Monday 6/13/11
As I told you yesterday we found a grocery store that was open on a Sunday – a Spar, which will be familiar to my British readers. It was a fancy one however, with two stories and an elevator to get down to the basement! Our plan for Monday was to visit the Colosseum in the morning, come home for a bread, salami and cheese lunch, then for Jim and I to hit the Forum while g’pa napped.
We bought a three-day bus ticket that also included free entrance to both of our venues for today: no Simpson’s Tour is complete without this type of ticket, and we really do maximize its value by hopping on public transportation just for the heck of it.
What’s to be said about the Colosseum except wow! 2000 years old, it seated 50,000 spectators, and this morning it sometimes felt like at least ¾ of that number was in the structure while we were. I was struck by the healthy contempt with which people treated ancient stairways and tumbled-down columns, using them for a shady rest stop. When in Rome though… and as you can see we joined the throng.
The Roma PASS allowed us not to wait in line for entry (good tip for any of you who will be in Rome for three days). We also saved $$ by not purchasing teh audio tour guide. We have downloaded Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door Audio Tours for many of the places we'll visit on this trip - another tip for the thrifty traveler - onto our android phone. We wandered around for well over an hour, before riding a bus up to the Piazza di Popolo, hanging around there for a little while then riding the bus back to the Colosseum to catch the bus back “home”.
After lunch, Jim and I headed out again, this time to the Forum. Double wow! I do love archeological sites and antiquities. I really do become overwhelmed at the thought that I am walking where the famous names of long ago walked, and more than that where the great unwashed (of whom I would have been one) lived and laughed and loved. Rick Steves kept us orientated and informed. Shout out also to Miss Cruickshank, my high school Latin teacher, for drumming all that Roman history into our heads 40 years ago.
I am now sipping my late afternoon glass of wine back at the apartment, having uploaded 65 photos from today. I hope you all enjoy the selection I have for you today.
Vatican City tomorrow :)
keeping up with you sipping my G&T while we read your blog Who is the old guy who keeps appearing in your photos ?
ReplyDeleteI remember your love of all the sites we visited in Crete all those years ago. Have a great time
ReplyDeleteYou have set a new standard for blogs. What a trip - I was there is college in Jan. '80. I'm pretty sure there have been no renovations since. It is pretty awesome to think of what has occured on those grounds.
ReplyDeleteGary