Susan the Human

Rome is like a giant city-sized Stairmaster, and the Emmanuel monument is good for burning off that luscious Italian dinner you had the night before.

An angel keeps watch over Rome from the top:

Further up we climbed...

At the top, the view is lovely. The nearby neighborhoods sparkle with the famous pine-covered hills in the distance:

The King overlooks Piazza Venezia, which is somewhat useful as a transit point but is also a great place to play Frogger -- Tourist Edition.

Yes, if you'll recall, Frogger is that 1980's video game in which a hapless frog attempts to cross a freeway without getting splatted. In Piazza Venezia, like most of Rome, there aren't specific walk signals to hold the traffic for pedestrians. You have to get across on your own. As the traffic is heavy, the only way to do this is to get a couple of people with you in a group and step off en masse into the oncoming traffic. The cars will actually stop, but not before your heart does. The point is to look absolutely fearless and committed to your little jaunt. Otherwise the drivers think they can scare you back on the sidewalk.

In our entire time in Rome, only one driver didn't stop, and as I hopped out of the way, he honked rudely. Must have been a tourist.

The last sight on our way back down the steps was the guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, similar to the American version.

Italy isn't as united as King Victor might have liked, however, and I'm told the tomb itself is closed due to threats of mischief. But this changing of the guard is quite well done.

Next installment: Rome's hidden treasure horde...