The Adventures of Dave & Cass: Roma

Because Rome was so big and we loved it and took 1000ś of pics I have broken it into Ancient Rome, The Vatican and Other city sites. It is more or less in chronological order... I think :)

Our first official day in ROME! We used the campground shuttle bus to take us to the nearby train station (Prima Porta) and then ventured towards Italy’s capital, where the sightseeing is endless!

We landed at Flaminio station right in the middle of Piazza del Popolo – the convergence of 3 of Romes main streets into a trident like shape. We picked one- the Via Del Corso, and made our way down towards the Colosseum.

On the way we purchased a Rome pass, which due to the heat thankfully included free public transport so we ended up catching a bus the rest of the way down the Corso.

The colesseum!

We arrived at the monumentally impressive Colosseo – actually called the Flavian amphitheatre, where many ancient games took place including animal conservation, animal hunting, executions, naval battles (they flooded the arena) and of course gladiatorial games. We went on a great tour where the guide Valerie explained how the Colosseum would have looked, how the people entered – ordinary vs the important. Tickets were free but people were seated according to social classes, closets being the Emporer and his pose and furtherst away being the very poor and single women (they didn’t want the gladiators distracted while fighting. The whole arena was covered by sail cloth forming a retractable roof just like modern stadiums. All in all about 50,000 could be seated with a further 20,000 standing in the nosebleed section. In a typical season games wre held 3 times per week - thats a lot of dead gladiators!

Dave between the inner and outer walls

Horse Arse! No literally this is a statue of a horses arse from the royal enternace to the Colesseum

Ready to take on Spartacus

After the colesseum we were handed onto another guide Jonothon for a tour of Palatine Hill – the site of the grand Roman palaces and the Roman forum. This is where Romulus is believed to have founded the city of Rome.

Allegedly the marble statues and finery that wasn’t plundered during Barbarian invasions all fell off during a big earthquake and rolled down Palatine hill and luckily safely landed in the Vatican! – Or so we were told J

Palatine hill

The emporers private stadium

Looking down toward the Roman Forum

The Roman forum - where all the improtant decisions were made!

Back to the Colesseum - just cant get enough of the place

After this we continued our ancient Rome theme finishing the day with the Circus Maximus – the ancient chariot racing and athletic stadium. It doesn’t look like much now, just a big dusty bowl really.