*** DISCLAIMER: BRENT DID NOT PROOF READ!!!***
Our first day in Rome, we were pretty excited! The first thing that we HAD to do of course was the Colluseum! The metro stop stops right outside so when you get off this is what you see!! It wasn't quite as tall as I always thought it would be but it was just as spectacular.
There was an exhibit inside that told you what a typical day look like at the stadium! It would first start out with a parade of the people sentenced to death (which included floats and musicians and things) and then there would be acts for the whole morning to entertain the people. Around lunch time they would finally execute the people and then after the fighting would commence! The next day it would start all over again and sometimes it last for over 120 days!
The fights actually began as a re enactment of the Roman defeat over different territories, but eventually evolved into more! These are some of the original stairs up to the viewing areas. They are pretty worn down now but I think we could still make them up!
Little history, no every gladiator was the same. they would chose which kind they were and then get weapons accordingly. I forget which type this armor represents but I like it because he has a trident, and I would TOTALLY fight with a trident.
This is the view of the coliseum from the top. you can see in the far side the part of the stage that has been restored. The underground tunnels used to be compartments to house different mechanical devices used for the show as well as animals. They would bring in a ton of different animal (usually from the territories they conquered) to fight against the gladiator. Emu's, bears, Lion's, cheetah's were all included in the list of animals once present here at the stadium.
This is who Brent would choose, good old sword with one are in a cast with a rounded blade on the end. most gladiators were slaves who were forced to fight, sometimes for their freedom but not always. Most never lived past a few fights and rarely made it to 30 (the average age of death back then).
There are any lions left here but there is something more fericious! That is right the TERRIBLE KITTY CAT! We saw two or three just laying around and I can't blame them! When you have a play structure this big who is to say that you don't get to run wild! I miss Caliah like alot! (The Kitty is on the gray rock in the very bottom of the picture...)
This is gorgeous view from the second level. Much like Shakespeare Globe theatre in London, people were also sat according to their class with the Royatly in their own private viewing box!
After the coliseuim we wandered past the Roman Forum and took some great pictures! There is a lot that remains there. I am always amazed at how some people decided to make their home and 2000 years later we can still walk through it!
After the Roman Forum we were walking and ran into this! Okay, we didn't just run into the Ministry of Defense but we were walking along the side, turned our head and realized it was kinda a big deal!
We were allowed in, so we wandered. Our buildings back in the USA do not have as much detail COMBINED as one of these types of building in Europe! I am not sure when this building was made but the statues, fountains and eternal flames all in one spot was pretty awesome!
This statue was just inside the entry way.
After we finished at the Defense building (which actually wasn't guarded very well) Brent was really happy that we were able to find this church! Now on this Europe tour we have seen a lot of Churches (LIKE ALOT!) and this one didn't really make my most exciting list from the outside. In fact none of the churches look that amazing from the outside, they are all kinda bland... until you go inside...
Then you get this...
and this...
and this...
It feels like there is so much detail in one section of wall that you could spend all day just studying it, trying to take it all in! It was very very gorgeous and overwhelming. This was in the book Angels and Demons. Since Brent read the book recently he gave me the run down because it has been forever since I finished it! Just know it was important!
Wandering is kinda our thing. We tried to make an organized plan in London and it just didn't work so we wander and for the most part we really wander into everything we want to see, including this (KALEN LOOK IT IS AN ELEPHANT!). Bernini's Elephant to be exact! He was a Catholic sponsored Artist who designed sculptures for the churches (yes that is another church in the back, but it doesn't really look like it again).
For Lunch we sat on the edge of the Panthenon and ate some bread from breakfast as well as yogurt and chips. I took a little chunk of bread and threw it to the birds... Well the chunk was to big or there were to many birds because they all had a field day trying to steal the piece from each other! A couple other people came and took pictures so it was a pretty big deal!
Once inside the Panthenon we just stopped and took pictures and basically enjoyed the general splendor! Brent told me that this was once used as a place for pegan rituals but when the catholic church took it over they turned it into one of their holy sites! Rapheal the artist (and the ninja turtle) is buried here and I really like the incription on it from the King of that time. It says "Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, fear that she herself would die." Thought it was very poetic!
This is Brent by the tomb!
This is the cieliing. The whole inside is very bright because of this whole. This is said to be where pegan worshipers let out evil spirits into the world!
After some time in the Panthenon we took a stroll down some alley's. Rome is a great place to stroll. There were little shops EVERYWHERE and so we took some time in each one! I am pretty much pro at souvinor shopping now! We kept strolling until we found this little hidden treasure! The Trevi fountain!
They say that throwing a coin over your right shoulder will ensure love forever (like I need a coin to ensure that!) so I took a throw! Brent chose not to partake!
It was gorgeous! The water is so crystal blue and there are people EVERYWHERE!
Off one of the sides there were little carved caves with water shooting from the walls. These are how all the drinking fountains are here! We ALWAYS take advantage of free water when we can! Usually, it is pretty delicious!
Finding cool fountains in the middle of the street is something we don't have in Portland or Utah, but in Europe it feels like they are EVERYWHERE!
This is Pyramid of Gaius. He built it for himself as a tomb in the B.C... I think he was onto something but this seems pretty minor for what I have in mind!
Of course we had to eat out, and because of budget we hit up the MICKEY D's! I just had a hamburger but Brent Splurges on the mozzerella burger. I didn't care for it but he enjoyed the change of taste!
These are the Spanish Steps! Talk about hugely famous! They are known EVERYWHERE! Brent told me that some people make a pilgrimage up the steps on their knees. We went into the church at the top and listened to a service, which was a lot different than what I am used to. It was very enlightening.
This is the Square where we transfer from Suburban train to urban train! There are Huge statues and Street performers! Tonight was a statue and a Micheal Jackson impersonator... He could have been a little more committed in my eyes!
Overall it was a great day in Rome, We kept feeling like we are missing out on something HUGE and maybe we don't feel like we have done it right because we still haven't made it to the Vatican (which is tomorrow!) hopefully then we can feel like we have seen Rome all the way through!
Our first day in Rome, we were pretty excited! The first thing that we HAD to do of course was the Colluseum! The metro stop stops right outside so when you get off this is what you see!! It wasn't quite as tall as I always thought it would be but it was just as spectacular.
There was an exhibit inside that told you what a typical day look like at the stadium! It would first start out with a parade of the people sentenced to death (which included floats and musicians and things) and then there would be acts for the whole morning to entertain the people. Around lunch time they would finally execute the people and then after the fighting would commence! The next day it would start all over again and sometimes it last for over 120 days!
The fights actually began as a re enactment of the Roman defeat over different territories, but eventually evolved into more! These are some of the original stairs up to the viewing areas. They are pretty worn down now but I think we could still make them up!
Little history, no every gladiator was the same. they would chose which kind they were and then get weapons accordingly. I forget which type this armor represents but I like it because he has a trident, and I would TOTALLY fight with a trident.
This is the view of the coliseum from the top. you can see in the far side the part of the stage that has been restored. The underground tunnels used to be compartments to house different mechanical devices used for the show as well as animals. They would bring in a ton of different animal (usually from the territories they conquered) to fight against the gladiator. Emu's, bears, Lion's, cheetah's were all included in the list of animals once present here at the stadium.
This is who Brent would choose, good old sword with one are in a cast with a rounded blade on the end. most gladiators were slaves who were forced to fight, sometimes for their freedom but not always. Most never lived past a few fights and rarely made it to 30 (the average age of death back then).
There are any lions left here but there is something more fericious! That is right the TERRIBLE KITTY CAT! We saw two or three just laying around and I can't blame them! When you have a play structure this big who is to say that you don't get to run wild! I miss Caliah like alot! (The Kitty is on the gray rock in the very bottom of the picture...)
This is gorgeous view from the second level. Much like Shakespeare Globe theatre in London, people were also sat according to their class with the Royatly in their own private viewing box!
After the coliseuim we wandered past the Roman Forum and took some great pictures! There is a lot that remains there. I am always amazed at how some people decided to make their home and 2000 years later we can still walk through it!
After the Roman Forum we were walking and ran into this! Okay, we didn't just run into the Ministry of Defense but we were walking along the side, turned our head and realized it was kinda a big deal!
We were allowed in, so we wandered. Our buildings back in the USA do not have as much detail COMBINED as one of these types of building in Europe! I am not sure when this building was made but the statues, fountains and eternal flames all in one spot was pretty awesome!
This statue was just inside the entry way.
After we finished at the Defense building (which actually wasn't guarded very well) Brent was really happy that we were able to find this church! Now on this Europe tour we have seen a lot of Churches (LIKE ALOT!) and this one didn't really make my most exciting list from the outside. In fact none of the churches look that amazing from the outside, they are all kinda bland... until you go inside...
Then you get this...
and this...
and this...
It feels like there is so much detail in one section of wall that you could spend all day just studying it, trying to take it all in! It was very very gorgeous and overwhelming. This was in the book Angels and Demons. Since Brent read the book recently he gave me the run down because it has been forever since I finished it! Just know it was important!Wandering is kinda our thing. We tried to make an organized plan in London and it just didn't work so we wander and for the most part we really wander into everything we want to see, including this (KALEN LOOK IT IS AN ELEPHANT!). Bernini's Elephant to be exact! He was a Catholic sponsored Artist who designed sculptures for the churches (yes that is another church in the back, but it doesn't really look like it again).
For Lunch we sat on the edge of the Panthenon and ate some bread from breakfast as well as yogurt and chips. I took a little chunk of bread and threw it to the birds... Well the chunk was to big or there were to many birds because they all had a field day trying to steal the piece from each other! A couple other people came and took pictures so it was a pretty big deal!
Once inside the Panthenon we just stopped and took pictures and basically enjoyed the general splendor! Brent told me that this was once used as a place for pegan rituals but when the catholic church took it over they turned it into one of their holy sites! Rapheal the artist (and the ninja turtle) is buried here and I really like the incription on it from the King of that time. It says "Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, fear that she herself would die." Thought it was very poetic!
This is Brent by the tomb!
This is the cieliing. The whole inside is very bright because of this whole. This is said to be where pegan worshipers let out evil spirits into the world!
After some time in the Panthenon we took a stroll down some alley's. Rome is a great place to stroll. There were little shops EVERYWHERE and so we took some time in each one! I am pretty much pro at souvinor shopping now! We kept strolling until we found this little hidden treasure! The Trevi fountain!
They say that throwing a coin over your right shoulder will ensure love forever (like I need a coin to ensure that!) so I took a throw! Brent chose not to partake!
It was gorgeous! The water is so crystal blue and there are people EVERYWHERE!
Off one of the sides there were little carved caves with water shooting from the walls. These are how all the drinking fountains are here! We ALWAYS take advantage of free water when we can! Usually, it is pretty delicious!
Finding cool fountains in the middle of the street is something we don't have in Portland or Utah, but in Europe it feels like they are EVERYWHERE!
This is Pyramid of Gaius. He built it for himself as a tomb in the B.C... I think he was onto something but this seems pretty minor for what I have in mind!
Of course we had to eat out, and because of budget we hit up the MICKEY D's! I just had a hamburger but Brent Splurges on the mozzerella burger. I didn't care for it but he enjoyed the change of taste!
These are the Spanish Steps! Talk about hugely famous! They are known EVERYWHERE! Brent told me that some people make a pilgrimage up the steps on their knees. We went into the church at the top and listened to a service, which was a lot different than what I am used to. It was very enlightening.
This is the Square where we transfer from Suburban train to urban train! There are Huge statues and Street performers! Tonight was a statue and a Micheal Jackson impersonator... He could have been a little more committed in my eyes!
Overall it was a great day in Rome, We kept feeling like we are missing out on something HUGE and maybe we don't feel like we have done it right because we still haven't made it to the Vatican (which is tomorrow!) hopefully then we can feel like we have seen Rome all the way through!
2 comments:
The Colosseum is amazing. You're going to be so happy you've taken so many pictures. And I love your scarf, Mal.
If I remember correctly, the colesium also had boat fights. They would seal up the floor and all gates then flood the floor and have boats fighting in the arena. But I did learn about the colesium in the fourth grade so that details are a little fuzzy. Very cool that you guys go to experience this!
Post a Comment