We started our second day in Rome walking to the Colosseum. On our way, we passed Trajan's column. We marvelled both at the incredible detail work on the column and the fact that Rome is full of so many historic treasures that there were no other tourists there. This city is packed with archeological, artistic, and architectural wonders!
When we reached the Colosseum, the line to buy tickets was about an hour's wait, but fortunately I had read online that there was another place to buy tickets at Palatine hill which had no line at all! The ticket covered entrance to the Colosseum, Palatine hill, and the Roman Forum - where we decided to start. It was like stepping back in time to walk along the same streets that Caesar would have walked along and see the place he was brutally murdered (no pun intended). It is hard to imagine how such a powerful and technologically advanced society could fall - a real Ozymandias moment. The way the sunlight hit the white worn columns was stunning.
We left the Roman forum to grab a bit of lunch at a nice little pizza shop. It was a good chance to get out of the sun however briefly (despite wearing sunscreen, we both got a little sunburned in the Roman forum). We returned to check out the Colosseum, but discovered that - even though we already had our ticket - the line to go through security after buying a ticket was still very long. So we headed up to Palatine hill, laid out my scarf on the grass, and I read Pride and Prejudice to Jeremy.
When we returned to the Colosseum, the line was very short and it was a breeze to get inside. Also, it was literally a breeze as the high arches allowed for great air circulation. As opposed to the intricate art of San Pietro, the Colosseum was primarily a feat of engineering with travertine stone arches and brickwork. However, it was decorated with artistic elements - all three greek columns types surround the outside of the building: Doric on the bottom, Ionic on the next level, and Corinthian on the level above. Inside, most of the main floor is gone, but it is possible to imagine what it would have looked like filled with cheering or jeering fans watching terrible "sports".
I really wanted to see the church of St. Clement that I'd studied in my architecture class, and it was fairly close to the Colosseum, so we walked there next. It's a unique church because it contains four levels of architecture. The foundations are an ancient Roman house which was destroyed in a huge fire that burned Rome in 64AD. On that was built a 1st century church, and you can still see the arched brickwork from that church in a few places. On top of that was a 4th century basilica, and on top of that a 1100AD medieval church. From there, we walked up to Capitoline hill to see the Piazza del Campidoglio which I'd also studied in architecture class. The pattern on the ground is like the spirograph toys that were popular in the 90s.
At this point, Jeremy's tummy was growling and our feet were pretty sore, so we walked across Isola Tiberina to explore the Trastevere neighbourhood for food options. We found a place that made quite possibly the most delicious salad that I have ever eaten. It was the brie. Such glorious brie, slightly warmed, with blueberries, turkey, arugula, and walnuts. We shared this delicious salad along with a simple but tasty pasta, and it hit the spot. Our waiter was also a lot of fun.
As we walked home, we passed a lovely church where a large group of nuns were on their way to go out for dinner at a nearby restaurant. I photographed the group as they walked past the military, of which there are many in every major public center. It represents one of the contrasts that we've seen in Italy - assault rifles and habits.
From Trastevere, we walked back along the river to St. Peter's. We found a quiet bench on the street that leads to St. Peter's and read Pride and Prejudice while the sun went down behind the beautiful church.
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