Roman Holiday - Day 2

Day two of my girls' getaway to Rome was dedicated to exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum.  We left the flat about 9am and took the metro to the Colosseum stop.  Before we left the station we stopped to grab a couple of sandwiches to have on hand for lunch.  As we walked out of the metro stop my friend was talking and putting her sandwich into her backpack.  I had to tell her to look up.  The Colosseum was right in front of us.  I wish I had gotten a picture of the look on her face!  That structure is so impressive, especially the first time you see it.

We crossed the street and then found our way inside and to the end of the long-long line for tickets.  Luckily the line moved quickly and soon we were inside.  We spent a couple of hours exploring, envisioning the history of the place and bemoaning the haphazard "preservation" efforts that had made in some places.  I truly wish I could have seen the Colosseum before it was made tourist friendly.  There is just way too much concrete now.  Even so, the Colosseum captivates me each time I see it.

After the Colosseum we headed up to Palatine Hill.   Once we were inside the gates we found a shady bench and pulled out our sandwiches for lunch. It felt so good to cool off in the shade and get off our our feet for awhile.

Once we finished our lunch we wandered around Palatine Hill.  It was extremely hot, though and we took in the major points of interest and then moved on to the Forum.  Before we left Palatine Hill we went to the lookout above the Forum.  What a spectacular view!

After enjoying the panoramic view we made our way down the hill and into the Forum.  This area never ceases to amaze me.  The layers upon layers of history fuel my imagination.

 

This just might end up being my entry for this month's photo club challenge, "doors".  This shot is bracketed and HDR processed to bring out the colors and details.

We left the forum by way of Capitol Hill.  Near the top of the hill there is a water fountain where I stopped to fill my bottle. As I was waiting in line along came a bridal party.  The bride was thirsty and the crowd parted to let her take a drink.

We walked up and over Capitol Hill and then down into the traffic circle below.  We were both exhausted from all of the walking and the heat and decided to take a cab back to the flat for a rest.  We ended up both falling asleep for the rest of the afternoon.  I had a wonderful nap with the doors to my room open and a breeze keeping me cool.  I slept like a rock.  That evening we walked to a nearby Chinese food restaurant for dinner.  It was delicious!  After dinner we went back to the flat and just relaxed.  That concludes day 2 - day 3, the finale, coming soon!