The Colosseum’s Underground and Third Tier Tour
On our trip in June, we had a special guided tour of the Colosseum, descended to the dark depths under the world’s biggest ancient amphitheater, and climbed the steep steps to its highest (existing) level to admire the majestic views over the arena and the magnificent ruins of the Roman Forum and Arch of Constantine next door (panorama-10.JPG & panorama-1.JPG). These parts of the Colosseum had never before open to the public until very recently.
We couldn’t quite imagine the scale of the Colosseum until we went up to the newly-opened third tier of the amphitheater, the highest section still standing.
This is where the middle classes sat, with the emperors and senators in the best ground-level seats and the plebeians in the peanut gallery on top. On the way to the third level, you’ll be able to admire the only original vaulted passageway leading to the seats that is still standing. This level boasts heart-stopping views of Rome, from Palatine Hill to the distant Vittorio Emanuele monument. And, at about 115ft in the air, you’re still more than 70ft below where the highest seats would have been! Also on this level, you’ll see how each opening on the wall was perfectly aligned to the glass panels on the floors and stairs, which allowed light to come into the lower levels. You’ll also find obvious evidence of drainage systems. All of which are proofs to the Roman’s ingenuity.
Also on this special guided tour, we were taken to the hypogeum (underground tunnels and rooms) where gladiators prepared for victory, or death.
Along with an official guide from the Colosseum, we entered the Colosseum through the back entrance known as the Porta Libidinaria – where in Roman times, the gladiators made their grand entrance into the arena – and take a glass elevator down into the bowels of the arena. There were subterranean chambers and long vaulted galleries which housed gladiators and wild exotic animals for the games of that specific day, and ships for mock naval battles. In its early days, the Colosseum was even flooded with water and naval battles were reenacted for the public. The water that was used for the naval battles – and, more gruesomely, to wash away the blood of battles – came from an underground stream that was channeled by the Romans and still flows through the site to this day (picture below).
There were 80 elevators or lifts (all numbered) powered purely by humans to bring gladiators, animals and stage decorations from the subterranean up to stage. We also walk through the Porta Libitina, the exit arch from the arena for the dead. Through this tour, we got a feel for what it was like for the wild animals and gladiators waiting for their turn in what was the backstage of the biggest spectacle in the world at the time. It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Almost 2000 years later, the Colosseum is only a fraction of what it used to be. Yet, these ghostly remains still fascinate us. They’re chilling epitaph to the western world’s greatest and most brutal empire. The memories of the Colosseum spectacles and of the thousands who died here in the name of entertainment live on in our imagination.
Having a good guide for this tour is so crucial. S/He will make the history come alive, and point certain things out that could easily be overlooked if you do it alone. Feel free to leave your comments and/or questions. I’ll try my best to answer them. Like always, we took a lot of pictures. Let me know if you’d like to see them. To read more about the Colosseum’s past and present, please click here.
Notes: To visit the underground and third level, you must book a guided tour in advance. The tour costs €8, plus €1.50 for audio equipment, on top of the normal €12 entrance fee (which includes entrance to the Colosseum, Palatine and Forum). To book, I’d recommend you calling Rome cultural association, Pierreci, directly at +39 06 3996 7700. Tours are currently available until the end of September. Restoration is scheduled to begin in October.
2/10/12: Although the Underground is currently CLOSED due to flooding, and has been closed since the end of October, some tour operators are still selling that tour without mentioning any thing about the strong possibility that you will not be able to go into this section. There has been no announcement about when the underground will be open again. To avoid unpleasant surprise, I highly recommend calling/emailing them directly and ask before you book the tour.
Valentin Imperial Maya Resort
We went to Riviera Maya (Mexico) with both families in August. We had sunshine every day the entire trip. It was hot and humid, but expected, we went in mid-August after all.
I arranged our own private ground transfer with Cancun Transfers. They were on-time both ways and very professional. The van was new and comfortable. Booking with them was easy, we had an option to pay in advance by credit card, or pay cash when we got there.
Valentin Imperial Maya is an adult-only all-inclusive resort in Riviera Maya. We were greeted with cold towels and champagne upon our arrival. The resort was spread out and required some walking, which was good for us, but some people may not like it. Regardless you like to walk or not, ladies may want to leave the stilettos at home. The resort ground was beautiful, with lots of trees and ponds. The pool was huge and not crowded at all. The rooms were OK, typical for a Cancun resort, though not as nice as Cancun Palace. The beach was fantastic. Actually, the beach was the best part about this resort. Wide expansive beach. White soft powdery sand. Clear warm turquoise water. The waves were perfect to swim and play with.
We brought some bread down to the beach to feed the fish and swim with them every day. Tons of them came, surrounded us and waited for food. There was a Kayak tour every day at 9:30am. Other non-motorized water sports were available free of charge. DH learned how to sail, and loved it. He took the Hobie cat out (and back!) without any help on the 2nd day. Too bad we were not allowed to walk on the beach after 8pm. It would’ve been awesome, because it was full moon when we were there.
For my review of the restaurants at Valentin, click here to read the next post.
The Colosseum - Rome, Italy
The Colosseum was the symbol of the power of Rome at one point:
“Quandiu stabit coliseus, stabit et Roma;
Quando cadit coliseus, cadet et Roma
Quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus.”
– by Bede, 8th century
(meaning: As long as the Colosseum stands, Rome shall stand; if the Colosseum falls, Rome shall fall. And when Rome falls, the world falls).
The Colosseum is an amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Its construction started between 70 and 72 AD and was completed around 81 – 96 AD. Originally capable of seating around 50,000 to 80,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. With 80 entrances, it was designed so that all 80,000 spectators could exit within 15-20 minutes. That alone is a wonder in itself. How they came up with the evacuation design is any one’s guest. In modern world, we need complicated algorithm and/or computers to figure this out, but the Romans managed to do this all by themselves without any help from any software, almost 2000 years ago!
In 80AD, Emperor Titus held an inaugural party, which lasted 100 days. The opening games included a gladiatorial contest, a wild-beast hunt, a horse race, and a re-enacted naval battle between 3,000 men, followed by an infantry battle…just in the first 3 days. At the end of the 100th day, a total of 5000 animals were brutally killed. Many wild exotic animals went extinct during this period.
Today, the Colosseum is a background to the busy metropolis that is modern Rome. Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Some performers who have played at the Colosseum were Ray Charles (May 2002), Paul McCartney (May 2003), Elton John (September 2005), and Billy Joel (July 2006).
To follow the tradition, every year Roman Catholic Pope led a public prayer of the Stations of the Cross at the Roman Colosseum on Good Friday. Originally, the Pope John Paul II himself carried the cross from station to station, but in his last years when age and infirmity limited his strength, John Paul presided over the celebration from a stage on the Palatine Hill, while others carried the cross. Just days prior to his death in 2005, Pope John Paul II observed the Stations of the Cross from his private chapel. Each year a different person is invited to write the meditation texts for the Stations. Past composers of the Papal Stations include several non-Catholics. The Pope himself wrote the texts for the Great Jubilee in 2000 and used the traditional Stations.
In recent years it has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum’s night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released, or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold when capital punishment was abolished in the American state of New Mexico in April 2009.
On our most recent trip to Rome in June 2011, we took a special guided tour of the Colosseum’s Underground and Third Tier. On this tour, we descended to the dark depths under the world’s biggest ancient amphitheater, and climbed the steep steps to its highest (existing) level to admire the majestic views over the arena and the magnificent ruins of the Roman Forum and Arch of Constantine next door (panorama-10.JPG & panorama-1.JPG). These parts of the Colosseum had never before open to the public until very recently. Click here to read about the details of the tour, pictures, and how to book.
Activities in Cabo San Lucas
We did the sunset dinner cruise. They took us to Land’s End to see the Arch, seal colony & Lover’s Beach. The sunset was beautiful. The cruise came with all you can drink and a buffet dinner. The ride was pretty rough for me and I got seasick. Needless to say, I couldn’t enjoy the food or the drinks. But it was fun regardless.
For $10, you could also arrange for a glass-bottom taxi boat to take you to Lover’s Beach on the Sea of Cortez and Divorce Beach on the Pacific Ocean. Be warned though, there are no facilities on those beaches, so if you do go, take plenty of water and sunscreen.
We were most excited to see whales for the first time in our lives here. Thousands of whales come here every year from late November to March to give birth. It is a ritual for them to return to where they were born to bring their own babies into this world. It’s the longest migration made by any mammal. It’s a long hard trip for these gentle creatures, but the lagoons in Baja are the perfect location for birthing. The gray whales were once hunted to near extinction in the very waters they work so hard to visit. They are now protected in the U.S. and Mexico, with the estimated population over 20,000 strong.
You can be as laid-back or as active as you like. When it comes to activities, you have many choices, such as swimming with dolphins, snorkeling, scuba diving, riding the camels, exploring the desert, fishing, etc. Cabo San Lucas has the largest marlin tournament in the world. Taking place towards the end of October every year, Bisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin Tournament lasts 3 days and features millions of dollars in prizes. 2011 tournament boasted a field of 100 boats and more than 560 anglers representing 12 different nations. Top honor went to a very respectable 409-pound marlin, and second place took home more than $1 million bucks!
Southern Caribbean Cruise
We went on a Southern Caribbean Cruise in March. This was my first cruise, and will definitely not be my last. I got sea sick, it was worse when I was at the back of the ship, especially in the dining room. But thanks to ginger tea and caramelized ginger, I did not throw up. Also, because we sailed out of San Juan, the sea was a lot calmer; that helped tremendously with my motion sickness too. Plus, we had only 1 sea day at the beginning. We visited a new port every day. Gotta love that!
I was surprised at how big the ship was. And it wasn’t even the biggest cruise ship. Oasis of the Seas would be so much bigger. To minimize motion sickness, I was advised to get an inside cabin, as close to the center of the ship as possible. The cabin was small, but very functional. Every thing was designed with a purpose in mind. The bathroom was adequate for 2 people. I didn’t feel trapped at all.
I was amazed at how efficient the ship crews were. There were 1,600+ staff members to support more than 3,200 guests. The cabins were cleaned twice a day. Each evening, we got a new bucket of ice and entertainment schedule for the next day. On the exchange day (last day/first day of the cruise), the ship had to feed and unloaded 3,200+ people and their luggage by 11:00am. Then cleaned all the rooms, sanitized, made and served lunch, boarded another 3,200+ people, AND delivered their bags to the right rooms by 2:00pm! Every night, the kitchen prepared more than 10,000 meals all together. Yet, our dinners in the main dining room always arrived promptly and hot. Our waiter overheard us talking about one of our favorite food one day. From that day on, every single night without failing, he brought a small plate of that food prepared differently just for us. And he always brought out all the desserts they had to offer on that particular night for us to try. The service was top notch, attentive but not over bearing. The staff worked very hard, but they always greeted us with a smile.
For each meal, we had the choice of room service, 3 restaurants, main dining room and the buffet to choose from. The buffets offered plenty of choices, even the pickiest person could find something to eat here. Besides the stables - pizzas, spaghetti, hamburgers, sandwiches, fries, sushi, rice, salads, soups and fresh fruits - the buffet menus changed every day. Besides room service, there was also a café that offered food, drinks & snacks 24/7. You would never go hungry or run out of things to eat on the cruise.
The food quality, the variety, the service, couldn’t really complain. Oh and the desserts, absolutely amazing! Thuan doesn’t like sweets in general, but he loved desserts on the cruise. We had the best flan and mango mousse on this trip. The food on the cruise was definitely better than all other all-inclusives we’ve been to. And nightly entertainment was definitely better. Although I was told that it wasn’t as good as before, but to first time cruisers like me, it was great. I love cruising. It’s like a mobile all inclusive. You get to visit many destinations, but only have to unpack once. Our next one will be to Europe.
Out of the islands that we’ve been to on this trip, Antigua & St. Maarten/St. Martin were our favorites.
Barbados We took the taxi on our own to downtown, then to Brighton Beach. Unlike advertisement, downtown Barbados was kind of run down, nothing like London. Brighton Beach was un-crowded, beautiful water and sand. We then decided to walk back to our cruise ship, not realized how far it was. It was quite a walk, took us an hr and fifteen minute. Thuan wanted to take the taxi half way through, but I insisted that we walked (so that we could eat more when we got back to the ship!)
St. Lucia We booked Harrod’s private tour “Land & Sea Safari” to twin peaks of the Pitons, Marigot Bay, La Soufriere waterfalls, Botanical Garden, Drive-In Volcano, and Jalousie beach. St. Lucia’s main export is bananas, which are smaller, but sweeter than bananas we can buy from the States. Harrod also got us fresh coconuts along the way. We had a quick refreshing (read COLD!) during our short stop at the waterfalls. I wanted to go to the mud bath, but we didn’t have time for that. The drive-in volcano was interesting; steams of sulfur were of course smelly, but not unbearable. We had a delicious home-cooked meal at Harrod’s parents’ house, completed with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. The grapefruits were from their garden. I also got to try banana ketchup, which was very interesting. After lunch, we took a speed boat to Jalousie beach, which is nestled between the famous twin peaks. I really looked forward to that, but it turned out to be such a disappointment. The beach and the ocean floor were full of rocks and coral pieces, which was painful to walk on. The white sand here was imported to make the beach more appealing to tourists. We learned that most beaches in St. Lucia have black volcanic sand (including the famous and most expensive Jade Mountain resort beach). The boat then took us back to our ship. We got to see St. Lucia both from land (very windy roads) and sea, at half the cost of RCL.
Antigua Antigua is known for their beautiful beaches. If you go to a beach a day here, it will take you more than a year to visit all the beaches in Antigua. We really loved it here, clear turquoise water, white sand beaches, perfect weather. We did the kayak tour with RCL, using Paddle’s. We paddled in the beautiful mangroves. Then boarded a speed boat to Great Bird Island. The view from the top of Great Bird Island was amazing. We did some snorkeling, but didn’t see much fish. Before we left Paddles, the host served us home-made punch and delicious banana bread, which was her mother-in-law’s recipe.
St. Maarten/St. Martin Per local tourism center, we went to a beach near Orient Beach (I forgot the name). There were definitely lots of locals there. But it was not any where near beautiful as Orient Beach. The water was calm, clear, but not blue. Also, there were lots of twigs and other debris in the sand. So we went back to Orient Beach for the rest of the day.
Orient Beach has a nude section. We saw WAY more than we liked to…but the beach was beautiful with fine white sand and crystal blue water. You can easily get a taxi from the port to this beach. All fares are regulated and posted. However, if you share the taxi with others, you can cut the costs dramatically.
Beautiful sunshine. White sand. Crystal clear, turquoise warm water. What more can you ask for?
St. Croix Again, we made the mistake of listening to locals…The beach that came highly recommended by them was such a disappointment. So we asked the taxi driver if she could take us to Carambola Beach (at Rockefeller Resort) instead. And she did, for no extra charge. Carambola Beach & the resort itself were beautiful. The waves were rougher than other places we’d been to on this trip, but nothing compared to Virginia Beach! I had the best virgin mango colada here. Again, by doing this on our own, we saved more than $100. RCL has the same tour for $89pp, bringing people to this exact resort.
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Our vacation began with an early morning flight to San Juan in March. Once we arrived in San Juan airport, our first impression of Puerto Rican was that they did not like us…Were we being obnoxious Americans? No, I don’t think so. We tried to say “hi” and “thank you” in Spanish. We apologized for not being able to speak Spanish before speaking English to them. In the restaurants, we patiently waited for our food with a smile on our face, even when we were starving! I’m a very patient person in general, and I’m all for What’s-the-rush?-You’re-on-vacation! mentality, but come on, how could a fast food place take more than 25 minutes to make an order of fried chicken?? Anyways, besides the people working for the airlines, the rest were not very nice to us. Indeed, they were rather rude. And that impression stayed with us the whole time during our stay in Vieques & Old San Juan. What a shame.
Vieques is an island in northeastern Caribbean, about 8 miles from Puerto Rican mainland. It was voted as the most beautiful Caribbean island by Travel magazine for 2 years in a roll. I’m glad we got a chance to visit Vieques, but will not come back there.
Looking back at recent Vieques history, it’s easy to understand why most locals here don’t like Americans. United States Navy used this island as a bombing range and testing ground. There was a series of protests which eventually led to the Navy’s departure in 2003.
Our flight between SJU and Vieques airport was via Cape Air. Vieques airport was tiny, with only 1 SMALL carousel. The check-in agent was also the baggage transporter, AND plane controller! Due to the size of Vieques airport, the plane was extremely small, with only 9 passengers, 1 pilot and no flight attendant. Checked in luggage were stored in the front of the plane, carry-ons were kept in the wings, and passengers were required to inform the airline their weight, so that weight could be evenly distributed on the plane. And I got to be the co-pilot! Our plane, pilot and the baggage transporter:
We stayed at Villa Coral Guesthouse.
The house is about 10-15 minute walk from Le Malecon (picture below) in Esperanza, one of the main towns in Vieques.
The room was basic, not as nice as the exterior of the house. I got grossed out about the flies and stained towels. Even with all windows closed, the flies managed to get inside the room. They were attracted to the lights we left on in the bathroom.
Vieques was very much like Vietnam, with colorful houses and narrow streets. Free range horses and chickens could be seen every where you go.
The beaches were beautiful, the water was crystal clear, and the weather was perfect. But we found the food disappointing and expensive (stir-fried vegetables and rice from a street vendor cost $8). We tried Chicken King, Richard’s Café, Duffy’s, Bili & some street vendors. One of Puerto Rican authentic dish was chilled conch mixed with mashed yucca, which was so fishy that we couldn’t handle more than one bite. There were also fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, yucca, plantain, and rice & beans. Chicken King was like a very bad KFC. Richard’s Café was horrible. We had the best fish tacos at Duffy’s. Conch salad was ok. Our best meal on the island was at Bili. Tasty fish fritters (mahi mahi) arrived at the table piping hot. Brie and chicken turnovers were delicious.
We visited Sun Bay, Playa Caracas Red Beach, Pata Prieta Secret Beach & Bahia De La Chiva Blue Beach. You definitely need a car to visit the beautiful beaches in the National Refuge Area, for the roads are unpaved, and most public transportation do not go there. These beaches are commonly listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean for their azure-colored waters and white sands. But that alone wasn’t the main reason why we were going to Vieques. I wanted to go to Vieques for the famous bioluminescent bay. And it was an experience to have.
Vieques Bioluminescent Mosquito Bay is arguably the largest and brightest bioluminescent spot in the world. The luminescence is caused by micro-organisms (dinoflagellates) which glow whenever the water is disturbed, leaving a trail of neon blue. A combination of factors creates the necessary conditions for bioluminescence: red mangrove trees surround the water (the organisms feed off the dead leaves); a complete lack of modern development around the bay; the water is cool enough and deep enough; and a small channel to the ocean keeps the dinoflagellates in the bay.
We kayaked into the bay at night. The water lit up with each stroke of our paddles. As we moved through the bay, the whole bottom of our kayak glowed. Then we jumped in and swam, our whole bodies glowed in the dark. Each time we moved our arms up from the water, it looked like thousands of twinkling stars fell from our arms into the water. Then, it rained. As the raindrops hit the water, the whole bay lit up. It was magical.
Spain
All of our dinners in Spain include all you can drink wines. Too bad my mom and I don’t drink at all. People pour out onto the streets at night around 10pm, like Le Loi street in Saigon on Christmas, or Georgetown on Halloween.
Barcelona
Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) – a gothic Catholic cathedral, all costs have been covered by donations. Construction started in 1883, scheduled to finish in 2020. But the opening date actually depends on how much people donate. The more donations there are, the faster the construction.
Montserrat – The sacred mountain of Catalonia with spectacular panoramic views and the Basilica of Black Madonna. The rock formations have unique shapes, some look like human figures, some look like animals.
Buffet dinner & Spanish Flamenco Show – Buffet includes all you can drink wines (red and white) and Spanish specialty cocktail. Contrary to others’ opinions, I find the buffet food only OK, not great. But it does offer tons of choices, all authentic. We were the first (and only people!) in the restaurant at 6:30pm, and still remained the only group there when we left the restaurant around 8:15! Spanish eats dinner late. They usually start their night with tapas (small plates, ranging from veggies, cheese to meat and seafood) around 9:00. Real dinners don’t start until 10 or later. Then we headed to see the Flamenco show. Flamenco is a very sad dance; the dancers express the pain, miseries and injustice suffered by the minority (the Gypsy) throughout history through their music and facial expressions. The show was great, but had they explained the story line behind the dances, we would be able to appreciate the whole thing more.
Madrid – Capital of Spain, virtually created from scratch by Philip II in the 16th century. Dinner in Madrid was very good. Worth noting – the Spanish fish soup, with clams, fish and shrimps. It’s very different than most soups I’d had, but oh so delicious!
I needed hot water for Theraflu, and the hotel wanted to charge us 3 bucks for it! Kids are sent home from school from 1 to 3 for naps. They then return to school until 5. We were told that most shops in Spain are closed from 1 to 5 pm, they call it “siesta” time. But we didn’t expect a 24hr store would close for napping too! We had such a hard time finding something light to eat in the afternoon, because most restaurants are closed after lunch, and won’t open until 8 at night for dinner. Can you imagine this? Having trouble buying food in the middle of a big city??
Italy
In Italy, especially South Italy, people seem to really enjoy their lives. Great food, outdoor dining, live music performers every where, people get up and dance right in the middle of the square if they feel like it. They do picnics for lunch, they sing, they kiss just because. No one rushes you. The people are very polite and oh so romantic; they hold the door open for you, they help you with your coat, they give you flowers, they dedicated songs to you. At one restaurant, the owner even personally made one of his specialties for my mom and me! They dress well, they take good care of their appearances. The weather is beautiful. The scenery is just like paintings, especially along the Italian coastline. I like the way of life here, very romantic and relaxing. Italy, you won my heart!
One down side though, every where you go, every where you turn, people smoke! Kids waiting for school bus smoke. Men smoke. Women smoke. You get my gist, Italians smoke like chimney!
Another thing worth mentioning, there are A LOT of churches in Italy. All beautiful.
Verona Got here around noon, and was shocked to find most stores closed from noon to 3:30/4:00! This is the legendary home of Romeo and Juliet. It is believed that your wish for one true love will be granted if you touch Juliet statue beneath the famous Juliet’s Balcony.
Venice http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/venice/
Siena and Assisi http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/siena-assisi/
Rome http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/rome-vatican-city/
Vatican City http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/vatican-city/
Tuscany Florence
Florence is known for its steaks (Bisteca). It’s a humongous grilled steak, enough to feed 4 people! The restaurant owner was kind enough to accommodate us, even that dish was not on his regular menu. It was one of his specialties, so he made it himself. Delicious!
We then visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, where we couldn’t resist but had to take those cheesy pictures of ourselves supporting the Leaning Tower!
The drive from Tuscany to French Riviera is beautiful. We traveled along the spectacular Italian Riviera coast, then cross the French border to elegant Monaco, then to Nice.
Rome - Italy
Rome is Capital of Italy, founded in 753 BC
I’m at the loss of words – The art, the knowledge, the architect, the history – amazing. How the Romans came up with the designs, with the technicality of the construction, and the construction itself are absolutely mind-blowing. Keep in mind, all this was done 2000 to 2500 years ago! I actually feel very fortunate to be able to come here. So much to see, so much to absorb in such a short period of time. I will definitely come back here when I have a chance.
Romans were extremely smart. Their language served as the basis for many western languages later on. They believed in the balance of Body, Mind and Spirit. Hence, they exercised, they took good care of themselves, they bathed regularly, they read, they came up with many games and forms of entertainment; they really knew how to enjoy life. In fact, they were the one who invented the saunas. Bath houses during Roman time could accommodate hundreds of people, and had cold and hot water. Romans were also great builders. Many historical sites all over Europe, not just in Italy, were built by the Romans. They built many roads too. That’s why the saying “All roads lead to Rome.”
The Pantheon – built by the Romans with enormous solid granite columns from Egypt as a Roman temple and later consecrated as a Catholic Church. The original pantheon was built around 27 BC, but was destroyed in a huge fire in 80 AD. The current building dates from about 125 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, as date-stamps on the bricks reveal. The Pantheon holds the record for the largest un-reinforced concrete dome in the world. It was made possible by amazing architect and design based on arches – the “egg hardiness” theory. And all of this was done almost 2000 years ago!
The Colosseum – an amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Its construction started between 70 and 72 AD and was completed around 81 – 96 AD. Originally capable of seating around 50,000 to 80,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. With more than 80 entrances, it was designed so that all 80,000 spectators could exit within 15-20 minutes. That alone is a wonder in itself. How they came up with the evacuation design is any one’s guest. In modern world, we need complicated algorithm and/or computers to figure this out, but the Romans managed to do this all by themselves without any help from any software, almost 2000 years ago! It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
The Catacombs of Rome – underground burial places. The first large-scale catacombs were excavated from the 2nd century onwards. Originally they were carved through soft rock outside the boundaries of the city, because Roman law forbade burial places within city limits. The soft volcanic rock under Rome is highly suitable for tunneling, as it is softer when first exposed to air, hardening afterwards. Many catacombs have kilometres of tunnels and up to four levels. I didn’t take any picture inside the Catacombs because I was scared.
Siena & Assisi - Italy
Siena is a medieval town, second only to Florence in beauty amongst the Tuscan cities. Its cobbled streets lead to the city square where the annual horse race still takes place. Sienna’s specialty is crostini – toasted sliced bread with different toppings, such as olive oil, cheese, anchovies, and grilled veggies.
Assisi is a picturesque hillside town. St. Mary of the Angels and St. Francis churches are very pretty. We stayed in a very old castle converted to a hotel, the rooms are very small. The authentic pasta dish from this region is absolutely delicious! It has a kick of spiciness in it, with white mushroom and meat sauce. We had a wonderful time at dinner here. A group of Italians were in the restaurant, we competed with each other by singing, by being rowdy, trying to prove that we can be just as loud as they are!