Roma holidaying - Day 3

Colosseo! (That's what the call the colosseum here).

Us inside the Colosseo

Day 3 was a busy day for us. We walked extensively, covering the Colosseum, Palantino and the Roman Foro, all three just next to each other. Didn't really wake up that early, still recovering from the Pompei and Berlin stops, so try to rest as much as we can, after breakfast and waiting for the bus, we didn't get to the Colosseum till close to 10.30am. The line to get in was shockingly long, again, plenty of tour guides (private and non) offering their services and 'skipping' the line for their guided walk through the Colosseum. We were never that big on tours so again, we chose to just wander around on our own. Thank goodness for the Roma Pass. We managed to skip the long lines (who knows how long it'll take us!), the pass is good for 3 days of any public transport in Rome and two free archeological sites/ or museums free so we chose this as our first site. Got in within 5 minutes of arriving.

You can see the underground network inside the Colosseo

Palantino garden

Roman Forum - ruins further ruined

Piazza Venezia - major bus central

Just an incredible feeling, picturing all the gladiator and hunting games that took place within its very walls. Admission was free back then and there were shows all throughout the day. A big turnoff throughout the visit with tours just filling up the areas, can't really read the signs and enjoy as much. I was expecting tours, just like in the Vatican City (St Peter's Basilica) but much worse here. Sad to see graffiti on the Colosseum walls, people sketching names and dates they were there (really? on a site like this?)

inside the Vittoriano museum

 Anyways, sat outside the Colosseum for a quick lunch before heading off to check out the Palantino gardens and to the Roman forum. Both sites not as dense with tourists as the Colosseum and very well kept. All day long it was overcast until it started to drizzle when we were just finished looking around the Roman Forum. Ducked into a church and the Vittoriano Museum Complex to get away from the rain (we left our umbrella).

Another beautiful church near the Roman Forum

View from the Vittoriano - you can still see the crowds in line to get in the Colosseo