Flashback | The Colosseum
Paul was scheduled to work all day on the ship (sad face), so I decided to go on a crew tour of the Roman Forum. First stop, was the outside of the Colosseum. Yes, the outside. Apparently, our tour didn’t include tickets to the Colosseum. Could you imagine standing so close to the entrance, and not be able to go inside? I approached the tour guide and asked her if I could tour the area on my own. I explained that I desperately wanted to explore the Colosseum and asked for permission to rejoin the group in an hour. She agreed to the plan, but said it was impossible to do the Forum and the Colosseum in an hour. Say what!?! Challenge accepted.
I left the tour and walked up the path to the Palatine Museum. You see, I read in Budget Travel magazine that if you bought a ticket to the Palatine Museum, it would grant you access to the Colosseum. Otherwise, you would have to wait in line for an hour at the Colosseum ticket booth just to gain entry. I waited in line for, all of, five minutes at the Palatine and ventured inside. It was so serene and uncrowded, unlike the main tourist area. The air smelled of fresh-cut grass and the only sound to be heard was the chirping of birds in the trees. It was one of the most peaceful places I’ve visited in Europe.
I spent twenty minutes in the Palatine before heading downhill to the Forum. There, I caught up with the tour group as they were climbing Capitol Hill. I took some photos of the Forum, saw the famous arch and city hall. Twenty minutes later, I made a mad dash back to the Colosseum. I inserted my purchased ticket and strode inside the historic building. The Colosseum was astounding and massive. I was awe-struck at the sheer magnitude of it all. I didn’t want to leave, but it was time to return to the tour. I jogged down the stairs to the streets of Rome back to our meeting point, and the bus was MIA! I freaked out a bit because I thought I had been left behind. Mission #FAIL! Turns out, I was just early. Whew! The bus rounded the corner and parked. I boarded the shuttle and waited for everyone else to arrive. Mission accomplished!
The Palatine Museum
The Colosseum Interior