Day 112

Jack, Bria, Landon, and I were up earlier then usual. We played games and ate breakfast. When Dad and Mom were up, Dad again went outside (this time no rain) to see what we could do for the day. During the morning we built card houses, legos, and even did a little school. Mom and Dad decided it would be a good idea to go into Rome for the afternoon.

When we arrived at the train station, the parking lot was trashed; in other words, there was trash everywhere! A couple cars were there and a couple waiting at the boarding area. There was another guy there at a building I had no idea what for. When the train finally arrived it was not very full. After we found seats on the top floor of train, we settled down for a 30 min ride into Rome.

We arrived in Rome around 1:30pm. First place to see was the Colosseum. The lines were long and it was kind of chilly. Waiting in lines seemed to take hours, but really only 25 mins. Once we got to an area that was a very nice place for pictures people would come and push their way in with a selfie stick and photo bomb your picture. I did not like that at all. On the way I deleted 15 pictures.

Here is some historical information about the building:

The Colosseum is a very interesting place. Inside, the Colosseum had seating for more than 50,000 spectators, who may have been arranged according to social ranking but were most likely packed into the space like sardines in a can (judging by evidence from the seating at other Roman amphitheaters). Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history.

The Colosseum floor had holes in where the animals would appear or disappear. Underneath the floor was a maze of pathways, with may rooms for the animals. For an elephant to appear men used ropes and pulleys.

A lot of the Colosseum is under restorative construction, so many of the passageways were blocked off. As we slowly walked through the Colosseum, we each listened to Rick Steves audio guide of the Colosseum. Sharing head phones with a sibling and walking through the crowds of people was kind of difficult. When we were finally finished, we exited. Outside of the Colosseum, straight in front, is the Arch of Constantine. We posed for a picture and then as it was getting dark we headed back to the train station and went home.