After the excitement of the spectacular Colosseum, we re-assembled with our group for the next stage of the tour; a short walk over to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.

Although my legs were weary from days of exploring Romes historic monuments, I was completely in my element. I’d not only ticked off the second location on my Seven Modern Wonders of the World list, but had also fully immersed myself in a journey through time exploring one of my favourite topics at school as a child; the Romans.

As a tour party, we were able to access the forum relatively quickly; though with the time approaching 12:30pm the queues were building fast, so I’d definitely recommend arriving early to beat the crowds.

After the hustle and bustle of the Colosseum, there was a relative peace and quiet to Palatine Hill as we strode along the path through the trees flanking the right-hand side of the hill. This afforded another view of the majestic Colosseum in all its splendour and with the remains of what was once a block of two-tier apartments built into the hill of a commercial district, I can only imagine the prices these commanded on the Roman real estate market.  

The guide described this area as Ancient Rome’s version of Oxford Street – the epicentre of their shopping experience. After reaching the end of the street and descending the steps, the Forum completely opened up to the imagination.