 |
| Cycle race past the Colosseum |
Bike races seem to be a recurring theme of this holiday! Before leaving home we already knew that we would be in Florence at th same time as the International Cycling Championships, but as we walked down the road this morning towards the Colosseum we were almost run over by a huge crowd of lycra-clad cyclists heading in the opposite direction! We had wondered why such a major road was closed to traffic and as they rolled by we realised we’d stumbled across another race.
We bypassed that crowd to discover another mob of people outside the Colosseum, but these guys were distinctly military. Clealy some regimental gathering or celebration for soldiers of the Italian army, they looked gorgeous in their uniforms and feathered hats. The final crowd to negotiate was the tourists lined up to get in to the monument – but fortunately we had the “Rome Pass” so in our best Disney “fast-pass” manner we walked past the long line and straight in via the special reserved entrance.
 |
| Unmistakable landmark! |
We listened to an audio tour and strolled around the massive monument, trying to visualise the gladiators, the blood thirsty crowd and the nobles enjoying the drama. When we left I told Neil that now I finally felt that I’d REALLY been to Rome.
The Palatine Hill ( which contains the ruined remains of various imperial palaces and gardens) was a cool, green relief after the mob at the Colosseum. We climbed to the top so we could look down on the very little that remains of the Circus Maximus -no chariots races these days, just one lonely jogger.
 |
| Wandering down the Palatine Hill |
 |
| The ancient Romans really knew how to work with water! |
 |
| On the way to the Forum… |
Down in the Roman Forum we walked the ancient Via Sacra and listened to an excellent Rick Steve’s Audio Tour which really made sense of the jumble of ruins. We stood on the spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death and admired the pools in the gardens of the Vestal Virgins ( who really had a strong motivation for chastity – they were buried alive if they left the path of good virtue!)
We were really feeling the heat when we left the Forum, so after climbing the steps to Capitoline Hill we rested out weary bones for a little while on the marble steps outside the Mayors palace and admired the piazza that was designed by Michelangelo. We had planned to go to the top of the Vittorio Emmanuelle II Monument but the queue was long so we headed back to the hotel for a siesta instead!
 |
| Vittorio Emmanuelle II Monument |
 |
| The ghetto |
Later we wandered around getting lost in the streets of the Jewish Ghetto and sat to eat a panini on the wall beside the Pantheon,before heading back to our favourite gelateria for an afternoon snack. (Ginger and Chocolate this time, and we have since discovered that our favourite place is one of the best-rated gelaterias in Rome) Then we strolled around with no clear route and enjoyed the quiet back lanes – every time we turned a corner we’d discover another little piazza with a little restaurant or bar.
We popped up to the rooftop terrace of the hotel for a drink before dinner and a per-dinner nibble, but the atmosphere was so nice and the cheese plate so abundant that we decided to spend the evening there instead!
 |
| A perfect night in Rome |
