A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Well, nothing funny really happened on the way to the Roman Forum. It is just the name of the old movie with Phil Silvers seemed to be partially relevant today. Basically, today we walked the short distance from the Roman Colosseum to the Forum.

The Colosseum is known to be perhaps the next biggest attraction in Rome to the Vatican. It is one of the most popular attractions in the world.

The appeal of this amazing structure is not so much its beauty but the fascinating history and the architectural ingenuity.

Construction of this massive amphitheatre started in 70 AD and was largely finished just 10 years later. It was built from concrete and stone. Just looking at what remains of this structure one is stunned by its complexity and detail. Nothing seemed to have been spared.

There was a complete ellipsis including the arena, seating galleries on three levels, with special places for the Emperor, vestal virgins and spectators.

There were complex underground accommodation for gladiators and animals. There were human powered elevators and even a system to bring in water to fill the arena for naval games. Of course, the gladiators, workers and builders were all slaves.

The Colosseum was destroyed by earthquakes and stone robbers. Early emperors also stripped it off all its precious materials to recycle it for use in the Basilica and other church buildings.

What was left was a faint representation of the original masterpiece. In recent years, huge reconstruction work has been taking place to make it usable for public events. Recent Popes have used it on Good Friday for a procession of the stations of the cross.

Here are some images that will show what parts of the Colosseum looked like.

Next to the Colosseum are the remains of the Roman Forum. Unlike the Colosseum, which was used for competition and games, the Forum was the site for public debate, discussion and decision-making.

The former Forum is now a vast empty space with bits and pieces of the old structure. This included the remains of a building where Julius Caesar was burned. People still bring flowers to that spot.

Nearby also is the Palatine Hill where myth has it that Romulus started the Roman Empire. This is the centre most of the Seven Hills of Rome. It also included a garden with statues of the vestal virgins.

These are some images of the Forum and the Palantine Hill.

There is much more to show and report on from Rome, but given limited time and space, we have shared enough to give an overview. Clearly this is a place where we need to spend several weeks.

Arrivederci Roma!

Our tour of the Vatican

A visit to the Vatican is always on the list for any visitor to Italy. One does not necessarily expect to see the Pope, but just being in this iconic destination seems to have its own sense of accomplishment. Something like another check in your bucket list.

Today was the opportunity for our Rubicon group to get a closer look at this nation within a nation and a favorite stop for Catholics and non-Catholics from around the world.

We had high expectations for this high point in our Roman Holiday, and it did not disappoint. Our tour included the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, view of the public square and Swiss Guards.

It would have been mind-bending to see the Pope, but he appears in the public square on Sundays and Wednesdays. Sometimes up to a million people pack the square for the papal appearance and blessing.

This is a view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

These are photos inside the Vatican Museum.

Here are images from the Basilica.

The triangular roof in the centre is the Sistine chapel.

Photos are not allowed inside the Sistine chapel, but here is what it looks like.

This is the public area where the Pope addresses visitors and the balcony on which he stands to speak and give his blessings.

These are the Swiss Guards that provide security for the Vatican.

We will have an update of our visit to the Colosseum, one of the world's most famous ruins, in our next blog.

In the meantime, Arrivederci.

Many faces of one of Europe's most enchanting cities

Anyone who visits the ancient city of Rome for a short time as we are, will only scratch the surface of this fascinating part of Italy. And even scratching the surface could be overwhelming.

There is much we can say about Rome, but it will take reams to do so. And we all have formed impressions from the countless songs, movies, books and stories from this place.

As we look around the city, I can't help hearing all those old songs in my head and reminiscing about the old movies. How can you not stand near Trevi Fountain and not want to belt out "Three Coins in a Fountain?" But I resisted it and Cintra was much relieved.

So rather than regaling you with the historical facts, anecdotes and stories about Rome, we will share some of our images of today. We hope to have more from the Vatican and the Colosseum in the coming days.

First here is a map of the main attractions.

We saw most of those in the centre such as Navona Square, Monument of Vittorio Emanuelle, Venice Square, Popolla Square, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Circus Maximus.

These photos of Trevi Fountain show it before the present restoration and what it looks like today during construction.

Arrivederci!

Pompeii: an ancient city preserved by volcanic ash

After our trip to the Indian subcontinent this summer, I didn't think we would be writing about ruins for a long time. But after seeing the ruins of Pompeii today, we must share our amazement at this historical wonder and designated World Heritage Site.

While most ruins we saw were the result of abandonment, wind and water erosion, invasions and religious struggles, Pompeii was literally buried by one of the most famous volcanic eruptions in history.

The city of Pompeii was built sometime between the 6th and 7th centuries B.C. and it included all the features of a complete Roman city. It had a forum, amphitheatre, streets, avenues, houses, market, shops, municipal buildings, gladiators' quarters, brothels, gardens, steam baths, and so on.

The Romans occupied Pompeii to take advantage of its proximity to the commercially-attractive Mediterranean Sea.

Then in 79 A.D., a sudden and unexpected eruption took place on Mount Vesuvius, just about eight kilometres away and released a force equivalent to two atom bombs. The result was a massive and widespread shower of ashes that spread over a large part of southern Italy.

The village of Pompeii was buried under the ashes and literally disappeared from the face of the earth. This architectural wonder ceased to exist.

That was the bad news. The good news was the area was covered with ashes and not with lava. Had the eruption spread lava, it would have permanently destroyed the remains of the city. Instead, the ash preserved the remains and much of them have been unearthed and preserved by archeologists. And that makes for a fascinating tour by visitors who can almost see what the whole city looked like and understand the lives and culture and history of residents.

We learned during our tour that the ash had great beneficial qualities for agriculture and natural vegetation. This part of southern Italy has some of the most fertile soils and helps in the production of quality grapes, olives, tomatoes and a whole range of products that have made the area famous.

We hope these images will give you a sense of the extent of the damage and how well some of the stone, brick and marble construction has been preserved.

Following our tour of the Pompeii ruins, we had a chance to taste some products of the Vesuvius foothills. We were taken to a wine farm where we had delicious food and wine pairings grown from the family crops and vineyard.

This is a part of the grape and olive plantation with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

We hope you have enjoyed these updates from Italy and look forward to reporting to you from Rome in a few days.

Arrivederci