A Super packed day for us in true explorers style. Ryan planned the day, with a first pit stop in the catacombs. It looked like a church going in, but mostly underground (apparently the only underground church), the only part above ground are the windows at the top.
Our group was large, and they split us into language groups for the tours. Inside you walk in single file, it was amusing that the tour guide assumed people could hear him 40 people back in the queue. The space itself was creepy, but interesting. A few things we noted:
a) Romans were tiny! Evident by the teeny tiny spaces in the walls for bodies, and the tour guides say so. They were lucky to reach 5ft it seems.
b) Christians apparently did NOT hide in the catacombes, and they wouldn't have been able to bear the smell if they did.
c) Tour guides CAN go overboard with vivid descriptions of blood running down the walls out of the tombs etc etc
d) I don't remember how long, but there are 19km over 5 levels of a maze down there. In the 1500's an explorer discovered the place and got lost and subsequently went mad apparently. They can tell by the graffiti.
e) Graffiti has ALWAYS been a problem in Italy - Grave robbers have broken into nearly every tomb which should be blocked with terracotta (with disappointment as people were not buried with valuables then). Anyway they left graffiti everywhere too.
Afterwards we took a walk through time down appia antica, old Roman Appian Way which was nice. It ended up taking us to the centre of Rome.
We decided to try the rose garden again...
Closed! As always it seems. The sign said it opens in April 2015. We managed to see a few of the bushes in bloom. (Ok, seriously only a few - through the bars).
Food was the next best idea.
Finding food at this time of day in Italy has proven a challenge (5pm).
We found one of the only open bars nearby (according to Google) and they didn't serve until 7:30pm, BUT their aperitif bar was opening. Thinks of a revolving sushi bar, for little mini sandwiches, rice balls, salads etc.
It was all you could eat and we had bags of time $10 plus you get a beer! Not bad, and the places was a craft been specialist, so the choice was endless.
We will never know what they thought of the many many MANY little dished they kept carting away.
The whole point of our day was approaching.
Time to see the Pope and his parade!
The atmosphere was great, like any large gathering of people, and the security super strict.
The first set check your bags, and then the second set wave a wand over you. Thousands of people bottle-necking through two sets of security, its a wonder how fast they did it!
The colosseumn looks so great at night! and the Pope could be seen from anywhere. We didn't stay long as we had to catch the bus back, but 20 minutes of the service was long enough to take it all in :) it was surprising to see a stead stream of other people leave too - perhaps tourists just checking it out like us :)
Amazing day.
Much Love
x