Good morning, Rome-- the look outside our window of the street and hotel across the way.
We had an early start to the day--8:00 a.m. pickup time. When our guide and driver picked us up, they asked us if we really wanted to see the Coliseum or not. Of course, we said, yes, but the problem was that the government in honor of Augustus (whose birthday was September 23) had declared that it would a "free day" at the Coliseum so it may be extremely crowded and take a long time. It was hard to imagine coming to Rome and NOT seeing the Coliseum so we decided to take the risk and off we went.
Down our street to what I thought of as "our fountain" since it was at the end of the block from our hotel. Rome has around 50 "monumental" fountains and over 2000 small fountains. The ancient Romans worked very hard to develop a complex system of water ducts to provide these fountains and provide water for the citizens. Each of the oldest major fountains from that period were supplied with water from two different viaducts to allow them to keep running in the event one viaduct was shut down for repairs.
A close of our fountain--
Just on the drive, the old and older buildings were everywhere.
Beautiful door-
Our first view of the Coliseum (Colosseum) out of the van window (complete with my finger)
We got out and walked passed these buildings--which with names and histories that I don't remember-
Inside the Coliseum- It was completed in 80 AD and at that time held 50,000 spectators (the biggest of its time.) It is one of the 7 New Wonders of the World and in 2018 it was ranked as the most popular tourist destination in the world with over 7.4 million visitors.
On the floor of the Coliseum, they discovered that there were floors under the floor where they could put the animals or the people and also props and other supplies for the variety of events which took place here.
This is our guide who is giving us a brief history lesson about the Rome times in which the Colosseum played an important role.
One modern addition was this elevator which allowed the wheelchairs to be used in the building.
Looking down on the floor from a different angle. You can see the excavation area and then the area representing where the floor would have been.
Tour guides have their favorite places for the "group shots."
Another look at the elevator--the old and the new
Despite it being a free day, we were able to visit without too much wait. The Colosseum itself opened right after we arrived at 8:30 and we were able to visit many important things inside. By the time we left, the lines were huge outside so timing is everything on trips like this.
This is the Arch of Constantine--another triumphal arch like the one in Paris and other locations throughout the world. It is located between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill and was built to remember a battle between Constantine I and Maxentius in 312.
Looking at the city through the window of the van-- I believe this is the area surrounding the Circus Maximus where chariots races and other outdoor events were held.
Trevi Fountain--made famous to Americans by the movie "Three Coins in a Fountain" It is funny how you think something looks a certain way, but in real life, it is actually different. That is how Trevi Fountain was for me. I imagined it in the middle of a roundabout like many in Rome are, but it was built into a wall on the side of a plaza. It was opened in 1762. While we were building homes with bricks and logs (and sometimes mud) in the US--the Romans were building this!
And, of course, we threw our coins in the fountain. Tradition is that you throw a coin to ensure that you will return to Rome one day....the other coins have to do with true love, etc.
A side street off of the fountain--
The fruit stands were works of art themselves. They were gorgeous.
This obelisk was also from Egypt. There were similar ones in Paris and London. Obelisks have a very interesting history so google it if you have time. In the US, we have the Washington Monument which is actually the tallest obelisk in the world. Most were made by Egypt but were given as gifts or taken during battles to places all over the world. This is the Sallustiano Obelisk which stand in front of a church at the top of the Spanish Steps. It was actually Roman made in the style of the Egyptians.
View from the top of the Spanish Steps looking towards the Vatican in the distance.
Charon, our guide, and I took to the steps and headed down.
to the Plaza di Spagna. Plazas are very important in the development of the city of Rome and this is one of the famous ones.
Looking back up the Spanish Steps--
Crossing the bridge on the way to the Vatican City-- after a quick stop for pasta and pizza for lunch at a place our driver recommended.
The lines to get into the Vatican were long since it was afternoon now. We had the skip the line passes as well as using the wheelchair entrance but it was still a bit of a wait. Then you go through metal detectors as well. The Vatican is its own country within the country of Rome, although passports are not required, security is tight.
A model of the Vatican City
We first walked through some of the Vatican Museum. They have an extraordinary collection of artifacts and art work from all over the world--things either commissioned by popes or other church leaders or gifts from all over the world for the last 1700 years. It is one of the largest museums in the world and also one of the most visited. They have over 70,000 pieces of art with about 20,000 being on display at any one time.
Outside of a part of the museum--
A table top of different marbles used throughout Rome-- above--close-up below
The breath of the Vatican museum is hard to convey. Because it represented such a wide range of history and also has items from all over the world, it is a very unique place. Again the opulence was a bit overwhelming.
We also went inside the Sistine Chapel which was certainly a highlight of our visit to the Vatican. No photos were allowed while inside so I got these stock photos from the internet. It was very crowded inside the chapel and there were frequent reminders for people to whisper and to not take photos which some people didn't obey. The ability of Michelangelo is astonishing! And the scenes that fill this chapel are incredible and many have stories of sacrifice, faith, and payback.
A group of monks waiting to cross the street outside the Vatican.
Our guide left us after we left the Vatican as her home was nearby. Our driver took us back to our hotel even though he had gotten a call that his wife was heading to the hospital in labor with their first child, a little girl (Gary gave him an extra tip for his new little one on the way.) He assured us that his wife said that he had plenty of time to get to the hospital. I hope that it worked out.
We headed out for dinner off the plaza down the street and ate in a small restaurant that served those tables you can see in the bottom of the photo. This looked over "our fountain" and the traffic of the city at dinner time. We were glad to just have a short walk back to our hotel.
The flags outside our hotel...
September 23rd is not only Augustus's birthday but it is also Gary's so his mom and sister made him a "birthday cake" out of a prinkles can, cup, coke and a piece of jerky (I think for the candle) and we sang happy birthday.
Happy 64th birthday, Gary! Glad we are the same age again!
Not sure if we can top this birthday next year, but Rome is a pretty amazing place
to have your birthday.
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