Day 4 - Ancient Rome

We began our final day in Rome with a late wake-up (8:30) and then breakfast at 9:00, before loading the bus for our departure and heading into Ancient Rome. We met our tour guide, Heinz, and immediately walked down to the Coliseum. From a distance you can tell it is enormous, but it is even more impressive when viewed from the ground. Started in 72 AD, it took just 10 years to complete and no improvements have ever been made to the structure. It could seat up to 55,000 people and be cleared in under 20 minutes. Some of the stone was used in the middle ages for building materials, which is why you see the missing sections today.

We walked past the Coliseum down to view some Roman ruins, including an area that was once a market and another part that was a firewall built to protect Agustus’ castles. We then continued through the sometimes-narrow streets to the Trevi Fountain, where we enjoyed about 15 minutes of free time. The Fountain has been a tourist destination for years now and has become the fountain in Rome that people throw coins into. The saying goes that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand that you will return to Rome at some point. The water at the fountain flows through pipes that are over 2,000 years old.

After leaving the Fountain, we passed the Italian Parliament. Right in front of the Parliament was a group of protestors. Even though I could not understand what they were saying, I could tell their were protesting by their actions and unified chanting. They were protesting new laws passed by the Parliament concerning the rights or people in the workplace and part-time vs. full-time employees.