We woke up early on day 3 to get everyone up & ready for some adventures in Rome.
Trek woke up extra early to run 5 miles around the castle & to try to find bus tickets to last us throughout the day. After visiting 3 different stores that supposedly sold bus tickets, he finally got his hands on 16 to get us to the Colosseum.
We had to laugh at our hotel's idea of a "continental breakfast." There was a package of "toast" (more like croutons), some sample size jams, & shelf stable milk. One thing I love about my kids is that they just go with the flow & make the best of it. We ate up those crouton like toasts & drank some milk & were ready to explore.
We made sure the rest of the family on the 2nd floor was up & running & then we ran to the bus stop around the corner from our apartments to catch the bus at 7:45. Thank heavens Trek had figured out the bus ticket situation otherwise they wouldn't have let us on the bus.
We got off right in front of the Colosseum & found our way to the tour meeting point. We were SO excited to see Tylee, Drew, & Olive there. We were supposed to meet up the night before, but because our train was delayed so late, we didn't get a chance to see them. It was SO exciting when all the cousins saw each other & ran toward each other for hugs. I love family.
The Colosseum tour was a 3 hour tour of the Colosseum including the area floor, the Roman Forum, & Palantine Hill. Our tour guide started us off by walking toward the Colosseum.
All around this area of Rome are so many beautiful structures everywhere you look. It's one big history lovers dream. Trek & I were in heaven.
Just like the day before, the sun was out in full force. By 9am it was already 93 degrees outside. We were melting, but kept ourselves hydrated the best we could.
From the Colosseum, our tour guide let us look out over Rome. There were ancient statues, structures, buildings, & monuments everywhere you looked.
Trek got REALLY excited when he realized he could see Trajan's Column. Trajan is Trek's favorite Roman Emperor. The column is made of marble & is carved with all of Trajan's accomplishments curving around the structure. It's incredible.
After hearing a little about the history of the Colosseum, we made our way inside.
Everything was fascinating to me. . . even the way they laid the bricks was interesting.
Once we made it down to the area floor, the guide showed us the original seating. This little section is all that remains of the original seating, but it's amazing. The benches were marble & rock & had numbers inscribed on all the rows. This is literally where stadium seating was born. We still use this system in theaters, playhouses, concert halls, & more.
The arena floor was crazy. We could see up close & personal the areas where they'd keep the wild animals, the slaves, & even some of the gladiators. There were trap doors that they'd use to lift them up into the arena. It was truly a incredible of the engineering of that day.
After exploring the arena floor, we made our way around the other floors of the Colosseum. I was amazed by the beautiful tile mosaic work all around as well as some of the original columns & carvings they've found over the years.
After exploring the inside for an hour, we made our way back outside again.
It truly is a magnificent building.
Then we were off to the 2nd half of our tour. . . The Roman Forum & Palantine Hill.
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