We may be on vacation but Zoom remains a part of life – for today at least. After a pleasant breakfast we have to meet with our testing lady, whom we’ve been liaising since the beginning of the week – why? It’s necessary to present a negative test to the cruise line, but it has to be less the 72 hours old, hence we couldn’t arrange this in the UK like we did before our January cruise.
Happily we found a company that does video supervised testing, the kits having arrived before we left Yorkshire. Exactly like the ones we’re all used to using, we are required to poke our noses in front of the doctor, who then authenticates the subsequent results, and later sends us a formal certificate. Isn’t it a weird new world where zoom and covid will be forever intertwined just like chickens and eggs, no-one will be quite sure which came first!!
We schlepp back to the Coliseum, meet up with the prearranged tour company and head off explore the Forum.
Last visit we did it alone, which is usually our preferred option, but there are some advantages to a guide, not the least of which is queue jumping. We cover the highlights of the Forum, head up to Palatine Hill which is new to us, marvel at the views, before descending. This part of the tour is very educational and we learn so much about the formation of Rome in BC753, and it’s astonishing history since then.
Exiting via a side route we’re just yards from the entrance to the Coliseum and are soon scanned and stickered into the complex. This amazing building, capable of seating 80,000 is another history lesson on several levels. We have a particular view of gladiators cast by a few cinematic interpretations, but the story is really complex, from how it got it’s name (a huge statue or colossus) to the many different kinds of “games” that were available free of charge to the decadent Romans, to how it was built in just eight years (easy when many tens of thousands of slaves make for plentiful labour.)
After the three hour tour we’re ready for lunch, and heading towards our next stop we are naively enticed to choose a touristique restaurant nearby. The “boy” has plenty of chat to get us sat down, but can’t deliver on service after that, but never mind – we enjoy over-priced beer and a mixture of good and mediocre pastas.
Our afternoon plan takes in The Pantheon, Navona Square (which used to be an huge track just like the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens) and then on past Sant’ Angelo Castel to St Peter’s and the Vatican.
On our return we pass again by the Supreme Court, this time on the front and marvel on its beauty, before heading home.
En route we encounter roads closed because of the fashion show at Spanish Steps tonight, but circumnavigate these to get home in a suitable timeframe to do admin, shower and dress, then descend on the bar for apéritif.
After another splendid dinner we return to Trevi to get some night shots.
