Rome, Italy Part 2
Today’s Destination is: Rome, Italy Part 2
Today’s Misstep- I took the wrong subway train twice in Rome and was challenged with a meeting spot.
Travel Advice: Stop for Gelato anytime.
FAQ: Is the Vatican really a country?
Answer: Yes, the world’s smallest. The territory is surrounded by the Italian capital city Rome, and priests and nuns of many nationalities make up almost all of the population. It’s about 100 acres, so small, but I think it has it’s own soccer team, not in FIFA, but they play friendlies.
Is the Vatican Army a real army? Yes, the Swiss Guards are a trained military force that will uphold its duty to protect the Pope should any forces threaten him.
Today’s destination: Rome, Italy Part 2
On day 3, I went to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.
Women sat above. Close to the exit are the best seats—the stage also had some trap doors.
Flavian Theatre
Elliptical forum
up to 80k people could fit here.
Travertine foundation stone, which was brought from 30km away.
51 meters tall, and each arch is numbered. There are 80 doors, four not numbered.
Special Emporer Entrance. The unexpected highlight was seeing how much construction was going on outside the building, and I’m sure they found many artifacts while digging.
Doric columns and more can be found in show notes for reference.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/colosseum/
https://www.thecolosseum.org/architecture/
https://www.thecolosseum.org/visit/
The Colosseum is surrounded by other beautiful and famous monuments, such as:
The Arch of Constantine is a triumphalist arch dedicated to the Emperor of the same name. It sits right next to the Colosseum and doesn’t require a ticket.
The Domus Aurea, the remains of the grand palace of the emperor Nero, was built in 68 AD. It can only be visited as part of a guided tour.
The Roman Circus, aka the Circus Maximus, is the ground-level remains of an ancient chariot racing stadium. It is said that it could seat 150,000 spectators during the Empire’s heyday. It is best viewed from the Palatine Hill.
The Palatine Hill houses the archeological remains of many ancient Roman palaces and temples and offers a great view of the surrounding area. You can visit it with the same ticket as the Colosseum.
The Roman Forum, or Foro Romano, used to be the center of Rome. It was a plaza where trade, politics, parades, and entertainment were conducted. You can visit and view its many archaeological remains with the same ticket as the Colosseum.
My visit in Rome was unplanned for the rest of the day. So I jumped on a bus, number 85, to an unknown destination. I found the Trevi Fountain. Then I took a circular bus 119, a minibus, that brought me up, down, and all around town. It dropped into a Plaza, so I got off. I found a Ferrari auto exhibit, then a DaVinci museum. It was very cool to interact with the exhibits. This was one of my favorite parts of exploring Rome, finding what’s cool, like an air-conditioned museum.
Then I found a subway, saw the Spanish Steps, had lunch there, and a gelato.
I went for a walk that evening. I saw what the locals were doing. I walked the neighborhood. Water is free from nearly 2000 fountains all over the city.
On my next day in Rome, I attended mass at 8 a.m. at the third-largest church. I prayed for a safe and educational experience in Italy for the next few weeks.
Today’s Misstep: I took the wrong subway train twice in Rome and was challenged with a meeting spot.
I am bad at directions, so even with all my map apps working, I still took the wrong subway train twice. I eventually found it. I had difficulty finding the “meeting spot” for the Colosseum Tour. It was not close to the entrance, so I had to return to the Metro Station and take the stairs to find it. Next time, ask for more guidance and be relaxed, even if you are lost.
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