Rome

Our train to Rome was actually EARLY! We checked into the Mona Lisa Hostel, and the two guys working reception were hilarious. The one guy was training and got a hard time for not knowing how to put our names into the spread sheet. The other guy was teasing him about his useless finance degree (since he can't even figure out excel)!! Our room was up 5 flights of stairs (no elevator) and had no air conditioning. Also, I am pretty sure I got bit by bed bugs, but it had to happen at some point. This is the best possible thing we could have done to prepare for PC, I think.

First night:

We went to see the Trevi fountain at night. We started this adventure during the day and for good reason too. We were staying in the Trevi region so we figured it wouldn't be that hard to find. Well we found the Spanish steps, the ruins, and another strange fountain but we couldn't find the Trevi.

The other strange fountain

Finally we asked after we got ice cream. It was no problem to get to. When I was there last, 4 years ago, it was near Christmas and there were some people there but not a huge crowd by any means. Summer time is another story altogether! It was packed, there were people trying to sell these loud bubble machines and also Polaroid like pictures for 3 Euros. When Kaylyssa and I were there the peddling object of choice were stress balls. We both threw in our 10 cents behind us, over our right shoulder (to ensure a return trip to Rome) and then sat down to people watch. It started to rain and we took out our packable raincoats, which Greg now calls our 'eating apples.' We call them this because Greg was doing further research of our coats when he read, 'packs up to the size of an eating apple, and ways even less!' Any-who there was this family there with a little boy that looked like Greg when he was little. When it started to sprinkle he whined and said “But, mom I am SOAKING wet!!”as he brushed the 7 drops off his arms. We walked around until it was dark enough to see the lights in the fountain....how pretty! We were lucky enough to be near a tour at the time and we learned some things about the fountain:

-It took about 30 years to complete (what with the Pope dying, funding issues, and the death of someone else important)

-After a considerable amount of years the building it was being built against became nervous and started complaining that the artists didn't know what they were doing and that it might make their building collapse.

-As a response the artist made a corner of the building LOOK like it was collapsing. Moral of the story...don't piss off an artist!

The picture on the right is of the portion made to look like a collapse of the building.

After we had our fill of the Trevi at night we decided to check out other sites at night. I am glad we did!

Day two

We wanted to go on a tour of the Forum, and we found one that did the Forum, Coloseum, and Palatine Hill but it was 47 Euros EACH!!! So we did what any tourist would do and bought the audio tours! They were great, here are some things we learned while touring the Forum:

-Temple of Vesta and the Vesta Virgins:(6 virgins chosen to protect the eternal light in the temple. 30 year service. Monuments were made in their honor in the courtyard, they were allowed to marry after completing their service. They had special privileges such as: beautiful housing adjacent to the temple, box seats at the Colosseum, and if they came across someone sentenced to die that day they had the power to spare their life. If they didn't keep chaste they were buried alive!

-Arch of Sptimus Severus: (he had his brother's name crossed out and it was re-in scripted 'dedicated to the greatest prince' 320 AD

-Temple of Saturn: this was the state treasury, they kept the treasury money and coins in holes dug in roof

Full tourist mode.

Palatine Hill:

This was a much older region claimed to have been settled by Romulous with evidence of Romulan huts. There was a great view from the top, overlooking the Forum, and all of Rome (including the dome from St. Peter's Basilica. By this point we were pretty hot and tired so we didn't listen to all the talking points.

View of the Vesta Virgins' house from the hill.

I love that you can drink the water in Rome fountains...AND it is cold too!

Colosseum:

-Estimates are between 40,000 and 70,000 people could fit in the stadium

-The games were always free to the public

-Rich families would show their prowess by hosting shows (a gift to the people of Rome)

-The arena floor was made of wood with trap doors throughout, it was then covered in sand

-They would use pulleys and leavers to make animals and stage props 'appear' from midair

Model of the pully system

The rooms that would have been under the wooden floor.

-After a whale washed up on an Italian beach they made a huge whale appear on the floor and50 bears came out of it's mouth!!

-Seats were based on class

-Water fountains and latrines were readily available

-Evidence of gambling, heating up prepared meals from home (in little ovens), vendors, wine (everyone was given one ticket for a ration to ensure no drunken fights), and hair pins

from the elaborate dues of the women (who sat in their own section) have been found in the excavated sewers of the Colosseum

Coins and dice on a game talble

The food preperation artifacts found

Hair pins of all sizes and beads

-There was also a tarp roof supported by large wooden posts that sailors would roll out to protect the audience from the sun and rain

-The walls were all covered in marble, which was then pilfered to use in St. Peter'sBasilica among other things buildings

-Part of the upper wall was destroyed in an earth quake, that started the dismantlement of usable parts from the Colosseum which wasn't stopped until the 17 or 18th century when the Pope consecrated it as a religions spot for the martyr of Christians (there has been no evidence found to support this claim)

The Gladiators:

-They fought around 2 times a year

-Their average life span was about 30 years, not too much less than any other romans lifespan

-Like the army, kids were recruited at 17 or 18 and lived by Colosseum, they trained all year

-Gladiators could retire after a certain number of fights

-Slaves could choose this route and after a certain number of fights they could be freed

-Gladiators assumed dead were poked with a hot iron rod to 'discourage' faking

-When a gladiator was clearly defeated they could plead for grace, the emperor would usually grant it (based on whether or not they fought bravely and the crowds opinion) and also on the fact of the costs in training a new gladiators

We did all of this from 9:30-3:00 with a small lunch break in between. It was very very hot but it was okay since we had access to the cold, free, delicious water from all the fountains in Rome. Our hostel was okay, the ceilings in the common room were painted in Tuscany in the 1300s and then transported to that building later. The building itself was used by the Vatican for a while also. When we came back from our day (after lock out was over at 4PM) everyone coming into the common room was drenched with sweat and looked exhausted! We also had our phone conference with Peace Corps Belize!!

Relaxing in the shade, with a view!