Arrival in Rome

Our departure from the Hotel Indigo was delayed by a couple who had arranged for a private car that arrived late. Nevertheless, we hit the streets with an extended bus tour of Rome on the way to the Colosseum. I was especially interested in the old Circus Maximus, whose course is still visible in the streets of Rome. We drove by the Baths of Caracalla, and the ruins of the Imperial Palace built by Augustus. Arriving at the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Ampitheater, I noticed above us on a hill the site of the Farnese Gardens. These lovely plantings are located on one of the earliest parts of the city to be settled. Our guide Deborah was extremely pleasant and remarkably well informed. She gave us details about the Colosseum and seemed particularly pleased when I asked to see some places where the stucco covered the brick. She had to get a special key to unlock a gate to show me parts of it, but she seemed as interested in it as I was. Glenda noted that the Colosseum makes her sad. She said that she still feels the tormented spirits of the gladiators, prisoners and slaves who died there for the amusement of their captors. Nevertheless, it is a remarkable structure and shows the genius of the Romans for construction and public works.Read more