In May 2016, Debra and I traveled to Europe for the first time. We started our trip with three days of sightseeing in Rome, and then boarded the Celebrity Equinox for a 12-day cruise through the eastern Mediterranean. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Roman Holiday and HERE to read a short introduction to our cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our last day in Rome.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our last day in Rome.
Rome, Italy (May 18, 2016) Debra and I had a whirlwind three days in Rome. We saw many of the main attractions, ate a lot of pasta and gelato, and soaked up the local culture. When we planned our Roman Holiday, we set aside this day to see three monumental sites – the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Trevi Fountain. A “Roman Trifecta!” Our itinerary also included a famous sculpture by Michelangelo. (But then, aren’t they all?!)
We have been blessed with beautiful weather – daytime temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s, mostly sunny skies, no rain, and pleasant evenings. The forecast for this day was more of the same. Picture perfect, I’d say, for the sightseeing ahead of us!
We have been blessed with beautiful weather – daytime temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s, mostly sunny skies, no rain, and pleasant evenings. The forecast for this day was more of the same. Picture perfect, I’d say, for the sightseeing ahead of us!
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We stayed in a flat near Piazza Navona – a beautiful plaza central to everything we did and planned to do. I enjoyed my early morning walks in and around the piazza – a quiet time before the restaurants and stores opened and the streets became crowded with people, mopeds and cars. I walked a different route each morning. This morning I walked to Il Fornaio, a bakery that Debra and I spotted the other day. There, I bought an assortment of fresh pastries and an Americano coffee for breakfast. Deeelishous!
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After breakfast, we walked to a cab stand at the far end of the piazza. There, we hopped in a cab for a 20-minute ride to our first stop – the Colosseum. Driving in Rome was downright scary, as cars, mopeds, and bicycles competed for the same space. And it was scarier yet when pedestrians crossed the road against oncoming traffic and five lanes of traffic quickly merged into three. Perhaps we should have bought rosary beads when we were at St. Peter’s Basilica the other day!
The Colosseum
The Colosseum may be the most iconic symbol of old Rome – if not “in fact”, then certainly based on a Google search, as the Colosseum got top billing. For me, it was numero uno on my list of things to see in The Eternal City, and there we were, facing the Colosseum soon after we exited the cab. I can say with certainty that I was not disappointed. The Colosseum was, well, colossal!
We purchased tickets online before our trip. Why? Because they came with a line pass that granted us immediate access to the Colosseum. I must admit – Debra and I felt “special” when we walked past hundreds of tourists who were waiting in long lines.
The Colosseum may be the most iconic symbol of old Rome – if not “in fact”, then certainly based on a Google search, as the Colosseum got top billing. For me, it was numero uno on my list of things to see in The Eternal City, and there we were, facing the Colosseum soon after we exited the cab. I can say with certainty that I was not disappointed. The Colosseum was, well, colossal!
We purchased tickets online before our trip. Why? Because they came with a line pass that granted us immediate access to the Colosseum. I must admit – Debra and I felt “special” when we walked past hundreds of tourists who were waiting in long lines.
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This three-story amphitheater was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian around 70 A.D. Located in the center of Rome, it was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world. The Colosseum, made of stone and concrete, seated 50,000 people arranged according to social rank. It featured arched entrances and subterranean passages, rooms, and cages. Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum in 80 A.D. with a festival – 100 days of “games” that included gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. If you’ve seen the movie The Gladiator, you know what this was about!
Debra and I walked through an archway (like the one you see at the far end in the photo above) and onto a platform, where we peered into the subterranean structure that was used by gladiators and wild animals alike. It was a virtual labyrinth of passages. How did men and beasts enter the Colosseum? On lifts through vertical shafts that were operated by ropes and pulleys. I wonder if this was where Mr. Otis, founder of Otis Elevators, got his idea for a similar device?
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As we climbed the steep stairs to the second level, we passed decorative “capitals,” which sat atop columns. Debra and I walked through an archway and emerged to the deafening roar of thousands of our fellow Romans citizens. Caesar was seated on the podium at the center of one side, surrounded by the Vestal Virgins, Senators, and other important Romans. We looked at Caesar, and he looked at us. Would we live or would we die? And then we saw that his thumb pointed up. WE WOULD LIVE!
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Times changed, and after four centuries of active use, the once-grand Colosseum fell into neglect and disrepair. Many of the massive stones were used as building materials for other structures, including St. Peter’s Basilica and defensive fortifications along the Tiber River. This “pillaging” of the Colosseum continued into the 18th century. Efforts to restore the Colosseum started in the 19th century; it is an ongoing process.
The Colosseum is only a third of what it once was, yet it was easy for Debra and me to see its former grandeur. I can honestly say that the Colosseum was everything I hoped it would be and more!
Near the Colosseum is Rome’s largest-surviving triumphal arch, the Arch of Constantine. Built in 315, it commemorates Constantine I’s victory over the Roman tyrant Maxentius at the Battel of Milvian Bridge.
The Colosseum is only a third of what it once was, yet it was easy for Debra and me to see its former grandeur. I can honestly say that the Colosseum was everything I hoped it would be and more!
Near the Colosseum is Rome’s largest-surviving triumphal arch, the Arch of Constantine. Built in 315, it commemorates Constantine I’s victory over the Roman tyrant Maxentius at the Battel of Milvian Bridge.
Roman Forum
Via Sacra (“Sacred Road) was the main street in ancient Rome. It led from the Colosseum through the Roman Forum to the top of Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. Debra and I followed Via Sacra to reach the Roman Forum.
The Forum conjures this picture in my mind’s eye: “Important” men in white robes engaged in serious and meaningful discussions on the steps of impressive buildings, while “ordinary” citizens traded goods in a marketplace or gathered socially near fountains and statues. Days of yore, I know, as the Roman Forum is largely rubble. Yet, as Debra and I saw, there were enough walls, columns, and statues to give us a sense of what the Roman Forum once looked like. And, with a bit of our imagination, we saw the Roman Forum in its former glory!
We purchased our tickets and walked through the main gate. The first edifice we saw was the Arch of Titus, built in 82 A.D. by the Emperor Domitran as a commemoration to his father Vespasian and older brother Titus.
Via Sacra (“Sacred Road) was the main street in ancient Rome. It led from the Colosseum through the Roman Forum to the top of Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. Debra and I followed Via Sacra to reach the Roman Forum.
The Forum conjures this picture in my mind’s eye: “Important” men in white robes engaged in serious and meaningful discussions on the steps of impressive buildings, while “ordinary” citizens traded goods in a marketplace or gathered socially near fountains and statues. Days of yore, I know, as the Roman Forum is largely rubble. Yet, as Debra and I saw, there were enough walls, columns, and statues to give us a sense of what the Roman Forum once looked like. And, with a bit of our imagination, we saw the Roman Forum in its former glory!
We purchased our tickets and walked through the main gate. The first edifice we saw was the Arch of Titus, built in 82 A.D. by the Emperor Domitran as a commemoration to his father Vespasian and older brother Titus.
The inscription near the top of the arch is “SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS DIVO TITO DIVI VESPUSIANI F VISPASIANO AUGUSTO” – “the Roman Senate and People to Deified Titus, Vespasian Augustus, son of Deified Vespasian."
As we walked through the Forum, we passed many of the best-known structures, including the Temple of Vesta, The Arch of Septimius Severus, Temple of Romulus, and Temple of Castor and Pollux. We stopped in front of each to read the storyboards, which included visuals that showed what the buildings once looked like.
As we walked through the Forum, we passed many of the best-known structures, including the Temple of Vesta, The Arch of Septimius Severus, Temple of Romulus, and Temple of Castor and Pollux. We stopped in front of each to read the storyboards, which included visuals that showed what the buildings once looked like.
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Most of the buildings in the Forum were destroyed in the early 5th century, around the time that the Roman Empire began its decline. During the Middle Ages, the great Roman Forum was used as a pasture for grazing animals. In 1803, though, it was rediscovered by an archaeologist, and through ongoing excavation, we got a first-hand look at the architectural fragments left behind by the Roman Empire. The Forum was truly magnificent!
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As we exited the Forum, Debra and I looked at one another and said in unison, “It’s time to eat!” The pastries we ate earlier carried us through the Colosseum and Forum, but we needed to refuel before we pushed on. I Googled “restaurants near me” and found a great choice – Ristorante Massenzio Ai Fori. We sat at a table on the outdoor patio, where we had delicious pasta – what else?! – and then shared a gelato for dessert. Now we are ready to take that side-trip I mentioned earlier.
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Michelangelo’s Moses
From the restaurant we followed Via Cavour to a passageway, where we climbed a steep stone staircase and walked a short distance to Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli (“St. Peter in Chains”). It was built in the 5th century to house the relic of St. Peter’s chains, after he was made a prisoner in Jerusalem. We were there, though, to see Moses, a striking marble sculpture carved by Michelangelo’s (1513-1515). This sculpture, which was originally meant to adorn the burial tomb of Pope Julius II, had a striking feature – “horns” adorn Moses’ head. Why? The Hebrew word “karan,” which means “radiated light,” was confused with the Hebrew word “keren,” which means “horns.” |
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Trevi Fountain
We hailed a taxi on Via Cavour and asked the driver to drop us at our flat so we could rest a bit (and perform a small wardrobe change) before we went to the Trevi Fountain, a 15-minute walk from our flat.
We hailed a taxi on Via Cavour and asked the driver to drop us at our flat so we could rest a bit (and perform a small wardrobe change) before we went to the Trevi Fountain, a 15-minute walk from our flat.
This famous fountain, perhaps the most beautiful in the world, is in the Trevi district of Rome. Trevi Fountain was designed by Italian architect Nicoa Salvi and carved from Travertine stone that was quarried in nearby Tivoli. Construction began in 1732 and was completed in 1751. The fountain depicts Oceanus, the god of water, in the center, with Abundance and Salubrity on either side.
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There is a myth about Trevi Fountain: If you hold a coin in your right hand and throw it into the fountain over your left shoulder, you will return to Rome. Sounded good to Debra and me! Our coins joined thousands of others in the basin of the fountain. Like thousands of other people, we hoped that the myth was true – that one day we would return to Rome. (SPOILER ALERT: I'm about to reveal the truth of the myth.) Yes, the myth was true. Debra and I were back in Rome in 2018 for an even longer holiday!
And what about all the euros that people tossed into the fountain? Well, the coins added up to a pretty sum – a million euros per year! This money is donated to Caritas, an organization that feeds Rome’s poor.
And what about all the euros that people tossed into the fountain? Well, the coins added up to a pretty sum – a million euros per year! This money is donated to Caritas, an organization that feeds Rome’s poor.
It was a pleasant evening, but cooler, so I donned a long-sleeve shirt before we headed to dinner. We had found a great restaurant just off Piazza Navona our first night in Rome – La Piccola Cuccagna – and this was where we went for our last meal in Rome. Great food, great service, and we really liked the two managers. It was a wonderful way to end our amazing Roman Holiday!
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The next morning we boarded the Celebrity Equinox to start our 12-day Mediterranean cruise. I look forward to sharing those stories with you. For now, arrivederci!