This Trip is Ruins!

In the vicinity of the House of the Vestal Virgins

On Wednesday, we collected a considerable amount of dust on our shoes walking around the Roman Forum (above) and up and down and all around Palatine Hill (below).

Part of the ruins of the House of Augustus, the primary residence of Caesar Augustus

Since the majority of the buildings in this center of Ancient Rome are much reduced -- not much more than rubble, in many cases --and were built over a period of centuries, I found it difficult to get a clear sense of the layout, particularly the streets of the Forum as they would have been constructed in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D.

The 3 columns are what remains from the Temple of Castor and Pollux, constructed in 495 B.C.

On the other hand, Pompei, with its well-preserved grid of streets, came to life as a community, thanks to our knowledgable tour guide.