


tzpicall travel with my clock out on the train...without it i have no idea of the time...stopped wearing a watch when the battery died in october...times are tight you know...saving money on not buying a new battery...and didnt bring blackberry...clock actually not an alarm since the dang thing wont alarms...it will go back to rei upon return to raleighwood.

hard to saz what item-items are best in pack...water bottle is used most often...especially with all the clean water bursting forth from public fountains in italy...the rei wool socks are great...hankies have been mighty handy....zip loc bags in qt, gal and super sized also essential...note...the zipper does wear out....ma used to keep bunches of merita bread bags in the pantry which she used over and over...perhaps i should have brought along a dozen of those

hughie macdonald, brother of great college and to this day friend, trisha cox macdonald, loaned me the backpack, aka now as george. ive not seen another like it thus far. made by eagle creek, it is durable, lots of compartments with great straps and support...distributing the weight more to the hips than the back..and the hip strap comes around, covering the front pockets so there is protection from theivery from the pick pockets as well. camera, left pocket, wallet, right pocket.