Veni, Vidi, Vagari (I came, I saw, I wandered)

The Roman Forum

When in Rome, all roads lead to Rome (sic).

Although the Philippines has its share of old structures in places such as Intramuros and Vigan, these seem freshly built when compared to the millenia-old ruins and monuments of Rome. It's no wonder that Rome is also known as "the Eternal City".

ITALY

Rome

A lone photographer looking through his pictures.

Anywhere you go in the city, dig deep enough and you will hit ruins.

The Pantheon's exterior...

...and interior.

Despite being the world's smallest independent state, the Vatican holds a considerable amount of influence thanks to it being the center of Roman Catholicism.

One of those rare instances where I couldn't decide if portrait or landscape orientation is better.

The Colosseum.

A fortune teller near the subway station.

Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps.

Due to the high cost of maintenance and repairs for old structures, several tourist spots in Italy allow sponsors to place very prominent billboards in exchange for funds. Venice also has a couple of these sticking out like sore thumbs.

They're ugly, but they help cover the bills.

Gelato at a nearby shop. Tourists looking forward to recreating scenes from the classic movie Roman Holiday may be disappointed to learn that food is forbidden at the Spanish Steps.