Thursday, October 18, 2018

Day 3, Rome Continued, The Forum

 WOW!!  This was so much more than I anticipated.  Our "regular" tour day had ended.  But, optional #2 (Guided visit to Colosseum & Roman Forum) was still on for the day.  Cost 54.00 Euros (per person remember things on tours are per person costs).  Well, yeah, we were in Rome naturally we wanted to see The Colosseum and Forum.  We started first thing in the morning remember with walking tour, Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Bramante Stairs, Trevi Fountain and The Pantheon....but we signed up for this optional.  
 I would have enjoyed it more had it not all been the same day.  Really...lots of walking (more than I had been able to do since breaking my foot), and it was HOT!  But, we'd travel just under 6,000 miles I think the flight monitor said to get to Rome...........so.  Here were are.

 Look how well preserved it is, and how large in scope.  Keep in mind....there are still excavating, not all is exposed yet. The Forum is a rectangle space in the center of what was Ancient Rome, a marketplace.  A political space, a religious space.  It's believed that the first public open air meetings took place about 500 BC.  This low land, flat space is between the Palantine Hill and Capitoline Hill and visited by about 4.5 million people annually. 
 Accepted legend has it that two brothers, Romulous and Remus founded Rome about 753 BC.  That Romulous killed his brother Remus and named himself King and named the city Rome after himself.  The legend goes onto say that Romulous made an alliance with Titus Tatius, and that this space ...The Forum was neutral territory.
 I mentioned excavations continues, in 2009, Food and pottery was found which might date Rome's beginnings to the 8th or 9th century, which is earlier than previously documented.
 Our local guide Ziggy was still with us, like a walking encyclopedia.  It's not possible to absorb all the knowledge she tried to impart on us that day.  Still, I found her remarkable.
The size of this space took me by surprise.  I wasn't expecting something so broad, or so large.  You can see people on the top of that structure...that should give you a feel for size.


As we toured, I couldn't but think how things we build today simply don't last and here these buildings are 2,000 years old........mind boggling.  How did they do this, they didn't have machinery, computers...they did slave labor and lots of it; but even with that........someone had to have the know how.

There is much to see and absorb here, if you go to Rome...make plans to visit; but perhaps on a less busy day.

Thought I would participate in Thankful Thursday today:  I am thankful I got to go to Italy, it's been on my list for years!! 

**Next up The Colosseum.........a shower and a late dinner.  Remember your walking shoes...leave your flip flops at home.  The amount of walking you do is substantial, the hills up and down, the cobblestone.

16 comments:

  1. Wow, you really had the trip of a lifetime. I would have wanted to see it all too. If you travel that far then see all you can see.

    It's amazing to me that it can be so old yet still it stands.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Truly amazing. And knowing how things we build today don't last, it truly is astounding that things The Roman's build thousands of years ago are still standing. Thanks for the visit.

      Delete
  2. Oh my....you're living my bucket list! This would be a fascinating trip and one I hope to experience someday. thank you for the amazing photos. I enjoyed reading about all of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and commenting Lisa, and I do hope you get to go. It was truly amazing in so many ways.

      Delete
  3. That sure looks like a most wonderful trip and how cool you got to see those things up close and purrsonal. Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope to do better next time when I get signed up. Tech challenged a bit, lol. Thanks for the visit Brian, much appreciated and for the welcome to the fun as well.

      Delete
  4. Hi Sandy, unfortunately we didn't get to visit this site, only in Rome for 1 day. I want to go back to Italy and maybe next year my friend and I can visit her son who is stationed in Sicily and take some time touring Rome before going to Catania. Great pictures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the visit, Sicily is still on my list too Cheryl. Need more $$$ and more time, lol.

      Delete
  5. What a trip!! To actually walk on the ground of Julius Ceasar is breaktaking. You have made me wonder if we shouldn't just go to Rome for a vacation.

    Jean

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please put it on your list, really.............you do get to walk where Julius Ceasar walked. It's truly unbelievable, it's still there and you can be in the middle of it.

      Delete
  6. Amazing! How wonderful to see such history up close and in person!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Truly is very amazing. Just not something we can to this extend here in the US. Things here just aren't that old.

      Delete
  7. Thanks for visiting my blog sandy, its been a while. i love your rome posts, my parents visited at the end of last year, they had a wonderful time and said how beautiful it was. it certainly looks it x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So nice to hear from you Hannah, glad your parents enjoyed their trip so much. Hope you'll follow along with me as I continue to blog about the trip. I'll get you added to my blog log to make visiting easier.

      Delete
  8. Hello, what a awesome trip. I enjoyed the tour of Rome. The ancient buildings are amazing to see. Great photos. Enjoy your day and new week ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My mother in law has early dementia now, but she remembers her two visits to Italy (her only overseas visits) so clearly. In looking at some of her photos recently, we found her vacation pictures from one of her trips. It was both good and sad to look at them. Thank you for visiting my blog; much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete

ALL comments left with name and url will be returned. NO PROFILE links please!