Today was Easter Sunday. When I was planning the vacation, I had looked into small churches in Rome where we could attend mass on Easter Sunday. I didn't want to go to anywhere too crowded and definitely didn't want to deal with the crowds at the Vatican. I wanted a small, quaint church.
But after recent attacks on Brussels and a caution that religious gatherings would be major targets of terrorist activity, especially on Easter Sunday, I was too nervous to go. God is everywhere anyways, so I felt given the situation and especially being in a foreign country, it was ok to say our own prayers. I figured God would understand.
So, we woke up, ate breakfast and headed out to the Colosseum. I figured being somewhere open would be the best thing for today. We had pre-purchased tickets so weren't too worried about being the first one's there. We took the bus to avoid the metro. It seemed like it took forever for the bus to come. I began to wonder if we were even at the correct bus stop. Daniel kept reminding me that multiple metros probably passed by now and we would already be there if we took it. I think we waited about 30 minutes, but it finally came.
We got off at the correct stop and it was cool because the roads were closed off to cars on account of the increased security for Easter Sunday. It was a really nice walk to the Colosseum, we passed by some ruins and stopped to take pics (of course!).
We figured we had tickets so we wouldn't have to wait long. We went in search of the "pre-purchased ticket line." Fortunately there was increased security on account of the recent activities, but unfortunately that meant we had to wait in a line that wrapped around half the Colosseum.
There were tour people trying to sell "skip the line tours." Again I had read that these people can be deceitful to get you to purchase. I figured they were lying to us that we had to wait in the same line. So, I asked a bunch of people and yup, they all had tickets too. The line was to go through security! They had airport type scanners at the entrance, so that was why the wait was so long. Daniel wasn't so happy about the line but I told him to have a positive attitude and that all would be okay. I figured the line would be this long even if we returned, so why not just wait it out? The good news was that the line was single file and no one was pushing anyone else. It was a pleasant line to stand in. It was a little warm, but we had water and snack and a napping Veena. It actually didn't take as long as we thought. I would say we waited about 1 hour. Priyana was complaining just a bit since she didn't have a stroller to sit in, but I reminded her all the hours we stood in lines at Disneyland for her. Without complaining. I told her that we did that for her and she had to do this for us. All four of them ended up doing pretty good in the line. We started talking to a few girls from Ireland behind us and it helped pass the time.
We got closer and the tour guides were still there. The same dude tried to sell us tickets again, and I said, "Well, but aren't we already close to the entrance?" He responded with, "Not really, once you get in there is longer to wait." The funny thing is that had we bought the skip the line tour when we first got there for 13E per adult, it actually would have been a good deal. We would have skipped the line, and gotten a tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. He was actually honest about that because while we were waiting I saw people buy it and they got to go in a separate line. However, he was lying about how long we had from the point where he tried to sell us the tour again. We were really close actually at that point and got in even before the newest tour group he was recruiting for did. So, at that point had we bought the tour, we would have had longer to wait!
All in all, I am glad we just waited it out. Not only did we save 26E, but I liked being able to take our time and explore everything on our own.
We went through security and got in! It was really, really cool!
The magnitude of this building is amazing and the structure lit up at night is gorgeous. But, it was a little eery to think of all the bloodshed that occurred at this place that so many people flock to each year and admire its splendor. Although there is conflicting info, the Colosseum was probably where countless Christians were martyred for their beliefs. And aside from that, the games themselves in their early days led to death with many of the gladiators being slaves or criminals who were forced to partake. In some ways, it was weird visiting a place with that type of history. A place that many people almost glorify today despite its history.
After our Colosseum visit, we were all hungry! We went to the closest restaurant we saw. We had food for the girls and Daniel and I were planning to split a large pizza. It was like 2pm, so we didn't want to stuff ourselves since dinner would be in a few hours. But we did want to sit down, feed the kids and have something to hold us over till dinner. But apparently, at this restaurant, you can't just buy one pizza. While I can understand the business aspect of this, I was kinda sick of the attitude around town. Everyone is super nice to you when they are trying to get you to come to their restaurant; if you decide to just look at the menu and go elsewhere there's a subtle attitude attached to it. If you aren't the type to drop a hundred bucks on a meal should you be treated any less? Why would I buy water for each of the kids and spend 6E when I already have water in their water bottles? Anywhere I go, it irks me when people treat big spenders differently than those trying to stay on a budget. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are "cheap." Not everyone is rich, but how you treat a person should be the same regardless. For a city that strives off tourism, I would have liked to have seen a little more friendliness.
Anyways, we found an amazing little place that didn't care how much we bought right around the corner. And we got to literally eat on the street! It was sooooo cool!
One of Veena's favorite things to do in Rome was pigeon watching! Too funny! I was scared they might come and try to grab her snacks, but luckily no such issues. Also, none of us got pooped on... score!
After we filled up on lunch, we headed towards the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. We spent a good couple hours there. It was a bit of a workout!
Pretty architecture everywhere! Arch of Titus...
They wanted to do sassy poses for like every picture.
Typical sight throughout our vacation...
Then we made the hike up to Palatine Hill....Pri thought it was such an honor that I would let her push a stroller. So, yeah, that helped me a lot. And she was so excited that she didn't even mind that it was up hill.
We came across this gorgeous Cherry Blossom tree at the top. ..Isn't it beautiful? Perfect picture spot!
The top!
Veena snoozing by some ancient ruins...
There's that Roman tree again....
My model for the day...
Veena woke up and wanted to take a stroll....
We spent a good couple hours exploring both the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Its beautiful there and was a really nice, calming, outdoor setting.
Next stop was the Trevi Fountain. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I had put it on the list of must sees, but I can't even remember if I had ever even seen a picture of the Fountain before seeing it in person. I have heard it was amazing, but in my mind, I was thinking it was something similar to the fountains we had been seeing in the Piazzas.
So when you are walking down the street, this is what you see.. When we were there, there was also a black tarp where the fountain and that building in the front connect. So, while on that street we asked someone where the Fountain was, and they pointed straight. Doesn't seem like there is going to be much more than a regular piazza right?
Then you turn the corner and I think my mouth dropped open. First, the fountain was out of this world. It was so beautiful. Second, the small little piazza with this HUGE fountain was packed with people. Anyways, I am so, so, SO happy that restoration was complete. I would've been pretty sad if it was under restoration when we went, because Im not sure how likely it is that we will return to Rome.
Magnificient!!!!!
The fountain was one of Priyana's all time favorite things to see in Rome. I wish it wasn't so crowded. I wish that we were the only one's there and we could just sit by the fountain for hours admiring its beauty. We decided to have dinner right around the corner in a small little family owned restaurant. Having dinner nearby meant we got to see the Trevi Fountain at night, all lit up as well. Also a sight to see!
This is what our dinner looked like... Two little kids were pretty tired from walking all day...
Don't worry, we made them wake up to eat some Pizza and Cannolli. Plus, at least 1 of them had to walk back to the hotel with us.
After dinner, we admired the Trevi Fountain at night and then made our way to the Spanish Steps. I knew they were under construction, but I wanted to see them anyways...
Of course it would have been nice to see them all restored, but its okay. I got the gist of it, and I would much rather this be under renovation than the Trevi Fountain during our visit. Apparently Daniel didn't think much of them.
We took the metro back to the hotel, since it was literally just a few feet away from the Spanish Steps.
We had an early day tomorrow so we were happy to hit the bed!
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