Our first stop took us to the Coliseum. The brightly lit arena seemed impossibly huge when compared to the darkness of the surrounding ruins which provided an eerie and beautiful backdrop. The ruins line the road leading to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. From the piazza it was just a short walk to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain is much larger than I ever thought that it would be and incredibly beautiful. The square had barely anyone in it so Rachael and I were able to enjoy our gelato sitting on the steps right in front of the fountain. This for me was the highlight of the trip. It was almost surreal for me to be in front of such an amazing landmark, sharing the moment with Rachael after so many months apart. Everyone around was joking and taking pictures it was just really amazing. I don’t know how long I could have stayed there but when the gelato was finished and the street sweepers came through it was time to move on. With a full moon to guide us home and the events of the last day to inspire our dreams we were off to bed.
We awoke early to try and retrace our steps from the last night before our train departed that afternoon. Our first stop was the Piazza Navona. This square was once an arena used for track and field events, as well as wrestling, and from time to time was flooded to stage naval battles. It now contains three beautiful Bernini fountains. The middle fountain has four river gods that represent the four continents recognized at that time. From the piazza we walked just a few blocks to the largest plain concrete dome in the world, the Pantheon. The dome is absolutely enormous for any structure let alone one that is nearly 2000 years old. It was incredible to stand under the oculus looking up to the open sky and think how the structure has stood up for this long being exposed to the elements.
Next we headed across town to the Coliseum. The walk across Rome is unlike any in the world. We didn’t just go street by street but amazing ancient ruin after amazing ancient ruin. The city is littered with Egyptian obelisks, Roman Columns, huge cathedrals, and beautiful fountains. Once we reached the end of the main street we were back in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. The monument at the end of the square is huge and sparkling with gaudy statues and enormous Italian flags. Some of the locals think it is distasteful but I think it is magnificent. From there it is only a short walk to the large excavation of Roman ruins in front of the Coliseum. Within this site there are many large commemorative arches, temples, and the Roman Forum. The memory I have of walking through the ruins down Rome’s oldest street is definitely something I will carry with me forever.
The final destination of this ancient road is none other than the Coliseum. With only one hour to get to our train we could only manage a quick round of the Coliseum but luckily for us it did not disappoint. As we ran around beneath the stands looking for the stairs up to the second level I couldn’t help but feel like I was in Carter Finley rushing to my seat to catch kickoff. That feeling quickly changed when we came out of the tunnel and laid our eyes on the ancient stadium. The Coliseum is as large as most modern stadiums and I cannot imagine the effect that it would have had on the ancient spectators. It was an overwhelming feeling to look down on the labyrinth of tunnels and cells beneath the arena floor and think of all the gruesome acts that were committed in this very place and then to try and balance that horror with the awe that such an incredible structure evokes.
With little time to ponder these thoughts we were off and running again to the metro and then to the train station. We made it to the station with time to spare. Once aboard the train we got some much needed food and rest. As the roman countryside rolled past we couldn’t keep the smiles off of our faces as we looked at the pictures from the last two days and remembered all of our incredible experiences.
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