I didn't sleep well on Thursday night, probably due to jet lag, excitement and our four-hour-long "nap." But still managed to wake up on Friday ready for the day.
We had booked the Colosseum Dungeons tour through TickItaly.com., so we already had a place to be by 9:30 a.m. We took advantage of the continental breakfast in the hotel's lounge, and started walking to the Colosseum.
This was probably the one place in Italy I could have navigated to by myself. Directions were basically:
1. Turn left out hotel door and walk two blocks.
2. Turn left and walk toward the really, really, really big building at the end of the street.
Since we had pre-booked tickets, we were able to skip the standard queue (which were already starting to look pretty scary), and we were through the gates in under 10 minutes. This is another one of those places that never comes across on scale through photos or film-- it. is. huge.
Exploring the Colosseum.
There were about 15 people in our tour group, mostly Americans. Strangely, everyone in the group who we spoke to had an Iowa connection! One woman grew up in Ames, another had family in Marshalltown. Small world!
Our tour guide was able to take us to places restricted to the normal visitor. We visited the lowest level, home to the dungeons-- very eerie atmosphere-- and the tippy top third level, which was a highlight of the trip. Being able to explore the very top of the Colosseum with such a small amount of people and gaze over Rome from her most iconic structure.... it was an experience I'll never forget.
Stepping on the original floors. Maybe Julius Caesar's feet touched this same stone?
In the dungeons and the lowest level! Cue the creepy music. Closed to the general public, but not to us!
Panoramic from the tippy top of the Colosseum. Isn't it amazing that you could see all of this from one place?
Brendan striking his GQ pose over Rome.
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