My Journal: Colossal Rome (Day 2)

Nothing can ever compare to the feeling of sheer awe that I felt when I first saw the Colosseum in Rome. I exited the Colosseo metro station and there it was in all its glory – towering and breathtaking. The fact that it is colossal is an understatement and the fact that the Roman Municipal people took the decision to build the metro station bang opposite The Colosseum is sheer genius…

Built in 80 AD, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever built and is perhaps the most famous and popular tourist attraction in Rome. And the bustling crowd on a Spring weekend gives testimony to that! The moment I laid my eyes on the magnificent structure I fell in love with it and the only regret I had when I left Rome was that I did not get to see it at night, all lighted up and dazzling…

Next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum which is a complex of ancient Roman government buildings now in ruins. The entrance ticket for the Colosseum and the Forum are the same and I’d suggest you to earmark the whole day if possible to visit the ruins complex. The ticket costs 12 Euros per person and it gives you access to the whole complex for 2 consecutive days. The fact that the site is huge and may be too much for a day and especially if you are a history buff and require to “examine” the ruins in minute detail you can easily reuse the ticket the next day as well!

Extremely tourist friendly policies like these won us over!

My sister and I loved the Colosseum and we spent most of our time there. We however couldn’t make much out of the Forum and hence we simply got us a bag of sandwiches, a bottle of chilled sparkling water (from the fountain out the metro station) and sat down simply soaking in the feeling surrounded by the ruins…

The area around this tourist spot is bustling not just with tourists but with street vendors, festival goers and local people going about their daily chores… This was probably the most populated part of Rome and it felt like home 🙂

As far as recommendations go, to each their own… But if I had to visit the Colosseum/Roman Form/Palentino again, I’d opt for a weekday afternoon and sometime during Fall… I would also suggest taking the metro but while going back skip the metro and walk… Its a beautiful way to explore the neighboring areas and witnessing the Colosseum fade away in the backdrop…