Ancient Rome and modern creme puffs!

No I'm not the creme puff!  Although I haven't exercised this whole trip.  I may look like a creme puff, however...... I have had 2 already..... and some of Abby's.  I wouldn't share with Bob today, he had to get his own creme puff!

Here is the spot where Marc Antony said "Fellow Romans lend me your ears...", while Caesar's body lie dead.  The place certainly does not look as grand as the steps in the "Julius Caesar" 1953 movie with Marlon Brando.  But our guide said there are still some ruins under the earth.  This area is the forum and was covered with marsh land after the fall of the Roman Empire and not excavated until the late 1800's.  It's all incredibly interesting.  "Is there a bakery near by?"

We did a whirl wind tour of Rome, including of course the Colleseum.  Back in Ancient times it was not called the Colleseum, it was called the amphitheater.  Not just a theater, which is usually a half circle but and "amplified" theater, 2 half circles , thus Amphitheater.

The middle picture shows where the floor of the amphitheater was before it collapsed.  The underground was a labyrith of walls and chambers.  There were lifts with counter weights and trap doors into the arena for the various animals that were fought.  The amphitheater was used up untill about 600 A.D.  The Christian leaders were not fond of the type of games that were played in the arena and eventually they were stopped.  There were naval games played here as well but there was too much leaking into the ground level seats, so the naval games were moved else where in Rome.  It is said that up to 80,000 people could sit and watch an event here, but you had to sit in your class or be arrested.  Virtually no women watched the games except for the vessel virgins who were allowed to sit with the aristocrats.

This statue of the she-wolf with Remus and Romulus was spotted up and in the back of the Forum.

We made a quick trip to the Vatican.  The wait into St. Peter's Basica was about 3 hours long, so Mom and Dad were out voted 3 - 2.  We ate a delicious lunch and headed back to the Hotel.  Where now we sit and relax!   Getting ready for our next meal!



Oh did I mention, I love points!  POINTS, POINTS, POINTS!!!  If it wasn't for our points we wouldn't even be able to walk by this hotel let alone go into the lobby, but alas we have points!  Check it out!