My time in Rome in a nutshell.

Trevi fountain

Well, I'm just going to squeeze everything into a little post. In short, Rome is a beautiful city. Here's a tip about Rome though - they say throwing a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi fountain will ensure you return some day. I say that's a waste of money - I was here four years ago, I didn't throw a coin in and yet here I am again!

Some random ruin I saw.

First off, some things I didn't visit this time - the Colosseum, the Forum and Castel Sant'Angelo. I would have liked to visit them, but I only made a particular effort for the Castel but it was closed at the time due to a strike. As for the Colosseum and the Forum, they are nice but having seen them four years ago I was only going to visit them this trip if I had time, which I didn't (I was too busy pouring Guinness into my face)

the Vatican

I did visit the Vatican, the Trevi fountain (obviously), the Spanish Steps, the Saint Sebastian Catacombs and the Appian way. There's little to say about the fountain and the steps - they're very nice locations, but that's about it. The Vatican, well, I could either write one hundred pages or nothing at all. I did visit the sistine chapel whilst there, but unfortunately that is one of the few things where photos are not allowed, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows what it looks like anyway, and if not Google is your friend.
I will spend some time talking about the catacombs and the Appian way. The way (also known as via Appia Antica) is one of the most famous in Italy, having been a very important route in Roman times. It's an immensely pretty road, although closer to the city it's narrow with walls on either side, no real footpath and cars driving way too fast. Walking along this part is like an extreme sport. Further out though it's very quiet and lovely, and looks just like you imagine the Italian countryside.

Appian way

The road is also the location of many catacombs. The ones I visited are situated directly beneath the church of Saint Sebastian, and are in fact the very catacombs where the name derives from. They began in the second century as a pagan necropolis in an abandoned quarry, and in the third century the christians expanded it and began using it to bury their dead. In Greek, the christian language of the time, Catacomb means "near the cave" or "quarry", and I'm sure you all feel much better for knowing that. In the fourth century Emperor Constantine of course legalized christianity and built a church above the catacombs. The necropolis, however, was filled with sand and only rediscovered in 1917.
I like catacombs and necropolises and mines possibly even more than caves, but they also make me wistful as I look down dark passages and wish I could wander off down there by myself. Oh well - probably for the best I don't - apparently there's seven miles of passages in this one alone.