So today I woke up around 7am and headed down for breakfast around 7.30am. Coz I want to take a walk to the colosseum around 8.15am.... it takes about 25min to stroll there i think... coz i never know if along the way i'll stop to see stuffs... hahaha.... but i aimed to reach the colosseum around 9am... coz i believe that is the time that they open for visitors.
breakfast at the hotel was pretty ok.... I mean with a mediocre spread of stuffs... cereals, bread, pastry, cakes.... it was ok....I ate a pretty heavy breakfast... coz I never know when I'll stop for lunch and whether I will visit a pizzeria for something....After breakfast, I strolled to the colosseum, taking the route that I took yesterday when i was roaming around the city.... hahaha.....finally i stood in front of Colosseum! Apparently it was already opened for visitation! even though it was about 8.45am! Anyway i got into queue to purchase my ticket. I did not buy the Roma pass as I foresee that I would not be able to make use of it to the max.... Coz when you purchase the Roma Pass you get to visit 2 museums for free and all the transportation within Rome city area is free for 3 days.... and visiting other museums you'll get the discount.... but for me... because my visit to Rome was split into 2 parts... so I will not be able to visit more museums than the ones that I've already set my sights on... hahaha.....
Colourful Roman houses seen along my walk to Colosseum
Colosseum in the morning sun!
So very soon i got my ticket and got into the colosseum. It cost 12€ for the ticket. You get to visit the Colosseum, Palatino Hill and the Roman forum. it was ok.... i guess.... so i've planned that I will visit all these 3 places until around 1pm or so... then I'll make my way to Trastevere, where Francesca, Emanuel & Emanuel's dad had told me numerous times about this part of Rome being very beautiful. So go there I must... =D
When I entered Colosseum, I must say that I'm totally awed by the majesticity by it.... and the fact that its so rich in history.... and me standing in a place where many many years ago was where a gladiator was honoured for the victory or gave up his life in the duels with men and wild beasts in the maze.... or people were excuted here.... or re-enactment of famous battles or classical Greek mythology or sea-battles (yup! the Romans had the sort of technology that was able to flood the maze)......to me it was a pretty overwhelming feeling... hahaha... I just don't know how to describe it.... Standing in the region that has sort of like a platform, I can imagine the noises, shouts, applause, pandemonium etc. of all the spectators since ancient time....
1st level of Colosseum
Inside Colosseum
That's me inside Colosseum
The maze that gladiators had to go through in order to emerge victorious or subject to death
Steep steps that spectators had to climbed to view the games taking place
Another thing that amazed me was the fact that the Romans were able to built this amazing structure.... hmmmm.... I guess the people who built it then were the slaves from Africa, Middle East.... but mainly the slaves from Africa.
Exihibition inside the Colosseum
Ancient World map during the Roman Empire era!
Structure of Colosseum
Wall frescos of gladiators in action on display
Ancient Roman mosiac
Shackles wore by slaves. The 2 bigs on the right were retrived from a man from Pompeii
Mosiac of gladiators & wild beasts
After walking around the Colosseum and viewing the exhibition on display (on the history of the Colosseum) i made my way to Palatino Hill. This is one of the 7 hills in Rome... and its the centermost hill in Rome. Over here there are more ruins.... According to Roman mythology, Palatino hill has a cave... and its in this cave that the twins Romolus and Remus were found by the she-wolf which kept them alive. Romulus was the person who built Rome..... hahha... no prize for guessing how Rome came about with the name.... From Romulus of course! =P
Exiting colosseum. heading to Palatino Hill
Pebbled walkway in front of Arco di Constantino
Closed up view of the sculptures on Arco di Constantino
Arco di Constantino
Entrance to Palatino Hill
According to archaeologists, Palatine House was the birthplace of the 1st Roman Emperor, Augustus. One building that archaelogists belived to be the residence of Augustus' wife, Livy, was undergoing restoration.... in Jan 2007, 1 archaelogist, Irene Iacopi, announced that she probably found the legendary Luprecal cave, where it was mentioned in Roman mythology/stories that this was the place where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf.
Map of Palatino Hill
on Palatino Hill. Overlooking to 1 side of Rome. the Round structure in the center of the photo is the Temple of Hercules
Ruins on Palatino Hill
Ancient Roman mosiac. Most had decayed and replaced by the green moss
Peek-a-boo
this is Agustus house
Stadium of Palatino
Colosseum & Arco di Constantino
Arco di Tito. This is on the opposite side of Arco di Constantino. You got to pass it in order to get to the Roman Forum
Carvings on the ceiling of the Arc
Basilica of Maxentius
Roman Forum
Temple of Romolo
Temple of Romolo
Another temple (can't remember what is this temple's name)
Walkway inside of the Roman Forum
Probably I grew up reading all the greek mythology... so I've always been fascinated with these ancient ruins. Apparently, this place for many centuries was the center of Roman life, the place where gladiator matches took place, criminal trial, venue for public speeches, triumphnal processions etc. Over here, there are ancient temples built to honour gods, and even there was a site where it an altar was built to honour Julius Cesear. It was mentioned that it was at this site that Julius Cesar was cremated. However, it was only several years later that this altar was built. However, the altar was hugely destroyed in the civil war after his death..... so basically the altar was also in ruins.
Altar of Julius Cesear
Hmmmm guess was where Julius Cesear was cremated
Temple of Castor and Pollux
Tempio di Saturno
Part of a column on the ground
Teatro di Marcello
Close up view of the ancient walls of the Theater
Next I made my way to Tiber Island.... hahaha... you must be wondering where is this island in Rome? Or if such an island exist? hahaha... definitely so..... if you look carefully on the map. Tiber island is situated on the southern bend of the Tiber River. it has somesort of a small boat shaped... You can get only get there via 2 bridges Ponte Fabrico and Ponte Cestio.
River scene. The white pavement below is the walkway. People sunbathing under the hot sun
There are not much things to see on this isle.... hmmm... there is one church.... San Bartolomeo.... Hmmm....not as majestic as some of the churches I saw on mainland though.... But what interested me was there were people sitting or walking on the river banks! And these walkways along the river banks are lower than the land that the buildings were constructed on.
Basilica Sant Bartomello
Inside Basilica of Sant Bartomello
So I tried to find my way there... and finally I saw a flight of steps leading down... As usual because of my curiosity... I went down the steps.... and got onto the walkway! hahaha... I must say it was a pretty intesting walkway... And that day, the weather in Rome was supper sunny... so there many people, tourists, Italians basking under the sun.... Its good to see the sun! I mean over in CPH, you hardly get to see such gorgious weather! =P
I also saw a couple of boys playing in the river.... Hmmm... I dared on touch the river water... coz i think it should be pretty dirty... considering the rubbish that were clinging on the branches of trees along the river bank.... and things floating in the water... But I must say the river currents were pretty strong....
2 boys playing along the riverbank
After that I had to climb the flight of steps up to get back to mainland....From there, I walked further west and got myself in Trastevere. hmmmm.... I must say, ok, Trastevere is not much different from the numerous parts of Rome that I saw..... But it's the winding, back alleys that are more picturesque i must say....I walked down via della Lucia and climbed another hill again! hahaha.... this hill i climbed was Janiculum Hill and got to Piazza Sant Pietro in Monotorio. Hmmm,... over here I was able to look down at Rome... the scenery different from the ones that I saw on Capitoline hill or from Pincio hill.... I guess every hill provides a different panaromic view of Rome! =D
1 of the numerous small alleys in Travestere
Steps leading up to Piazza Sant Pietro in Monotorio
looking down at the Rome
By then my legs were really aching from all the kms of walk I had done for the past few days.... but I told my self to walk a little more to see if there are more things to see... So heading up the slope, I came to a monument Porta San Prancrazio. It was nothing much... walking further again... I came to a nice monument...that had a huge fountain. This was the Font Aqua Paola. This fountain was rebuilt and extend the aquaduct by Pope Paul V, in the hopes of creating clean drinking water for the people living on Janiculum Hill.
Porta San Prancrazio
Fontana Aqua Paola
Right in front of Fontana Aqua Paola, was an open space that had a panaromic view of Rome. hmmm... I guess u can see most of the iconic monuments here..... but not the Colossuem though... coz it was being blocked by the trees there... hahaa.....
Another panaromic view of Rome
After snapping a few photos... I decided to make my way to 1 more iconic monument in Trastevere. It was Santa Maria in Trastevere. This is a minor basilica. Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churces of Rome.... and it is the 1st church that Mass was openly celebrated.
Basilica di Santa Maria in Travestere
Piazza of Santa Maria in Travestere
inside Santa Maria in Travestere
Finally I could get back to the other side of Rome... hahaha.... So i decided to make my way to Campio dei Fiori. Well... this piazza is pretty similar to Piazza Navona. Apparently this piazza was for commercial and street culture in the past. Executions used to be held in this particular Piazza. One of the person who was executed here was the philosopher Giordano Bruno. He was burnt alive for hersey and all his works were placed on the index of 'Forbidden Books' by the Holy Office. In fact one distinct monument in this piazza is the erect statue of Giordano Bruno on the place where he was burnt to death.
One of the small alleys i walked to get to campio dei Fiori
Piazza Campio dei Fiori. That's the statue of Giordano Bruno
After this, I decided to call it day.... and walked my last time through Via del Corso, get to Fontana di Trevi. hmmmm... this proved to be a bad decision on my part. Coz never in my life had i ever seen so many many people! it was just amazing and yet terrible! hahaha.... I mean now I know where Romans like to visit on their Sat & Sun! and all the jostling and pushing... hmmm... everyone just wanted to get a look or a picture of the Fontana di Trevi! I have to agree that this indeed one of the most visited Fountains in the world!
Fontana di Trevi and the sea of people
Finally i decided to head back to the hotel... but there is 1 thing that I needed to get... and that is a fridge magnet! hahaha.... I think I've got a weakness for such magnets... I mean magnets that holds the iconic structure or theme of the country I visit... Coz almost every country I visit I will definitely get a fridge magnet. So I walked quite a fair bit to find a good souvenir shop to get my magnet. After this, I headed back to the hotel and stopped by a pizzeria to get my Funghi Pizza! yup my dinner for tonight!And tomorrow I fly back to Copenhagen! =D
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