When only one day in Rome is all you have, you want to take in as many sights as possible, but what can you see without overwhelming an 11-year-old? The Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum are situated next to each other and are perfect for children to explore the culture of Ancient Rome.
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| Colosseum Interior |
With only one full day in Rome, we wanted to maximize our sightseeing without burning out since we were still feeling the sting of jetlag. We decided to focus on Ancient Rome and visit the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. After breakfast, we made the short walk to the Colosseum entrance. We had not purchased our tickets for any of these attractions ahead of time because we didn't know how tired we would feel after we arrived from Canada. TIP: ALWAYS PURCHASE YOUR SIGHTSEEING TICKETS IN ADVANCE IF POSSIBLE.
TIP: THE ENTRANCE TICKET TO THE COLOSSEUM INCLUDES ENTRANCE TO PALATINE HILL AND THE FORUM. IF THE TICKET LINE TO THE COLOSSEUM IS LONG, TRY GOING TO THE FORUM (ENTRANCE FACING THE COLOSSEUM), AND PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS THERE. Many times there is NO line up at this booth. The combo ticket is €12 for adults, €7.50 student/senior. To purchase tickets online go to the official site: www.coopculture.it/en/ there is a €2 online booking fee for your order. TIP: even if you are buying your tickets online, you may get stuck waiting to enter the Colosseum during the busy summer months because only 3,000 visitors are allowed to go in at one time.
After the Colosseo, a quick sugar-fueled, late morning snack was in order. The expensive snack wagon outside the Colosseum (which included COLD beer) is a Godsend because you are paying for convenience and speed. Next, we hit the Palatino or Palatine Hill. It was becoming super hot outside. TIP: BRING A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE EVERYWHERE YOU GO IN ITALY. We kept re-filling our water bottles from the fountains we came across on Palentine Hill and drank in the views of Rome from the heights. Amazing! The coolest thing for this first-timer to Rome was all the olive trees laden with little black olives dangling in the branches. Yes, I even picked one and kept it in my pocket the whole trip as a touchstone to make sure I wasn't dreaming!
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| Making Friends |
The lime and orange trees growing in the gardens were a surprise to me as well, and I could imagine how beautiful the palace gardens once looked. Liam had a lot of fun meeting new friends; like the doves that make homes in the ancient ruins. He even found a nest with three little babies in it. Whatever keeps him busy 😉
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| Temples Of The Forum |
Then off to the Roman Forum. The Forum really got my imagination going about what Ancient Rome really looked like. It is a BIG area and the temples are so unbelievably well-preserved, yet strumming with the modern vibrancy of this city. I could see My son Liam was concerned and he asked me in a rather horrified voice "why are so many statues of naked people!?!" I gave some parental explanation of art and the classic naked human figure representing purity, blah, blah. He looked at me thinking for a moment, and then made a BIGGER deal about the exposed genital bits. "OK FINE; if it's such a big deal to you, then count the genitals-ALL of them!" I said with an exasperated sigh. This turned out to be the best parenting trick for my over-anxious/OCD/ADHD kid -EVER! I will keep you posted on the "privates" count...
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| Arch Of Titus |
The Arch of Titus is on the Via Sacra, the main street through the Forum. The basalt paving stones we walked on were the original stones of this ancient street. Imagine; the sandals of Roman Emperors glided along this street 2000 years ago! The Arch of Titus has been reconstructed from ruin and was initially built in the year 70 CE to commemorate the Roman conquering of Isreal and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Romans brought 50,000 Jewish slaves who built the Arch of Titus and the Colosseum. Walking through this arch was like walking through a portal in time...
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| Temple of the Vestal Virgins |
Although there are many gorgeous ruins in the Forum, my personal favourite is The Temple of the Vestal Virgins. The details of the statues of the most revered of the Vestal Virgins were so vivid and haunting, I could almost see myself in white chitin walking along the Via Sacra 2000 years ago tending to the eternal flame. This was the blueprint for our modern convents. Although, after learning the history of the fate of some of these poor girls, maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to be a Vestal Virgin after all. Getting buried alive for failing to honour your 30-year vow of chastity seems a bit extreme!
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| Rest In The Shade |
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| Complete Bliss! |
As the sun started to set we thought we would head out for an evening stroll or what Italians call "passeggiata." Everyone was out; locals and tourists alike. Liam was on the prowl for a pizza place, so we headed in the general direction of the Piazza Navona, hoping to see the famous Bernini fountains tonight. Winding through the Medieval alleyways of Rome we became a little turned around, so we just followed the sound of music and came upon a big open piazza. We were starving by this point "let's just have dinner here" we thought absentmindedly. We sat down at a table at a restaurant on the corner of the piazza. When I turned around to look at what was behind me; I gasped to see the Pantheon lit up in all her glory! TIP: In Europe, you pay more for a meal when you have a fabulous view. This was one view I was happy to pay for, and Liam swore the pizza was the best in Rome. Watching the almost full moon sail over the Pantheon, and all the beautiful people strolling through the square; I started to cry because I was just so happy. TIP: In Italy, you are never rushed through your meal to turn the table, we could enjoy our meal for as long as we wanted. After dinner, we strolled over to Trevi Fountain to throw a coin into the fountain and grabbed a gelato to eat on the way back to our Bed and Breakfast.
This was indeed a memorable night, and I hope that coin I tossed into the Trevi fountain works it's magic because I need to come back to this glorious city!