The Colosseum was everything I expected and even more spectacular than pictures show. We spent about 2 and a half hours and had a special ticket to enter through the same arches the gladiators used. We started the tour at 9:30am and by the time we left to go to the Roman Forum the crowds were really picking up. The architecture of the Colosseum was really impressive and the scale was massive, much bigger than I expected.
After the Colosseum we meandered through the Roman Forum where the politicians spent their time working. This was interesting but it started to get very hot so it was hard to enjoy. We spent another hour walking the city seeing fountains, historical sights, modern buildings, and ended at the Pantheon. Long morning!
Lunch was leftover pizza from Mischellano, that hit the spot after begin on our feet for nearly 4 hours.The rest of the day is free so we are finding a spot for dinner.
Brian and I spent the afternoon at the National Roman Museum, the Baths of Diocletian, and the Museo Palazzo. We saw sculptures, beautiful big mosaics, ancient coins and artifacts, gardens, gravestones, monuments, and so much more. It was well worth the 12 Euro admission. At the sculpture garden there was a band doing a sound check but we never figured out what it was for.
We wandered to the Monti neighborhood for dinner at the recommendation of Andy Steves' guide book. We ended up at a cute little place called La Botegga del Caffe. Our server kind of knew a little bit of English and somehow we ended up with two bottles of Chianti wine. Oh well, we drank it (shocker). Dad had Pasta Carbonera, Brian had Gnocchi with cheese, Mom had lasagna that tasted like her homemade, and I had cheese and spinach ravioli. We also shared a sausage and walnut with olive appetizer. Delicioso! Back at the hotel sampling some local biere. Chao!
Family photo op at the Colosseum
Can you imagine watching a gladiator battle here?
Looking up inside the Pantheon
Sound check by the band at the National Roman Museum
Sausage and walnut appetizer at La Botegga del Caffe
Sampling some local brew in the hotel room
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