Early this morning we joined in on the Roman morning ritual of cornetto e caffé before hopping into a streetcar that brought us to the Colosseum. Our tour did not begin for another hour so I followed Hans around while he took pictures and I focused on keeping my ears from freezing and falling off of my head. The sunshine provided limited warmth and there was a persistent cold breeze. This is the trade-off of vacationing in February.
This particular tour that I'd signed us up for included a look below the old arena floor. It would have been nice to see a little more of the underground pathways but at present they are surrounded by scaffolding for a near-constant restoration and archaeological project. Our guide told me that the building is leaning ever so slowly because it was built on an old marsh.
It was fun to enjoy a low-key Forum. I overhead a woman saying to her friend that it was an exceptionally nice day because in the summer there is almost no shade and the heat makes exploration "challenging". I couldn't agree more, based on previous experience!
The Colloseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill took up the whole day! As the sun began to set we walked back to Testaccio. We relaxed for a bit before walking a few blocks over to a local pizza joint, Da Remo.
They have a reputation for being a bit testy and brash at this particular pizzeria. Our server was moderately patient as we placed our order but when he turned away he rolled his eyes, muttered "au revoir", and completely ignored the two women sitting at the table next to us who tried to flag him down. That being said, the pizza was quite delicious and we had some fried olives that were stuffed with meat. That's a good day.
Being on a tour grants you the privilege of walking on a portion of the modern stage.
From here you get a close view of the Senators' seats, still inscribed with their names.
Underground at the Colosseum
From one of the upper decks you could see into the old Forum
The Temple of Venus (left) may have been the largest ancient Roman temple
Arch of Constantine and details
Looking back from the Forum
The Basilica of Maxentius is huge!
Hans for scale
These tiled floors on Palatine Hill have heaved with the ground over time
Temple of Apollo, St. Peter's dome visible from the distance
The Eternal Seagull City!
When your Palatine is so big it has its own racetrack
Overlooking Circus Maximus to the south
Arch of Titus detail underneath
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