We had classes again this morning. Each day Italian seems to get better and better, but I almost fell asleep in art history because I did not get enough sleep last night. After class, I went to lunch and then we met in the lobby at 2:30 for a trip to the Colosseum.

The train ride to get there seemed to take an unusually long time and then when we arrived, we waited in the sun for a really long time while everyone got their tickets. The inside of the Colosseum is so impressive. One of our professors showed us pictures of what it would have looked like in the time of the Romans, so we were able to compare it to what it looks like now. That was the point when it really hit me how much history took place in this city.

Our tour consisted of a great deal of standing and waiting in the hot sun. When my feet started to hurt and exhaustion set in, I just wanted to move along, but it was almost 6 when we finally left to go to the forum. The remains of Caesar Augustus's home still stand just next to the Colosseum and the gardens and hills offered a spectacular view of Rome.

We had to leave fairly quickly because they were closing (which was probably a blessing because our tours tend to go on forever) and our group decided to go out for dinner at a pizza place nearby. We took the train back to hotel and Doug and I made our way to the ATM because we both needed cash. When we got there, I realized that I had forgotten to create a pin number for my AAA travel money card. I went back to the hotel and called my mom, and she called the number on the card for me to set up the pin.

Everyone had already started to go to bed, but I wanted to be sure I had cash when we went to Pompeii. When I ran into Steve in the hall, I asked if he would go with me to the bank, so I didn't have to go alone. The walk wasn't far and this time I was able to get cash. When we got back to the hotel, I showered and was in bed by 11:30 because I had to get up at 5:30 the next morning.