Rome After a short train ride (the Leonardo Express) from the Airport to the main station in Rome (Termenii) we checked into our hotel, left the luggage and headed out for a walk to the Colosseum. It was 32˚C, brilliant sun, no hats - what could go wrong? It was a seriously hot trek back to the hotel . The next day we used the hop-on-hop-off bus to get around - a much better option.
left and below The Colosseum is big - much larger than I had expected it to be. There were large crowds of visitors taking advantage of the free admission on that day giving just a glimpse of what it must of been like in Roman times.
I guess the Colosseum is always under restoration. There were elaborate scaffolds around the projects of interest. In some areas (below) one could see the restored area next to the old surfaces.
below The wooden floor of the arena covered a maze of passages called the "Hypogeum." Wild animals in cages, for example, could be raised quickly into view. The Colosseum could support many types of spectacles including mock sea battles. Seating capacity? An impressive 50,000.
below This ornate building houses the Supreme Court of Italy. With every surface decorated this is architecture on steroids.
below St. Peter's Square - By mid-morning the large square was largely filled with people. Some walking but most waiting in long lines as the tour groups waited for their opportunity. Although lots of friendly folk offered us, for the price of a private tour, a quicker entry we decided to leave St. Peter's for another visit to Italy. We don't do crowds well.
right The Spanish Steps - It's getting close to noon and the day is heating up. There are lots of younger people around seeking some shade and a place to sit. The Steps seem ideal for both needs.
At the top of the steps is a church under renovation and behind the camera is the Fountain of the Ugly Boat, also under renovation. The Trevi Fountain was similarly behind scaffolding and under wraps...quite disappointing.
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