We will be in Rome for three days with our nine year old girl. She wants to see all the ruins. What would be the top things(educational)that we should see. <BR>Then what fun things can we all do(dinner, dancing, shopping, ETC...)She is a very fun and energetic traveler.<BR>Thanks,<BR>Susan

I think she would love the Coliseum, of course. St. Peters and Sistine Chapel may be enjoyed by her. Take her to Baffetos for pizza. Its off Grosvenor near Piazza Navona. Then take her to Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona for chocolate ice cream called tartufo. M.

Near the Coliseum is the Roman Forum.

Watch "Roman Holiday" (Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck) with her before you go, and then take her to Castel Sant'Angelo. Historic site, terrific view of Rome from the top, and the bridge of angels over the Tiber leading into it (now pedestrian) is by the site where Hepburn & Peck & the barber danced & escaped the security detail on the barge in the movie. If you are a Tosca fan, the top of the Castel is where Mario dies and Tosca leaps to her death. In the opera, she jumps into the Tiber. From the battlements, you'll see that's just a bit too far away to be a feasible jump!

What a lucky daughter - saw your post on Venice as well.<BR><BR>For fun - go to the Trevi fountain, and be sure to toss a coin in the fountain together (backwards and over your shoulder) to ensure her that she will return in the future.<BR><BR>If you do take Claire's suggestion (a good one, I think) and watch Roman Holiday before you go, then visit the Boca di Veritas ("Mouth of Truth") - Audrey Hepburn is afraid to place her hand in the mouth for fear of what will happen if she doesn't tell the truth. <BR><BR>If she likes cats, there are dozens of adopted ones at the Torre Argentina, (Via Arenula and Corso Vittorio Emanuele). It is an outdoor sanctuary to care for stray cats, and visitors are welcomed by the volunteers. We arrived after hours, so didn't walk through the square, but were fascinated to see so many cats in one place. <BR><BR>If your daughter is interested in the ruins and the history, I suspect she might enjoy a visit to San Clemente, a church that is built on three levels. The first is a 12th century church with excellent mosaics, you descend a level to reach an older 5th century church that has been excavated to reveal frescoes and foundations, and finally, at the lowest level, a roman house with a temple, which may have been used for early Christian worship and/or a Roman mithriam. This layering of one building on top of another over centuries is what makes Rome such a fascinating place, and at San Clemente it's all at the same site. <BR>

Susan,<BR><BR>If you are around the Forum, make sure you see the Senate building and point out the fact that it is a small square bldg with a short ledge vs. the large round bldg with large ledges as often dipicted in by hollywood (i.e. the movie Cleopatra). In that same area, a different flavor is the Mammertime Prison. This is where the Apostles Peter and Paul were held when they came to Rome to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. To see the confines to their prison cell and their limitation in communicating with the guards is a moving experience.