| Glenn's Rome Journals 4-22-02 Monday morning in Rome. Our first full day to start seeing all of the sites in the big city, and there is more than plenty to see in Rome. We had a couple of agenda items that we had to deal with before the day could begin. Breakfast at the hostel was a croissant, a muffin, and peach juice, all of which was store bought and sitting under the counter at the front desk (for how long I do not want to know). To say the least I miss the eggs and toast breakfast that we had in Florence. To give the hostel credit, they did provide a kitchen which was available for our use if we so desired. The other agenda item was to check out other accomodations as M&J's left a little to be desired from a cleanliness, locker, and working bathrooms standpoint. We stopped by a hostel just around the corner from M&J's (Alessandro) which was newer, cleaner, and about the same price, including cereal, juice, rolls, and a hot coffee, tea, or chocolate for breakfast. We also went back to the train station to gather information about accomodations and viewed a bed & breakfast which was very nice and priced well but was more than we wanted to spend for the week. We opted for the Hostel Alessandro and had to check in the morning for availability. Once we had completed these chores we then had time to see the sights. We headed straight for the Colosseum. Rome is full of sights to see and this is just one of many in the "must see" category. At the entrance to the Colosseum we met up with an English speaking tour group and decided to take a chance (Discover Rome Tours at www.discoverrometours.com).The tour was excellent as it provided the insight into how life was back in the day the Colosseum was in full bloom. We both had seen the movie "Gladiator" and with that in mind and the vision the tour guide was providing we were truly engaged in the events that were held at the Colosseum. The ingenuity, stage presence, and theatrics of the Colosseum were amazing. There were some 80+ lifts that allowed different items to be brought to the stage, including different backdrops, scenes, and even live animals. Beneath the floor of the Colosseum were 2 additional levels where all of the preparation happened. Live animals were kept there unfed for weeks to make sure that they would be plenty hungry when the time came to go on stage. They spoke about the different types of games that took place in the Colosseum, from one on one combat to hundreds against hundreds. They spoke about how many people and animals died in the Colosseum. What an amazing story!!! (The tour was well worth the additional 7 Euro's per person.) Erin took some great photos which I hope you will enjoy. Once we had completed the tour of the Colosseum and spent some additional time looking around, we wandered off through the Forum (towards Foro Romano). The Forum is a "public square" which was created with the idea to add prestige to the city while providing a place for the citizens to hold their markets and public gatherings. The first Forum was created in 56 BC and more were created throughout the city over time. As we entered the Forum, we encountered another tour group providing tours of the area but at an even better price, free!!! (Eden Tours at www.eden-walks.com) Wendy was our tour guide and provided a wonderfully detailed and historically interesting feel of the happenings surrounding the forum. Erin and I both felt like we were getting into the spirit of Rome. Next we walked to the Piazza Venezia which centers around the monument to Vittorio Emmanuale II. This monument was designed for the first king of united Italy, was completed in 1911 and watches over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. (I could tell you much more but we must move on!!!) From here we circled around the block which leads us to Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus). This enormous area represents the arena where chariot races, and other sporting events in later years, were held. While we were here we relaxed on the grass until a light shower started. By now it was getting to be after 6:00 pm and we had planned to meet Sylvia and Andres for dinner around 8:00 pm. We stopped for some ice cream on the way home and made it home around 7:00 pm. Andres and Sylvia showed up around 8:00 p.m. and we went to eat at La Famiglia restaurant around the corner from where we were staying. We had a great meal for a very reasonable price and had a chance to catch up on our events of the past week. We ended up back at the hostel a little after 10:00 pm. |
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| Inside the Colosseum, looking down the rows of subfloor chambers |
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| Monument to Vittorio Emmanuale II |