The admission (during Roman times) was free for the people. This was because they had had their land taken from them, so the leadership felt it was the least they could do. Some of the regular attendees had carved their names in the marble. The leaders and wealthy merchants of course had their names professionally carved in. There was a built-in water system. Water started out in fountains (spigots) at the second level or so, and it ran downhill from there into the lowest level where it provided some water for the animals (lions, tigers, bulls, wolves, even ostriches- which I’ve heard can be pretty vicious) and persons soon to be led to slaughter. Only a very small portion of the Coliseum has been restored.
We also toured some Catacombs – these are maintained by the Vatican. Small niches carved in tunnels underground. Grave robbers have stolen everything but a few remaining oil lamps –each about the size of a small teacup. We had lunch at Hostaria Antica Roma where we definitely overfed and overcharged (80 Euro for two people!) It was an unusual structure, with niches in the walls, possibly old catacombs? Or were they just to hold more oil lamps? We had a good time starting to get to know the people in the group. After lunch, we saw the Circus Maximus where horse races and much betting occurred many years ago. We had some time in the Pantheon (meaning – all Gods) and admired the craftsmanship and artistry. The domed top was open and this allowed for rain to come in- it drained out through holes in the floor– also for the light to be a kind of sundial on the domed top.
Later we walked down a narrow road of shops to the Trevi fountain (largest Baroque fountain in the city – over 65 feet wide and 85 feet high) and threw our prerequisite 3 coins over our left shoulder into the fountain (from the movie Three Coins in the Fountain –) supposed to bring you back to Rome someday. We only had a light sprinkle of rain while at the Trevi fountain. (guys selling umbrellas appeared out of nowhere trying to get you to buy one.) We also peeked through a keyhole of the Malta Consulate across the Italian city of Rome to see the dome of the Vatican. — Three countries in one view. We drove by the Spanish steps, named for the Spanish embassy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Back to the hotel to prepare for dinner. Because, hey, it’s probably been a few hours since we ate that huge expensive lunch! We had dinner with about 10 people from the group. We took a taxi – you pay the taxi from wherever it started from to your destination. So you might get into a taxi with 8 euro already on the meter. Seems like a scam to me. I bet only tourists fall for this.
Dinner was a laugh a minute. The food was excellent with a funny old guy as our waiter. He tried to tell us what to eat, but Barbara insisted on menus. The restaurant had one room painted a light red full of pictures of Popes. It reminded us of Bucca di Beppos. The food and wine were great. The waiter took a liking to Maryanne as she wandered over to check out the dessert counter. He referred to her as “Tiramisu” for the rest of the evening and she kindly gave him a peck on the cheek as we were getting ready to leave. A young waiter took our group picture.