Ocean princess venice to rome

[Bimmer09]

The first thing I thought of when we decided to visit Rome instead of flying home once we were off the ship was "The Colosseum!" Like the Eiffel Tower it is the one building that identifies it's city around the World.

 

Then Carol wanted to see the Sistine Chapel which meant a Vatican ticket or two.

 

Rome in Limo advised us to book these two in advance to avoid long lines for tickets. Sound advice. We would also need a guide for the Vatican for an extra fee of E150 for two hours. OK, sounded better than walking around looking for signs and staring at paintings that we didn't know too much about.

 

Both tickets were purchased on line using Credit cards. The Vatican Tour guide and Rome in limo we would pay in cash so I had a fat money belt on me.

 

The Vatican tickets can only be purchased 60 days before the visit and you have to select a time and stick to it. We had chosen 2 pm on the advice of RIL.

 

It turned out that the day we had chosen -Saturday Sept 27th would be International Tourist Day and the Vatican would be FREE Admission. I imagined the hordes....what were the odds?? Total cost therefore was $8 instead of $48 as we just paid a processing fee.

 

Now we are in Pantheon Square 60 days later and have just had a great espresso boost and were back in the car and headed for our first stop-the Colosseum.

 

Franco parked on an overlook across a wide road from the mighty structure.

Here he would wait, once we were safely inside, until we were ready to roll again.

He gave us a small cell phone with his number in the memory so we could call him when we had enough.

 

Part of the exterior was under scaffold as is most of Planet Earth in good weather.

 

We had to hustle across the wide road during a gap in traffic and soon were in the throng of people milling outside. Lots of souvenir stands and yes-some Gladiators in costume posing for pics.

 

Franco didn't just leave us to fend for ourselves among the masses- he went up to one of the entrance turnstiles, flashed a smile and they recognized him and waved us through. Now we were inside and out of the sun, shaded by monumental archways and stone roofs that have stood since-well pretty long by the looks of them! It was finished in 80 A.D just a year after Pompeii was buried and took ten years to build. It is hard to imagine the audacity of the engineers and builders in taking on such a mammoth project. Someone had to draw it out on papyrus and do a lot of calculations without a computer or calculator. I can imagine what the quantity surveyor's list must have looked like and the HR department of the workforce (much of it slave labor). There were no phones back then so you couldn't call the Foreman and moan as if the life force was slipping away from you-" I won't be coming in today Caius Maximus-got the runs. Have to give those burritos a miss in future"

 

No-none of that. Day in day out for ten years. Ox cart after ox cart drawing up with more big stones to be chiseled and hoisted up. No cranes!! Trees and scaffold and pulleys and ropes and the whip (or worse) if you tried to recruit Union Membership on the job.

 

It could hold a minimum of 50,000 people when built and is the model of most of our giant stadiums of today. Every seat with a view, canvas canopies that could shield some spectators from the sun and exits that could empty the place in 15 minutes (so they say).

 

So now I was inside this thing and following Franco as he led us to where we needed to be. Once our tickets were scanned and the long line of those without tickets behind us, he left us to roam the vast space and went back to the car.

He made it easy.

 

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I'm staring down an almost 2,000 year old staircase here after walking up stone steps that thousands of Romans would have walked on all this years ago on their way to an exciting afternoon of "entertainments" which of course often featured men killing each other with swords and spears or fighting wild animals to the death and I don't mean Gladiator vs Hamster-the Revenge

 

The canvas sunshade is long gone, as is the floor where combat or naval battles could be re-enacted with the introduction of large amounts of water via aqueducts from many miles away. The floor was wood, covered in blood-mopping sand for combat features. All rotted away, revealing the staging areas for animals

(don't think Poodles) fighters and scenery which could all be brought up by winches through 80 trapdoors. Instant scene change! We see that in Opera theaters today but not on a such a scale. Timing without watches? Without walkie talkies? Who planned all the moves? The choreography of stage hands?

 

It's all on a mind-boggling scale...

 

Part of the floor has been recently represented.

 

 

50,000 people that needed toilets and food and drinks just like modern stadiums.

50,000 people with assigned seat numbers, some who needed help finding their seats. 50,000 people, some who would need medical help perhaps during a hot afternoon of excitement and wagering. Were there bouncers who stopped fights as in modern sports? Was there an MC who yelled out what was coming up next?

Musicians playing as loud as they could to be heard?

Were there animal rights activists getting punched in the face?

 

You just stare out into this massive space and imagine the noise of 50,000 people screaming and yelling.

 

[Bimmer09]

The sunshades were suspended on long poles from the highest parts of the stadium and hoisted by sailors who knew their knots. They could be moved as the sun moved.

 

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Made of brick, concrete and stone. 80 A.D. when most other peoples were living in huts made of their own dung. When other, lesser peoples were trying to walk and chew gum and crashing nose-first into trees.

 

 

 

Everything is built thick and sturdy-to last and be safe. Much of it has lasted longer than the builders and engineers could have imagined.

 

 

[windsor26]

I do not know if I missed the link earlier in your blog but please could you let me know where the guide Maria can be found as we are 'doing' Rome and the Med next year Thank you

[Bimmer09]

My favorite thing that I discovered in the Colosseum was a depiction of the crowd and what was going on below stage during an afternoon of "games"

 

 

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If there is a way for you to zoom in on this and get close-up then do it.

 

You'll see some of the goings on below stage during a show. There were 80 trapdoors for scenery and perfomers to suddenly pop-up before the surprised crowd. If a Gladiator was to fight a lion for instance he would be brought up to the stage from a holding cell below. He might be a little bit nervous.

 

Next other trapdoors would open to reveal a blind, or screen. Say ten of these at different parts of the arena. One trapdoor would go back down...but which one? Then a lion would be prodded onto it, probably not happy and be hoisted up into the noise above. It would be behind a screen. Which screen? That one way over there? Or this one right on my ass? thought the Gladiator.

 

The lion comes out from behind the screen and sees the man standing over there.

 

The man sees something he can't even put a name to-what the hell is that hairy thing? The Romans captured animals (as they did people) from conquered lands and the average Roman (up until this hot afternoon ) hadn't seen one. Nor had the Gladiator who it will be remembered didn't volunteer for this assignment.

 

Even if I had a sharp sword I wouldn't mess with a lion as there is no reasoning with them. You can imagine what probably followed. Either a dead lion or a dismembered man bleeding to death while the crowd applauded the lion.

 

Who thought this stuff up as entertainment?

 

You'll also see scene handlers preparing leafy trees to be hoisted onto stage to set a scene for an upcoming amusement. All of this had to be coordinated by a stage manager and choreographer even before there were names for this.

 

The understage is a warren of rooms and there is a separate tour for that. Next time for sure!

 

 

What used to stand on top of these structures?

 

[Bimmer09]

I do not know if I missed the link earlier in your blog but please could you let me know where the guide Maria can be found as we are 'doing' Rome and the Med next year Thank you

 

Maria is a guide used by Princess (and others I imagine) to do Pompeii (and Positano) working out of Sorrento. She does Pompeii 5 days a week in season.

 

If you need Rome then there are many tour companies. We were using Rome In Limo. I can't link you to RIL but Google can.

 

Norris

[SpinnerCOyyy]

Colosseum0090 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

This is a drawing of some of the trap doors below the floor

 

Colosseum0012 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

Entrance to the colosseum floor just like a gladiator.

 

Colosseum0051 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

From under the colosseum floor with a portion of a new floor, or example of how the floor was constructed.

 

Colosseum0078 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

Colosseum underground

[Bimmer09]

Colosseum0090 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

This is a drawing of some of the trap doors below the floor

 

Colosseum0012 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

Entrance to the colosseum floor just like a gladiator.

 

Colosseum0051 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

From under the colosseum floor with a portion of a new floor, or example of how the floor was constructed.

 

Colosseum0078 by rollingspinner, on Flickr

Colosseum underground

 

Wow-nice addition to the narrative. Great crisp photos. More if you have them!

 

Can you imagine the nervous stomach-sinking feeling a Gladiator would have had waiting down there for showtime? Maybe his first AND last? Oh yeah, I'll kick the lion's ass! Wait a minute-what's a lion??

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

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There is no way to take a photo in the Colosseum and not end up with something dramatic on the page.

[Bimmer09]

How many feet (sandals) have walked expectantly up these steps?

 

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How many hamsters wish they could have scaled these walls to FREEDOM?

And is there any more precious word than that?

 

 

[smeck]

Norris it escapes me how Long was your cruise. We have Rome in Limo booked next May. Looks like we made a correct decision.

[Bimmer09]

Norris it escapes me how Long was your cruise. We have Rome in Limo booked next May. Looks like we made a correct decision.

 

The cruise was a 7 day but we had 20 hours in Venice before it and 2 days in Rome afterwards.

 

Rome in Limo is superb. See my Tripadvisor review from October 6th. My TA name is Bavarian Chicago USA.

 

Tell Jany I said Hello!

 

Norris

Edited November 7, 2014 by Bimmer09
spelling

[SpinnerCOyyy]

This is looking down from the colosseum floor, to the cells below.

 

This is some of the original floor of the colosseum underground.

 

This is part of the underground water systems. It was said that the water comes from a natural spring. It was moving, but just barely.

 

Cell hall or corridor. Very strange area, there were some very interesting noises as we stood in the underground area. It isn't like there were old squeaky floors, but perhaps ghosts of gladiators milling about?

 

Underground with their "magic" beams. Those horizontal beams have nothing but gladiator spit holding them up!

 

 

The tour we took with the Colosseum, also included the area of Palentine Hill, and the Forum. We had one guide who led us around PH and Forum, then escorted us to the Colosseum. The Colosseum insists on using their own guides. The audio sets used by the PH and Forum tour had ear pieces and we could always understand our guide as he led us through his narrative. The audio sets used by the Colosseum staff had no ear piece and tracking what our guide was saying was difficult. But she led us behind locked gates to get to the colosseum floor, then behind more chained and locked gates to get to the underground before finally taking an elevator up (thankfully) to the third level.

[SpinnerCOyyy]

Up an interesting elevator. You had to hold the button down in order to keep it moving. Take your hand off, and the elevator just stops.

 

You take an elevator to the third level, then behind a velvet rope, up another terrible flight of stairs and another locked gate to get to the fourth level.

 

Waiting for access to level 4.

 

If I were not from Colorado, and accustomed to high altitudes I may have got dizzy up here.

 

Anybody dizzy yet?

 

 

Awesome view of the Arch of Constantine.

 

Two of my travel companions decided they had climbed too many stairs already and waited for us to bring photo evidence of the final portion of our tour down to them. We still had an afternoon of crypts and catacombs ahead of us.

 

We were also told that the Colosseum could be cleared of 50,000 people in 15 minutes but that isn't true today. You can not just exit the Colosseum. You have to walk... and walk... and walk... around.... and around... and around...until finally, an exit.

[Bimmer09]

Great photos Spinner!

 

How long was your Colosseum tour? You covered it all, top to bottom. Were the animal cells described in any detail? I.e did they stay here or were they just brought in for the day? Did the guide say how often they had shows in the Colosseum? Did she mention the Naval Battle reenactments?

 

I would imagine it was once a week. Will have to Google and dig.

 

Thanks for filling in the blanks like this.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Estimates of capacity range from 50,000 to 80,000 spectators but even assuming the lowest number it was a huge crowd. There was an elaborate water and sewage system in place -water fountains and public toilets with a constantly running channel of water which eventually emptied into the Tiber river untreated.

 

Games could last as long as 100 days (just answered my own question) but it's hard to imagine it being filled every day-surely people had to go to work and get on with their lives?

 

The sloped areas in the photo are where the tiered seating (marble) would have been.

 

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There were 80 exits back then but as Spinner says today there is one.

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Almost done with the Colosseum part of our day.

 

Tickets for the shows were pottery shards with your section number, row number and seat number. These when surrendered could be used over and over again.

 

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Above- a view of the Hypogeum, the underground complex. Tunnels led in from outside the amphitheater and the animals and Gladiators entered this way.

 

The columns are limestone, topped with bricks. Arches were made of the newly-invented concrete. Seats and facades were Travertine marble quarried 20 miles away.

 

 

Mindful of the time we made the long walk to the exit and back outside the Colosseum.

 

 

Blue sky, nothing but blue sky....

 

 

Watch your footing here

 

[Bimmer09]

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It was nice to be out of the crowd in the Colosseum. Our ticket there also gave us admission to the Palatine Hill and the Forum.

 

 

I think this was the entrance to the Palatine Hill. There were restrooms here which is a big plus.

 

 

There's a path on the Hill which goes in two different directions. We chose the one that headed towards the Forum. Down at street level there was a flood of people heading that way and we wanted to be out of the crowd. Being higher up also helped get photos without heads in the way.

 

Nothing special. Just some old stone arches.

 

 

When we looked at "you are here" (blue dot) we knew that there was no way we were going down into the Forum. That would have to wait for a future visit. In only took a few minutes of being in Rome to realize that we would have to come back and set a slower pace to really savor all the wonders there. We still had over 5 hours ahead of us and the only rest would be when we sat down to lunch somewhere. Then we had a two hour trek through the Vatican. The forum area is just so vast and the further we would have walked into it the longer it would have taken to get back to the meeting point with Franco which was near the entrance to the Palatine Hill. We could not be late for the Vatican and we could not MISS LUNCH!!!

 

[SpinnerCOyyy]

Great photos Spinner!

 

How long was your Colosseum tour? You covered it all, top to bottom. Were the animal cells described in any detail? I.e did they stay here or were they just brought in for the day? Did the guide say how often they had shows in the Colosseum? Did she mention the Naval Battle reenactments?

 

I would imagine it was once a week. Will have to Google and dig.

 

Thanks for filling in the blanks like this.

 

Norris

 

The Colosseum tour was set for 11:00-12:30. Our Hill and Forum was from 9:00-11:00. The good thing about all the walking, it offset any weight gain from all the Italian food and gelato we would be consuming. We had three days cut out for Rome, two in Venice.

 

The animals were actually kept in what was called Bestiaries School. It was a building adjacent to the Colosseum. There were tunnels underground which led to the Bestiaries School, gladiator "hospital"or Saniarium, and dead body area or Spoliarium. She also said that during the Colosseum inauguration, there were 9000 animals killed in the 100 days of the celebration. She only mentioned the naval battles in passing. She mentioned that after particularly bloody battles, the theater was filled with water for the naval battle shows. I thought what she was saying it was a way to clean out the blood.

 

Incredible, I thought was the idea that the entire structure was built in only 5 years. There were 80 entrances on ground level, which were all numbered. There were four special "reserved" VIP entrances. There were 17 rows reserved for imperial, magistrates and senators. The low cavea was for knights. There were 19 rows and 32 entrances for middle class. Then 37 rows to general public.

 

Our Hill and Forum guide Adrian from City Wonders was outstanding. The audio units had ear buds and we could easily follow what he was saying as he led us through the expansive area. The Colosseum insists on using their own guides so we were turned over to a young woman at 11:00. She was not as passionate as Adrian, which is why I don't think I wrote down her name. And the audio units used by the Colosseum did not have ear buds which meant you had to hold them to your ear as you were walking. VERY long lines to the bathrooms (for the women only). I loved seeing the underground and upper level of the Colosseum, but was disappointed in our guide.

 

My MIL carried a folding seat. Something that at least gave her somewhere to sit and catch her breath. It turned out to be a great idea because seating everywhere we went was hard to find. Sure, you could sit on the ground, but then you have to get back up!

[Bimmer09]

The Colosseum tour was set for 11:00-12:30. Our Hill and Forum was from 9:00-11:00. The good thing about all the walking, it offset any weight gain from all the Italian food and gelato we would be consuming. We had three days cut out for Rome, two in Venice.

 

The animals were actually kept in what was called Bestiaries School. It was a building adjacent to the Colosseum. There were tunnels underground which led to the Bestiaries School, gladiator "hospital"or Saniarium, and dead body area or Spoliarium. She also said that during the Colosseum inauguration, there were 9000 animals killed in the 100 days of the celebration. She only mentioned the naval battles in passing. She mentioned that after particularly bloody battles, the theater was filled with water for the naval battle shows. I thought what she was saying it was a way to clean out the blood.

 

Incredible, I thought was the idea that the entire structure was built in only 5 years. There were 80 entrances on ground level, which were all numbered. There were four special "reserved" VIP entrances. There were 17 rows reserved for imperial, magistrates and senators. The low cavea was for knights. There were 19 rows and 32 entrances for middle class. Then 37 rows to general public.

 

Our Hill and Forum guide Adrian from City Wonders was outstanding. The audio units had ear buds and we could easily follow what he was saying as he led us through the expansive area. The Colosseum insists on using their own guides so we were turned over to a young woman at 11:00. She was not as passionate as Adrian, which is why I don't think I wrote down her name. And the audio units used by the Colosseum did not have ear buds which meant you had to hold them to your ear as you were walking. VERY long lines to the bathrooms (for the women only). I loved seeing the underground and upper level of the Colosseum, but was disappointed in our guide.

 

My MIL carried a folding seat. Something that at least gave her somewhere to sit and catch her breath. It turned out to be a great idea because seating everywhere we went was hard to find. Sure, you could sit on the ground, but then you have to get back up!

 

Thanks- I am glad you did the Colosseum and could fill in the blanks for me.

 

Having photos of the below stage area certainly helped. Hard to grasp that the Romans could be so clever and yet so brutal. I have never gone to a bullfight and have no desire to do so. Senseless killing for entertainment. Same thing for cock-fighting. I don't even watch boxing.

 

Oh, well.

 

On with the story which is soon going to find us at lunch-YIPPEE!!

 

Thanks for all the info!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

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The Pines of Rome- Umbrella Pines, trimmed and cut to grow in this shape

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Walls on the Palatine Hill

 

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This was over the fence in the Forum

 



 

 

 

 

Looking back down to the road I could see Franco parked in the black Mercedes and my watch suggested we should join him and continue on with our tour. I called him on the cell to let him know we were coming his way.

 

 

He had fresh bottles of chilled water ready for us. Where next Franco? Circus Maximus!

[Bimmer09]

The local race track

 

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When we told Franco we hadn't gone into the Forum he said he'd get us to a place where we could get a good photo of it and off we went, in and out of residential streets, climbing higher until we came to a corner where he had to let us off as there was no parking. He told us where to meet in 10 minutes....

[Bimmer09]

Good decision on our part not to go into the Forum as we would have been mired there for hours. It's huge! So was my appetite by now and I was all for moving on and getting to lunch. There was some pasta with my name on it somewhere.

 

From a lofty vantage point on a hairpin bend in a residential district we were able to look down on the Forum.

 

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It's just a quick photo opportunity- some ancient Roman eye-candy with no time to stop and wonder-what did that look like then? What went on, on a daily basis?

How colorful was it? The Romans decorated everything they touched and their's was a colorful world of paint, frescoes, statuary and mosaics. Everything would have gleamed and spoke of wealth and perfection. I am glad that what remains, remains to this day. Aren't you?

 

 

 

[bigenna]

Thanks for the amazing photos around Rome.

Good memories of a couple of week long visits we had on some land vacations.

[SpinnerCOyyy]

I am grateful that the ruins still stand. Always strange to think of how much time has passed. Always a reminder on how young the US is.

 

I purchased a Rome Reconstructed book after our tours on Sunday. In the back of the book it has a video you can watch about what it looked like back in the day. Check it out.

 

http://www.archeolibri.it/it/video/roma-ric.html The password is eay12avx