MY Rome experi-ence could have been perfect, if pickpockets had not spoiled it in the latter part of my three-day tour and clouded my departure with a feeling of escaping.

　　Now, four months later, when time has filtered bitterness out of my mind, I have become reoccupied with thoughts of the charm of the "eternal city", where every visitor is a pilgrim to be overwhelmed by undying glories, inspiring vitality and omnipresent piety.

　　Imagination challenged

　　Only when the familiar elliptical-shaped Colosseum appeared in sight, was I convinced my feet were on the legendary land of Rome.

　　While my eyes were glued to the formidable structure, two "gladiators" approached me and tried to convince me to take a picture by swinging a sword in front of my face, which alarmingly reminded me of the terror and cruelty once prevailing, around 2,000 years ago, inside the famous 50-metre high four-storey monument.

　　The incomplete facade survived a 5th century earthquake and stone scavenging in the Middle Ages, retaining the grandeur of the landmark, a symbol of the Roman Empire's strength and courage.

　　In ancient Roman towns, a forum was an open space or market place, where commercial, judicial, civic, or religious activities were conducted. Temples, shops, and basilicas (large, covered structures used for various meetings) typically surrounded such a forum.

　　With the sentimental background music of El Condor Pasa in my ears and big birds circling around over the desolate ruins of the Roman Forum, rambling among the dilapidated rubble, isolated still-standing columns and a few roughly unsegregated structures, I tried my best to pick up the lost beat of the administrative and corporate heart of ancient Rome.

　　To cover the distance between the ancient past and the contemporary reality, it seemed, only required a further bold step and a gentle touch which were often prohibited by iron bars and fences for the benefits of the ruins' protection.

　　The glory of the Empire once spanning the area from northern England to Mesopotamia, north to the River Danube and south down the Nile was best illustrated by the 30-metre high Trajan's Column, erected in Trajan's Market, part of the Imperial Forum built by Roman emperors starting with Julius Caesar.

　　Walking down the Road of the Imperial Fora, dividing the Roman Forum and the Imperial Forum, linking the Colosseum and the Venice Palace, residence of former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, I came to the Venice piazza, where the noisy traffic featuring suicidal motorcyclists brought me back from the past.

　　Alluring walks

　　The journey extending to the northwest from the Venice piazza to the river Tiber, bordering the Vatican City, offers a wonderful roaming experience of colourful and leisurely urban life, appealing to every admiring soul fascinated by its hidden alleyways. Even the least conspicuous street often opened up onto magnificent scenes.

　　If the fragmentary beauty of the Roman Forum is sentimental, the splendour of the Pantheon is breathtaking.

　　While entering into the spacious atrium, after passing through the classic entrance porch consisting of rows of stone columns, I could not help raising my head to follow the light pouring down from the above, and when my eyes fully apprehended the circular opening, eight-metres across, at the centre of the spectacular 43-metre high dome, the only source of light, I felt dizzy.

　　Originally built in 27 BC to celebrate the Roman divinities, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 120 AD, this architectural classic has been an inspiring model of breathtaking structural engineering throughout history.

　　Just a few blocks west of the Pantheon lies the Piazza Navona, a traffic free piazza, due to its closed layout, demonstrating the essence of Rome's outdoor graceful leisure.

　　No one doubts Bernini's Fountain of the Rivers is the highlight of this piazza lined with baroque palaces, but when my eyes were busy travelling over dedicated painters, vigorous violinists, enamored people sitting in outdoor cafes around the Piazza sipping an aperitif or an espresso, with people constantly wandering past, I found myself lost in the pleasure of idleness.

　　By the middle of my Rome tour, when I was struggling among tourists heavily packed around the Trevi Fountain for a camera position, I already perfectly understood the cherished tradition of tossing a couple of coins into the spectacular fountain to assure a future return to Rome.

　　Further northward is Rome's most romantic open space, the Piazza di Spagna. Walking up the Spanish Steps starting from the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain, my pace was frequently slackened by young couples kissing affectionately on the steps.

　　In the dusk of evening, looking around from the top of the Spanish Steps where the French church of Trinita del Monti lies, I clearly realized how closely the sacred sites cohabited with the worldly pleasures highlighted by the elegant shopping of the Via Condotti. This street runs directly into the Piazza di Spagna, but from the top of the steps the floodlit dome of St. Peter's Basilica can be seen glistening across the river.

　　Pilgrim climb

　　For many tourists, the climax of their Rome tour occurs in the Vatican City, the world's smallest sovereign state and the heart of Roman Catholicism, centred around St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the Christian world.

　　No matter which direction one approaches St. Peter's from, all visitors first converge in the oval St Peter's Square, embraced by two immense arms of semi-circular colonnade adorned with statues, built by Bernini. A huge Egyptian obelisk marks the centre of the vast square.

　　Once inside St. Peter's, to cope with the luxury of the church which boasts a dazzling quantity of fine paintings, statues and mosaics, is always a difficult job for most visitors, especially those whose sense of dimension is overpowered by the church's enormous inner space.

　　My suggestion is: If, besides tracing the legend of St. Peter, the first Pope, you keep the names of the artistic masters including Michelangelo and Bernini in mind, you are at least unlikely to miss the most exciting part of the church.

　　Turning right after entering the Holy Door, and going straight ahead, I joined people jammed in front of Michelangelo's marble masterpiece, the Pieta, featuring Mary tenderly cradling the body of the dead Christ after the crucifixion.

　　In the nave of the church, over the spot where St. Peter is buried, Bernini's High Altar soars to a height of 29 metres. To its right, I was amazed by the bronze statue of Peter, whose foot is worn to a noticeable smoothness by the millions who have touched and kissed it over the years.

　　Ascending to Michelangelo's great dome was the highlight of my St. Peter's tour. After taking the lift to the half-way point and then climbing hundreds of spiral steps inner the dome, I was rewarded by magnificent panoramic views over Rome on the circular balcony which stands 120-metres above the square.