Maggi's Memories: Dames at Sea, Day Two: Hop-on, Hop-off to the Colosseum

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Dames at Sea, Day Two: Hop-on, Hop-off to the Colosseum

There was so much to see in the next two days we decided the best way to maximize our time was to purchase tickets on the ubiquitous "hop-on, hop-off" busses, of which there were several companies. The weather was very comfortable and we were able to sit in the upper, open air area, perfect for taking photos. The tickets were only 34 Euros for two days, a real bargain compared to what cab fares would have been. I was in photo-heaven and snapped away constantly. Carol took pictures too, mostly of me taking pictures.

There were so many things to see. At every turn we oohed and aahed as the antiquities of ancient Rome emerged into sight. We felt like we were on a movie set or in Walt Disney World, only this was the real thing. I will never watch "Gladiator" the same way again. It was awe inspiring, to say the least. I took hundreds of photos that day, or which I only have room here to post a few. While I was jumping around snapping photos, Carol was photographing ME taking photos, one of which is this one.

When we see travelogues on television or seeing photos of these iconic sites it looks like the photos above and when you go you expect it to look like this. What they don't show you is what it really looks like:

There are incredibly huge crowds everywhere. And we were there in what was considered to be "off" season. I can't imagine how crowded it would be during high season.

We ended the day back at the hotel, hungry and ready for another nice meal. This time we chose another restaurant close by and it ended up being our "go to" place for the rest of our stay in Rome. We fell in love with the fresh and light ingredients, preparation and presentations. Sure wish this place was around the corner from me at home! (Ristorante Fiore)