Everything we know today, the Romans did it first!

I always think of Monty Python's "The Life Of Brian" when I think of the Romans. There is a scene where Reg is trying to rally the People's Front of Judea and asks, " So what have the Romans ever done for us?". His final retort is "All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?" 

How about libraries? Apartments? Shopping Malls?  And where would be without those... You know..... Places to gather with thousands of other people in a huge oval shape separated by classes and ability to pay, separate entrances for the wealthy, and .... Watch men battle for hours.....

Oh yeah... ARENAS... Sometimes called Colosseums.

70,000 people would come to watch the games of the Gladiators. This was built and expanded many times over hundreds of years. It's origin is about 75 bc. Nero had made a lake in the center and played naval battles with small ships. It wasn't until much later that they drained it, then created the labyrinth below for the animals and Gladiators which had a ceiling that was covered in sand. They replaced the sand in the pit daily. 

Rome and all of its transformations from one Empire to the next were the original Recyclers. Each of the successive powers would steal what they needed from the monuments and buildings of the preceding  powers. The Colosseum was once covered in marble as were the Temples. They were reused to build Churches and palaces. The iron connectors that were used to join marble blocks together were reused for new buildings leaving older structures weakened. That is why you see many holes in the remaining structures as this was where the marble facade was attached.

Here they built a church inside a Roman Temple to reuse most of the infrastructure.

After our 3 days of touring with Claudia, we had time each day to stroll along with a free day to go where ever our feet would take us.

Lew had told me about the Michelangelo statue of Moses and how it was a work that daunted him his whole life. He worked on it as a personal project though originally commissioned for the Pope's Mausoleum. He was interrupted twice for the Sistine Chapel. He finally completed it in his late 80's and was known to have one way conversations with it. He at one time yelled at moses to "speak to me" and upon no reply, threw his hammer striking the statue in the knee. The emotion carved into the expression of Moses is one of great frustration. What an incredible talent Michelangelo was and how fortunate are we to still be able to see and appreciate his labor of love.

The chains of Saint Peter

This entire square and buildings of Piazza Venezia and statues were designed by Michelangelo.

Under Rome, wherever one digs you find...... more Rome. This was not far from Trevi where as they were rehabbing a building they discovered the remains of a house from 15 bc that had running water from the Trevi aqueduct.  

Rome is a continuing feast for the eyes as so many points of time collide in a single street.

Everyday we had lunch in a new Ristorante with a double round of Gin and Tonic. 

First of the Day to our parents who taught us to appreciate the world and enjoy traveling to explore it.

I finally saw a Maserati. Parked in front of our hotel. 

And so we leave Rome, headed to Pompeii and then Sorrento. We have barely scratched the surface of what is Rome but have lifetime memories of wonderful the people are living in such a vibrant historical city.

These are a few shots from the roof of The Marriott Grand Flora where we enjoyed breakfast every day.

Ciao.....