The Colosseum
The icon that is the Colosseum was number one on my Rome bucket list. The only place where I was prepared to stand in line, and as luck would have it, I was there on free Sunday.
Some other people were also feeling lucky and by the time I got there, 30 minutes before opening time, the line was already a few hundred strong! No worries, I put on my Rick Steves Colosseum audio guide and took in the outside of this historic structure while he told me some stuff and did some awkward ‘acting’.😉
Once they opened, I was surprised by the well-oiled machine. Must come from years of tourist handling. I don’t think it took 15 minutes for me to get in. Chop Chop. But it may take longer on ‘pay days’ as they have to handle cash and change.
And then I was inside the ages.
It is massive. And it is still there. A little bit battered by the ages. But it is still there. This place that is synonymous with Rome…..and tragedy.
As impressive as this place is, so tragic are its stories. And for this reason, I was really putt off by most of the tourists taking all these happy, kissy, leapfrogging snappies and making jokes. The one that irked me the most was the guy jumping making funny faces while his friend tried to catch the snappy. To me, it feels disrespectful of what went on there.
People and animals were tortured. And amidst this torture, apparently, there were perfume sprayers who sprayed perfume to try and mask the smell of death and decay!😱 The horrific things that happened there are too much to imagine actually. How is it that people can be so cruel and bloodthirsty? These tourists taking their happy snappies in a sense is the same to me as the spectators of way back when. Cheering and laughing and having no sense what the place represents. In my opinion, the Colosseum should be handled by tourists the same way as say, for instance, visiting Auschwitz, I can’t imagine people taking jolly snappies there.
I felt as if all the people who were killed and mauled here are disrespected even to this day by spectators. Or I am just a stick in the mud.
Then I pondered some more.
That is what happens when in Rome. Or when I am there anyway. You should go see some of my other ponderings.Being surrounded by history can do that to a person.
I did mention that I wondered how the Romans got to be so morally decayed. They probably did not know any better. Which lead to another scary thought? If I was born then, would I have been just like them cheering on death? Not having the moral compass to discern right from wrong? Are all those Romans doomed for being born at the wrong time and place? That is some heavy thinking. When in Rome they say……..
Enough of the heavy stuff.
Although a lot of the Colosseum is still there, quite a few things are missing, like the floor. What is left now is the exposed passages that were beneath the floor. Can you imagine being under that wooden floor in a dark passage awaiting your turn while listening to the commotion from above? Scary stuff.
There was also once a canvas roof if I understand correctly. That could not have lasted long anyway. And then the seating or ‘standing’ seems to be gone too. It does not look inside like you see in the movies. I had trouble figuring out where the crowds stood or sat. It is too ‘open’ now. And I saw a wild animal re-enacting something. Ok, it was not so much a wild animal as it was a stray cat.
All in all, being able to ‘see’ history is priceless. And it is an impressive building. The sheer size and design and the fact that it has withstood the test of time (mostly) must be what earned the Colosseum a spot in the 7 Wonders of the World. So it is worth standing in line for. Even on non-free days.
This was my impression on the Colosseum. If you need some more history to go along with these pictures go listen to the Rick Steves Audio guide. I used it in line and was pretty well informed by the time that I got inside. And on a solo journey, it is nice to have someone speak to you.😜
So I went, I saw some history and then crossed the road to the Roman Forum which was the biggest surprise for me in Rome.
