Its official name is the Flavian Amphitheatre, but in America we all know it as the Coliseum. The ruins of the Coliseum are so iconic. Built in the first century, this structure has much history and carnage associated with it. While walking around inside and out, I couldn’t help but think of American football.
When we landed in Rome, we drove right past the Coliseum on the way in from the airport. Poof: there is no question where you are. This is Rome. There it is. Growing up in the Midwest, the idea of seeing some faraway “wonder of the world” like the Coliseum was an abstraction; unattainable. There it is. Can we go inside?
We had to wait a day. It was a hot day, and we’d been wandering on foot all over town by the time we reached the Palatine Hill and its neighbor, the Coliseum. We spent some extra time resting in the shaded galleries as we worked our way around the oval. Wow, the Coliseum! The kids are nonplussed, but I think they are feeling the weight of this place too. Amazing.
Though there were three along with me, no famous people are immortalized in this shot.
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