With the subway, we headed to the Colosseum first. Whoa, who would have known that you could press so many people into one subway car. Gerhard hung onto my arm like a vise so that we would get pulled or pushed in the same direction at least. When the doors opened, it was like a surprise can that just popped open with confetti as we all just sort of poured out the doors. Couldn't have stopped even if you wanted to. This is because the Colosseum is the most visited site in Rome.
Waiting to get in we sort of started in a long line which wasn't moving at all, a very difficult thing for a person like me, and so I had mentioned that I wouldn't wait any longer than an hour to get in but that G could go in alone if he wanted and I would wait and read by the restaurant across the street. Well, along came this man yelling that if you wanted a guided tour with an audio phone for only 4€ more, then we should move along further ahead to the other line. We were in like a little girl's pink sock stuck to her purple shoe. With a little shuffling and doing things we're not proud of, we got into the site in under 10 min.
It really is an amazing historical feat to have built such a monstrous and technically advanced building that would last almost forever. We didn't know that the sandy surface that was seen by the crowd and where the gladiators or slaves would fight, under that was a whole series of tunnels and rooms that held horses and wild animals as well as water channels.
There were 3 earthquakes that took a toll on it and it went through some pilfering by the locals as the then Pope demanded that the materials be taken for the building of St. Peter's square and Basilica. Eventually, it was noted as a holy building by a different Pope and so it was saved from destruction.
Today it remains to be under constant renovation - somewhat like our house.
After about 2 hours, or in JoAnne's time-about as much as she could stand, we went for a drink at the terrace across the street.
Next, we moved on to the huge Forums, or land forms created by different Emperors in reverence for themselves. This land was a very large acreage next to the colosseum where still left to see were government lands which held monuments, columns, temples, markets, basilicas and arches. Two of the emperors which were Julius and Augustus Caesar had done the most for the city by creating the area and, in time, the ruins into a new city. Julius Caesar, however, is still Rome's hero. All are now in ruins again and were found after a huge city-wide fire destroyed much of what was there.
So, we went for another little walk ;)
We found ourselves at the Pantheon which was in the middle of a large square where tourists and locals all sit around on the stairs and walls and eat and drink.
It really was a pagan temple but one of the Popes - those sneaky guys, turned yet another site into a Christian church and so it couldn't be destroyed. The Pope had many bones brought from the catacombs to be stored and so now it is more properly called the national church of all Italians.
Before we headed off to share some good Italian wine, G had his picture taken with some goofy Romans who tried to get a 10€ bill out of him. G told him he was a getting a 2€ piece and that was it. Let this be a lesson to him - always state the amount of cost before doing the deed.
We went for another little walk ;)
Getting lost is good. Who knew that we weren't supposed to walk right in front of the door of the Palace even though there were a million policemen everywhere! Shoo, shoo, shoo - what a beautiful door it was too. Wonder if it was the wine!
We got back to the hotel with a little time to spare so that we could meet our tour director and the other 40 bus folks.
Wonder what's up for us for tomorrow in this beautiful place.
