Roma Day Two

Hey Guys,

We didn’t get to the city until about noon today. It is much hotter here than Barcelona, and the heat just radiates off of all the concrete and bricks, especially at the ancient ruins. We escaped the hottest part of the day underground, though. We toured ancient crypts from the 2^nd -8^th centuries AD. The site served as both a secret meeting place for Christians during Roman paganism, as well as a burial site for many popes and saints. There were over 500,000 tombs in total, with four floors extending over 60 feet below the surface. After it was full, it was abandoned for almost 1000 years. Since then it has been the subject of restoration and research. It was amazing to see all of the artwork and frescoes on the walls, some of which are almost 2000 years old. You can check out the website: http://www.catacombe.roma.it/en/dettaglio.html

After our tour we hopped back on the metro to the Colosseum. Much of ancient Rome is within 10 minutes walking distance, so we saw a lot today. The tour of the Colosseum took awhile, but it was definitely worth it. It was finished in 80 AD, with four floors seating over 55,000 people. There are over 80 entrance arches alone. They used to have all the gladiator games, bullfights (that’s where Spain got it from), and other performances there. During the inaugural games alone over 9,000 wild animals were killed. When the ground became too blood-stained, they used to spread a layer of sand to absorb it to keep the games going continuously.

We walked around a marketplace for awhile and bought some souvenirs. Kelsey was asked twice if she was Indian—I think that’s a sign we’ve been out in the sun too much! We grabbed some pizza for dinner, with gelato to follow. We figured we ought to eat the real thing when we have the chance. We also got some wine—boxed, for .65. Italy on a budget J--and headed back to our Happy Village.

Arriverderci,

Becca