| Pavement around the Colosseum |
The Colosseum is probably one of the most recognizable icons of Rome. We walked there after having breakfast at our hotel (we were still on our own). It was a significant walk, but that let us experience everything along the way, which helped us to get a ‘flavor’ of Rome.
The buildings are all stone and substantial. The streets are all cobble stone. Parking is different than we are used to, because of the different mix of vehicles, and presumably the scarcity of space to park. By now we were comfortable with dealing with traffic when crossing streets. The trick was to try and blend in with locals, and to keep an eye out. For the most part, traffic wasn’t aggressive, but drivers don’t leave the same space and time allowance we are used to.
The Colosseum was built around 80 AD, at the peak of the Roman Empire. Although references vary in details, the Colosseum was used for bloody spectacles. We did not go inside, as tickets and wait times made that not work. Even on the outside, I was moved just thinking about what went on there 2,000 years ago.
The holes on the exterior walls were used originally to anchor a cosmetic premium marble exterior. The marble has long ago been taken (stolen) and used to build other things (churches, palaces, etc.)
The Arch of Constantine was next to the Colosseum, a monumental structure (no pun intended), and dates to about 315 BC. It was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius. There’s a lot of history to soak up here.
On our walk back to the hotel we took a different route, and took in more landmarks.
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| Part of the Roman Forum |
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| Lunch at the Grand Palace Hotel |
We packed our things and boarded Viking’s tour bus for the 45-minute ride to the port of Civitavvechia, to our awaiting cruise ship, the Viking Star.
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