Going to Rome, Morning Tour - 8/04

Our Monday started early to catch the 6:45 train to Rome. Jason wanted to maximize since we had only three days in this big city. We arrived in Rome around 9:00 and headed for our first site, the coliseum, via the metro. We were jammed like sardines into that train but were presented with an awesome site upon emerging from the station. We went inside and Jason showed us around. He said the museum and the best views were from the second floor, so we walked up the same stairs as a Roman would back in the heyday of the coliseum. The museum had a model of it and showed the event floor and elevator system used to raise and lower animals and people onto the event floor. There was a wooden floor over the top of the maze-like center section. At the far end of the interior picture you can see a platform that was built over a small section of event area to give you an idea of what it looked like. They actually use that area today for concerts and other events. The photo of me shows a closer view of this platform behind me and the doorway where the gladiators use to enter the stadium. The other photo is of me, Robert, Jeff, Jen and Brandon. It was an amazing place to experience.

After finishing up at the coliseum, we headed for the Roman Forum walking past the triumphal Arch and Basilica of Constantine on our way to the entrance. Once we got inside the Forum, we took the long and rather fast walk by some of the major landmarks: The Arch of Titus (where I took a photo of the inner side of the arch); the house of the Vestal Virgins; and stopping in the shade of the Arch of Septimius Severus to wait for stragglers. In the foreground of the photo (starting on the left) are Theo, Jeff, Jason and Sean with some building columns in ruin behind them. After we all gathered here, we left the Roman Forum. The visit was too fast for me so I hope to go back there some day to explore more of it.

Once we left the forum, we stopped at a landmark of the prison where St. Peter was held in jail the Romans. It has become a sacred place to Christians and they have built an altar outside and inside the dungeon where St. Peter was kept. In the photo, Jason is standing on the left at the top of the stairs to the prison; if you look closely, you’ll see a head at the bottom of the middle pillar; that is Amy walking up the stairs after her visit inside.

After this brief stop, we headed towards our hotel. It was getting really hot by this time and we were all ready for an air conditioned room and a cool shower. We got to the hotel around 1:00 and we had some time to eat lunch and relax until 4:30 when we all met again for the evening round of sight seeing.