Roma- Colosseo

It became clear that Mike was not going to get a day off (or two) for us to get to go see Rome together. We were pretty sad his broken helicopter was causing so many problems....but again the point was to be together and that's what we were so it was hard to be too bummed about anything.

BUT, Mike came up with a sweet and genius plan. He couldn't leave, but I could. He told his boss he was going to send me to Rome and bring the kids into the office with him. I was a little hesitant cause I didn't want them to be a pain and I didn't want his boss to hate him and I didn't want the kids to go nuts sitting in a little office all day. Mike assured me it would all be fine...and I really did want to see at least a little bit of Rome.....so I went.

Another one of the pilots wives came and some other family members of a third pilot- they were all held captive at work.

We took the bus into downtown and caught the 7 a.m. train to Rome. It was only an hour and 15 minute train ride and it was a perfect nap. At the train station we bought one day subway passes. All the times I've been in NYC I've always seen foreign tourists trying to figure out the subway machines....and this time I was the foreign tourist! Luckily both the train station and subway station machines were pretty straight forward and easy to use. A friend of ours had given us a little pocket guide to Rome and the subway map on the inside of it was priceless! We decided to start at the Coliseum and take a guided tour. I would have never been able to do a tour with the kids so I was excited to learn! There was almost no one at the Coliseum when we got there and our tour only had about 15 people in it. It was well worth the money!

Some awesome things I learned about the Coliseum:
-It took less than 10 years to build which is just astounding to me!
-The bottom of it could be filled with water for mock sea battles
-I saw a huge cross in the building...which I was confused about because I knew the Romans who built it surely weren't Christians. I learned later that in 1749 it was endorsed by a Pope as a sacred site and marked with the cross.
-The Coliseum held games from 80 A.D. to after 500 A.D.
-The sub levels (built later and ending their mock sea games) held 60 elevators where animals could be lifted onto the floor of the Coliseum all at the same time. I could just imagine gladiators there watching the floor rise and seeing 60 lions, tigers, bears, zebras and wild dogs being lifted up through the floor!
-The HUGE travertine stones used in construction weren't held together by mortar but rather iron clams- most all of which have been taken away. There are huge pockmarks all over the stone walls- where the iron clamps were taken.
-The marble and much of the stone was taken from the Coliseum during many different time periods and used for other things. (What a shame!) In fact, during one part of Roman history- the Coliseum was considered a quarry! In fact, much of the marble was used in the building of St. Peter's and the steps of St. Peters are reused stones from the Coliseum!

The entire area around the Coliseum is surrounded by other ruins- including the Roman forum, the only known gladiator school,and Arch of Constantine. I could have spent the whole day right here learning about all the different ruins. What an amazing old place with so much history. I wondered what all those important senators and emperors would have thought of their beloved building being toured by thousands and thousands of people every year. People who come just to see and marvel and gawk and this frozen piece of history.

Steps up to some of the 50,000+ seats. Showing their age.


Senators got to sit in the front rows. They were protected by a special netting so none of the hungry tigers or bears would change their hunted from a gladiator to a government official.


Me, outside. It was a cool and breezy day. I opted not to bring my big jacket 'cause I often get hot. I was happy I had my scarf and my own personal little heater baby growing inside me....he kept me warm.


Sub levels- and we saw some of the famous "cats of Rome" walking around down there.


Outside archways- missing the marble statues that once adorned them. Melted....and used for other things....what a shame.



Arch of Constantine- built to celebrate Constantine's victory over Maxentius in 312 A.D. The oldest standing triumphal arch standing in Rome.