And yes, there were all of the classic Italian sights

The Coliseum, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

When I arrived in Rome I studied the map for the famous sights and headed out on foot. The first night I stayed in Tretevere, on the west of the Tiber River. Then the next morning I started out to do as much of Rome as I could squeeze in in one day. I started out for ancient Rome which except for the Coliseum is mostly underground. I passed many buildings I felt I should have known but didn't. After a few hours I hitched a bus to the Vatican. After a long wait in the square I was able to go in. Breathtakingly beautiful....so rich in art and marble but almost too rich. Then I headed south passed historical churches and landmarks, across the bridge of the Tiber and into other areas of Rome, all on cobblestone streets which are so charming. I had dinner in the Piazza Navona, the largest piazza in Rome, and rumored never to be occupied by locals. The piazza claims 3 lovely fountains, a 13th century church and a boatload of piazza entertainers and vendors with little kiosks, all with metal buckets out for your Euros. While I sat having wine and dinner huge gusts of wind came threatening to also bring a storm. The piazza was cleared in an instant, the waiters in my trattoria held on dearly to the umbrella poles to keep them from ruining their chances for any clientele and I just sat and watched it all, pulling out my sketchbook to catch a few scenes. In the evening I was in search of the Trevi fountain, not to easy to find even with a map. And at the end of the day with all of my favorite sights documented I headed home. 14 hours of walking and enjoying Rome. I even had time to be sidetracked by an art exhibit featuring impressionist art and was tickled to find 3 of Monet's waterlilies on display. Oh yes and there was a gelato after my visit to the Vatican. Rome in a day. You can do it with a good pair of shoes, a good map and feet that do not fail you. Here are some classic Italian stops.