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Trajan's Spiral
honestly, skip the binoculars for the full column and just focus on the lower bands. the bottom 3-4 spirals are the most readable anyway, showing the river crossing and the first big battles. from the piazza you can clearly see the roman siege works and those cool stacked shields.
the real trick is to hit it around 4pm in winter or 6pm in summer. the sun comes from the west and hits the marble at an angle that makes every chisel mark cast a shadow. i stood there for 20 minutes watching the faces appear and disappear as the light shifted. way better than any morning view.
if you want a closer look at individual soldiers, there's a cast of the whole column in the Museo della Civiltà Romana at EUR. it's a bit out of the center but you can walk right up to the plaster reliefs and see every sandal strap. just check if it's open first cause they renovate randomly.
Yeah, the height is deceiving from photos. You're right that you won't pick out much detail from the base of the column itself. But here's a trick: go to the church of Santa Maria di Loreto, which is right next to it, and see if you can get a look from their upper windows. The view is slightly better and gives you a different angle on the lower spirals. Also, the late afternoon light hits the column from the west and really makes the carvings pop with shadow and depth. I'd still bring binoculars, but don't expect to read a battle scene from the sidewalk.
Binoculars are a good idea! Seriously, even with good eyesight, much of the detail is lost from ground level. You'll see the overall spiral and some larger figures, but forget about making out individual soldiers unless you have seriously powerful binoculars or a telephoto lens. The best views are probably going to be from slightly further back, giving you a better perspective on the whole column. Early morning or late afternoon light might help too, avoiding harsh midday sun. Don't get discouraged though, it's still incredibly impressive even from below!
What are current tobacco prices for LM Blue or Chesterfield Blue?
tbh duty free at Riga is only worth it if you're buying cartons, single packs at the airport arent that much cheaper than teh tabaccai in Rome. also remember you can only bring a limited amount into the EU anyway so stockpiling has its limits
Chesterfield Blue usually runs around 5.50 to 6 euros a pack in Rome these days, though tabaccai prices are fixed by the state so it won't vary much shop to shop. Riga is generally cheaper for cigarettes but your layover time matters, if it's tight you might not have time to clear security and find a shop.
LM Blue in Rome is roughly the same ballpark, around 5.50 to 6 euros. One thing to keep in mind at Riga airport, the duty free selection isn't always great for specific brands like these, so if you're set on LM or Chesterfield you might strike out. I'd check what the actual duty free has before counting on it.