Day 60: Rome-ing Around

Start: Rome, ITA
End: Rome, ITA
Miles Driven: 0 (10850.9 total)

Our third day in Rome began with a visit to one of the most popular sites in Rome, the Colosseum. Two thousand years ago, the Colosseum hosted day-long spectacles of wild animal scenes, plays and contests--each performance usually ending in a slave, actor, or gladiator being slain in a gruesome manner. Thousands of Romans would gather for the events and admission was free, a tradition we wished they had kept up for current visitors.

Continuing our tour of Ancient Rome, we made our way to the Palatine and Roman Forum. Walking around the ruins was amazing. We saw columns and arches, the remains of temples and even an athletic stadium.

Next we set out in search of the Catacombs of St. Domitilla. We took the bus to the southern edge of the city...and then got thoroughly, utterly lost. The excursion included dodging crazy Italian drivers, hiking through a muddy field, and narrowly escaping angry guard dogs. Finally making it back to the outskirts of Rome, we were relieved to hop on a bus headed downtown. Unfortunately, five minutes into the drive, the bus driver seemed to be having trouble with the ignition. He put his hands in the air exclaiming "Morto!" and all us passengers were forced to disembark. While trying to decide our next step, we were approached by an Italian woman who insisted on helping us. She dragged us on a bus with her, then pulled us off and dragged us on another, and gave us further detailed instructions of which we did not understand a word. Luckily, Patrick eventually spotted the Colosseum and we hopped off the bus to make our way downtown by foot.
In need of rejuvination, we stopped for a taste of our first Italian gelato--which was absolutely delicious--before finding a restaurant for dinner. We savored every bite of the fresh pasta and bread at our last Italian meal.