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Published: November 23rd 2014
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Today we were heading to the Colosseum and the Forum, the centre of Roman government and commerce in ancient times. We had a sleep in and a late breakfast as there was no hurry today. The weather was ideal, and even allowing for getting lost and window shopping, it was only about a 30 minute walk for us.
We made our way to Via Del Corso which runs from Piazza Popolo to the Vittoriale Monument and from there it was a straight walk to the Colosseum. there are so many archaeological digs along the way that the walk took a little longer than expected. It's incredible to think that so much is still intact, right down to tiled floors. As we approached the Colosseum the spruikers increase to an annoying level and are joined by their cousins, the tour guides. These people, who I suspect are backpackers freelancing or contracted by organizers, promise quick entry, no queuing, and 'expert' guidance through the Colosseum. They tend to quote 1.5hr waiting times but even though the queue was long, we had tickets in 20 minutes. Listening to commentary that starts off with," Now you've all come to Rome to see stuff, right?",
Forum of Trajan ( 112-113AD)
A large place of justice where laws were formed and administered. you soon realized you're not missing much. The commentary didn't improve while we listened in.
The Colosseum was very crowded and we had a good look around, sat down on a piece of history for a while and then left to visit the Forum. the thing I find amazing about all of the structures still standing is just that; they are still standing. While the years have seen parts or most of some disappear, what remains is often in great condition. The Romans documented their activities well so the relevance of most things found or unearthed can be verified. We wandered around the Forum for about an hour but in the end the old roman roads beat Sue's knees which have not been too good since the Camino. I went off by myself for a closer inspection while Sue sat and people watched. We have seen the Colosseum and Forum before but any trip to Rome would be poorer if you didn't return.
While we were in the area we walked up Via San Giovanni In Laterno and went into the Basillica of San Clemente, a little known church about 300 metres from the Colosseum, which has remarkable
Forum of Augustus, (2BC)
Even the tiled floors still exist in places. mosaics on the walls and a catacombs sited beneath it. We found this place on our last trip as we were given a tip by Rodney, an Australian medievalist who we stayed with in Spoleto. Our appartment was almost directly over the road on that trip. There was a market operating around the church so we went through that and bought a few things.
After about 4 hours of walking we made our way back to Piazza Venezia for lunch and sat at the corner of this very busy intersection, drinking coffee and sharing a pizza. Chiesa di Gesu was next but we couldn't find it and ended up back at the Pantheon and continued back home from there. That night we had dinner at another trattoria where the food was good but expensive. Italy is by far the most expensive place to visit on this trip but I suppose it's all been worth it. Tomorrow is a lazy day of just cruising the streets and hopefully finding surprises around every corner. Then we take on the Vatican.
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Ian and Anne
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ciao
Hey guys. Loving the blog, especially the Italian leg. Although we did enjoy Budapest, Prague and St Petersburg. Fascinating and beautiful, especially those baths! Your Italian trip is similar to our journey back in 2010 - fly into Milan, dodge the rain at Cinque Terre and train to Rome. So we're loving your tales and great pix. And re-living our own adventures! I'd go back to Milan in a heartbeat, what a place. We even scored some sunny day there, not bad for December. Looks like you had a great, albeit short, visit to Cinque Terre and I reckon you picked the best village in Riamaggiore. Stunning pix. We even enjoyed your train diary, and recalled how we get stuck on a train Genoa and I had climb through the window and then the train from La Spezia decided to go to Pisa instead of Lucca. Glad you had no such dramas. Great pix from Rome too - everything looks so amazing on a sunny day. The Colosseum looks sensational and the Pantheon is a marvel. Shame about Trevi - we got close because it was snowing during our visit. Yep, bringing back many happy memories. Look forward to your Vatican report. St Peter's is the best cathedral I've ever seen - and I'm an athiest! Enjoy, have fun and keep the words and pix coming.