Day 9

Today was great. We got to see one of the most iconic places on earth. The Colosseum! We arrived by bus just out front of the Altar of the Fatherland, which is a stunning building on its own. Then we walked to the entrance of the Colosseum. It was awesome just to walk up the street towards the Colosseum. There was a super long line but it moved surprisingly fast. We were inside in about ten minutes.

Inside there were lots of displays to read about and interesting tidbits. It was nice to stay inside because it was cooking out in the sun. It was very cool to see just how massive the Colosseum is. One could easily imagine the roar of the crowds of thousands. Then you read about

why they were probably cheering and it is very sobering. I can't imagine how horrific that sights would have been on that stage. There is a cross erected at the side of the arena. It makes you think about all the crucifixions that took place under the Romans and it makes you think about Jesus' death.

We left the Colosseum, grabbed some lunch, then headed up the Palatine hill. What an amazing place for a palace. The grounds were huge and had gorgeous views of Rome and the Forum. We wandered around for while, taking constant water breaks at all the fountains. Abby and I checked out the museum that had some fantastic sculptures in it. We then headed down the hill into the Forum. We didn't really look around much as we already saw views of it from the top of the hill. We were hot and tired, so we were just looking for a way out to head back home.

We rested at home for a few hours in the afternoon then took a bus to Trastevere for dinner. We wandered down the streets to piazza where we people watched while we ate dinner. Again, it was fun just to see the sights and sounds of some of these side streets. It was packed - this was definitely one of the places to be in Rome. After, we strolled down to the river, got some treats then headed for home.