The Forum and the Coliseum

-- On September 30th --

 

     So we were supposed to go to the Forum and the Coliseum on the same day we went to the Capitoline Museum, but there was a dumb strike that day. The Romans love the sciopero. We had to go on Sunday, which was very annoying at first, but that’s okay. I wasn’t able to go to my usual Sunday Mass, but the Vigil was not crowded at all and the psalm cantor had a beautiful voice, so it was all good.

     So off we were, Sunday morning, towards the Metro. This was the first time I took the lovely B line. By lovely I obviously mean creepy. Take a look at this beautiful train we kind of didn’t want to ride:

  

     It was worth it, though, because the first thing we saw when we stepped out of the station was the Coliseum.

     After waiting for quite a while and finding a vestige of 3^rd Century Peanut M&M’s, we finally entered the Forum with Prof. Lev, one of the coolest teachers ever. She can make just about anything into a witty, sarcastic, and intelligent joke. It's amazing.

 

      Not long after we got there, it started raining. So we had the lovely experience of the ancient Roman Forum in all its... wet splendor. It was still cool, of course, and the rain really wasn't that bad at this point.

Trajan's arch, built after the Romans destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem in the
 first century AD. It even has a relief depicting a menorah on it, which is cool

The emperors' backyard

This is probably my favorite part of the Forum. Look closely at the window of the emperors' palace;
click on the pictures for a larger view if you need to. :D And then tell me that isn't awesome and comforting.

     The next stop was the Coliseum, which we did not have an actual tour of, but just explored on our own. I was actually less impressed once inside than I thought I'd be. Well, downstairs, anyway. Upstairs was pretty cool, though getting there was minorly arduous, thanks to the many and precariously steep stairs.

Best part of the Coliseum. It made me so happy to see a cross on this site
 where so many innocent people had been killed in the name of "entertainment."
The Coliseum has been declared sacred ground, and the Papacy has prevented
it from being torn down, since it is a monument to the martyrs.
 

Though, I have to say, we make a pretty bad bunch of Caesars. Cruel, hearless, and all that.

      Shortly after the group picture was taken, it started raining again, this time harder. It sure didn't dampen Erin's spirits, though!

My roommate having a Titanic moment in the rain, at the Coliseum.
Yeah... Somehow it works, though. :)

     (Although I had lived in Rome from 1997-1998, I had actually never been into the Coliseum until this trip. We drove past it every week to church when we lived here, but never went in.)

     And here is definitely the most humorous part about seeing the Coliseum in the rain:

     A Roman centurion holding a pink umbrella over some lady whose clothes match her umbrella. Tell me that isn't one of the cutest and funniest things you've ever seen. I dare you! :)