If you’re going to scale a volcano- make sure its active. I’ve covered Pompeii and its unfortunate end in a previous post https://thedreameroftheday.com/2016/08/09/pompeii/ but the focus was on the city more then the volcano that destroyed it. This time I was playing tour guide to my parents and we decided to get to the top.
Hiking up
A few sharp switchbacks in the van culminate in a stop well short of the rim. The journey up provides incredible views so bring a camera. Once you reach the rim you can hike most of the way around.
Looking into an active volcano
One of the most amazing things is the signs of activity- sulphuric smells and visible streams of steam and gas. In some places you could even feel the heat coming off the rock. Be sure to wear proper shoes for a hike, the rock at the top is uneven and in some cases really jagged. When teaching geography we of course spend a lot of time looking at volcano’s because they are awesome (and its required). I question why anyone would want to live next to this particular volcano, considered one of the most dangerous in the world because of the type of violent eruption it unleashes. Many people think its extinct but its actually the only volcano in Europe to fully erupt in the last century. Its a matter of time before history repeats itself in Pompeii.
The trip down was a bit quicker and we still had some time for a tour of Pompeii itself.
My hiking buddiesPompeii with Vesuvius in the background
During our time in Rome we also had time for the Baths of Caracalla (named for the Emperor who had them built) which I’d never been to before. Amazingly they were only the second biggest bath complex in Rome and after being constructed in the early 3rd century stayed active till the 6th. It took 9000 men 5 years to build and continued with additions for years after that. Invading Ostrogoths put an end to it when they cut the water supply to Rome and the Catholic Church then stripped the rest of much of its marble, statues and incredible works of art.
The old swimming pool- the holes a few feet off the ground were water pipes bringing in a fresh supplyPock marks in the marble here were for a gambling game, swimmers could relax and roll dice at the same time!
Just walking through makes you appreciate how advanced the Romans were and a bit angry that you can’t see it in its former glory.
A mock up of what the Baths would’ve looked like
The good news is the Baths are only a short walk from the Coliseum and the Palatine/Capitaline hills.
We did visit the Coliseum (of course) and this time I knew to book the tour for special access. This takes you to the upper level of the coliseum and under the arena floor, areas you can see, but not visit on the normal tour. When it comes to history Roman never disappoints.
Istanbul is a city steeped in history from multiple civilizations, cultures and religions. Founded in 660 BC the city is split by the Bosphorus Strait and is one of the world’s few transcontinental cities (both in Europe and Asia). Over time it was known as Byzantium (at its founding) and Constantinople under the Romans. It took its current form under the Ottomans but changed again when Ataturk gave more power to the people after World War One. He led a revolution and upon taking power made vast changes including free/compulsory education, equal rights for men and women and reduction of tax rates for the poor.
The Hippodrome, at one point the centre of public life and chariot racing
Currently one of Turkey’s major tourist draws, the city has more recently been in the news for negative reasons (an attempted coup, and terror related attacks). Turkey has lost around 2.5 billion pounds in tourism this year alone. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives (or perceived negatives) for long, but it is something I was, and am still, being asked about. I was shocked by how little people knew about the country and the people who call it home but still had strong views on it. I was surprised how often I heard the word “terrorist” when being asked about the trip. I don’t mean for this to become political, but the questions I was getting showed a lack of understanding, even ignorance in some cases. Yes Turkey has had its troubles recently but so has every other country in Europe. I can only speak to my personal experience as a response and say that it doesn’t match up with much of what can be read in the papers.
Blue Mosque
People were so willing to help, even when (frequently) language was a barrier and that always goes a long way to making someone comfortable in a strange city. People were so excited to share their culture and city with me and while there were a few looking to take advantage of visitors that is a constant in all cities that rely in part on tourism. The neighbourhood I stayed in was called Kadirga and had a very tight knit feel to it. Locals were out each night in the community parks sitting on small chairs and drinking tea outside their homes. Old men played board games on stairs and makeshift tables, vendors sold a delicious street food called yarim and kids played football on the road. I had the chance to talk with shop owners in the Grand Bazaar who were very open about the financial challenges they and their friends are now facing due to a loss in income. This was evident again in Cappadocia where balloon operators told me that there used to be twice as many on a good day but several have now had to shut down. I recognize that my experience isn’t the whole picture, and I know that there are certainly parts of Turkey’s southern border that need avoiding at present. Whether that excludes it from your travel list is a personal choice, but I have nothing but nice things to say about the place and in the meantime public perception is having a very real impact on those who call the country home.
Kadirga
I highly recommend The Galley Hotel run by Can Serbay. It is close to the city centre and has a cool naval theme to it. My first stop in the city on day one was Sultan Ahmed Square- home to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, is still active and actually isn’t all that blue. It is well known for having six minarets, something of an architectural oddity. If you are visiting keep in mind that while Hagia Sophia is now a museum the Blue Mosque is still an active place of worship. For the gentleman that means long pants and leaving your shoes at the entrance. Ladies can use one of the provided head coverings but should have shoulders and anything above the knees covered. You will also want to know what time of day the five calls to prayer (Adhan) will occur for two reasons. One, you can’t visit during prayer and two you definitely want to be in the middle of the square to hear the Muezzin’s call back and forth. If you are in the right spot you can hear calls echoing from the minarets of many mosques across the city at the same time. The inside of Blue Mosque is covered in stunning Iznik tile, something you will see a lot of in Istanbul. Your visit won’t take more then 30 minutes but is both free and well worth it.
Incredible Iznik tile design
On your way across the square grab a sesame pretzel bagel and some Turkish coffee before sitting by the central fountain for a bit. If you’re over heating try dondurma, it’s Turkish ice cream and is far stickier then what you might be used to. If your looking to fill up go for a kumpir- a loaded baked potato with hot dogs in it.
Nothing but 5 star stops for meHagia Sophia/Aya Sofya
Hagia Sophia has an admission cost of 40 Turkish lira but if you’re in the city a few days check out the Muzekart (museum card) which gets you into most things for 85 lira. Hagia Sophia is Greek for “Holy Wisdom” and was a Greek Orthodox Church built around 537 A.D. It is the third church of that name to sit on the site, the original having been built in 360 A.D and the second in 415 A.D. While we can’t confirm it, there is some evidence that the original was ordered by Constantine the Great (who lent his name to Constantinople) although he wouldn’t have seen it in his lifetime. Both churches suffered from fires caused by rioting.
To the left you can see some ongoing renovations. On the walls are the famous hand made discs and on the floor just in the left corner are some marble circles. That is the Omphalion, coronation spot for all Eastern Roman Emperors. This photo was taken from the spot where the Empress would observe the service.
In this case the third time was the charm and Hagia Sophia stayed the worlds largest cathedral for about 1000 years. In 1453, at age 21, Mehmed the Conquerer captured Istanbul for the Ottoman Empire and ended the Eastern Roman Empire at the same time. The church became a mosque until the 1930’s when Ataturk turned it into a museum for all to enjoy.
Rare red marble columns
The building is so unique, both in its incredible architecture and its mixing of religion. Look to the image above, you can see paintings of Mary next to Arabic inscriptions (if I recall this one is about Mohammed’s son). On the right you have the minbar (not minibar) which is similar in purpose to a pulpit or podium for the Imam. On the left you will see the Mihrab, meant to help Muslims find Mecca (and the direction for prayer). That is why it isn’t perfectly centered within the old Christian apse. The massive candlesticks on either side were captured in the conquest of Buda and Pest (now Budapest) by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 1500’s.
A few novel items in Hagia Sophia include ancient graffiti left by Vikings who visited Istanbul, possibly as early as the 8th century. They stayed, serving as the Sultans personal bodyguards and in this case were likely from what is now Norway. Below is the Weeping Column where pilgrims would insert and spin their thumb to receive blessing from an Angel believed to reside inside.
My final stop for the day was the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici), which is literally just a large underground cistern built by the Romans. Istanbul has lots of cisterns beneath its streets but this is the biggest and was built with 336 marble columns from various former sites leading to a unique look complete with two Medusa head bases. Fish swim along the base of the columns while you gaze up at a tank that can hold roughly 2.8 million cubic feet of water. There is a really cool little café in the cistern so take the time to enjoy a drink and appreciate where you are. It was discovered when a local archeologist saw locals bringing up water buckets full of fish from below the street. For only 20 lira this should be a must see during your stay.
The crying column, constantly wet and said to have been erected in memory of slaves who died during the construction.Historians believe Medusa was placed upside down so as not to turn workers to stone.
A very productive first day- the only downside was Ayran, a salty yogurt drink which is Turkey’s national beveridge. Kind of like olives in that you apparently either love it or hate it- I hated it haha. It’s everywhere so give it a try and decide for yourself.
With all that is going on these days I’m just going to leave this here, and say that Mark Twain was a wise man who seems to have had both a love of adventure and an enlightened view of the world.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain
I missed my appointment with the Pope but all the same my visit to the world’s smallest country was impressive. I did have the chance to visit on Christmas Eve but had to wait a few days to actually get into the museums and St. Peters. My tour was excellent and hit all the highlights including the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica. Link provided here, 44 euro’s for the whole thing and you skip the line which unlike the Colosseum is a good call since entering is the equivalent of going through customs.
Religion and politics haven’t always mixed very well and in a time of Kings the Pope’s needed their own realm, so the Vatican became it’s own nation and made the Pope essentially the King of Rome for a while. Our guide explained that it was in this building that they would hold court and live day to day. We caught a nice view of the Basilica’s dome before heading into the museums. We were told that each Pope had a certain area of interest which they collected items from. For example Greek statues, or ancient Egyptian work. Many of the unique wings in the museums are just the collections amassed by individual Popes. How the collection of priceless artifacts (belonging to other people) furthered the mission of the church I can’t say…
Many ancient statues had painted, or gemstone, eyes like the one on the left. However over time they have been stolen.
Not a carving, this is a painting done to look 3d
The map room was my favourite section of the museums, floor to ceiling maps from across Italy that were hand painted. As you can see the ceiling alone is worth going through for. One of the most interesting things about visiting the Vatican is its links to the work of Rome. As I’ve mentioned before, the fall of Rome led to a great loss of knowledge and skill. After the fall the Roman forum was turned into a cattle field and stripped of all recyclable materials by the church in recompense for the whole feeding to the lions incident. The problem was that the Church couldn’t fully replicate some of the Roman works and simply moved them en mass into their new home (the Vatican) piece by piece. Much of what is in the Vatican came far later in time and is very impressive but one can certainly see the areas where Roman work is present. As you can see below, the museums fill up early and each hall goes for quite a ways.
The painting below is of the battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 A.D) between Emperor Constantine and Maxentius. In victory Constantine started down the road to making Christianity the religion of Rome. After that it was on to the Sistine Chapel, which no one is allowed to take photo’s of. Next up was St.Peters Basilica and our guide explained that the main alter is where the Church believes Peter was crucified. The original St. Peters was a masterpiece but isn’t the one currently on the site today. One of the Pope’s decided to live on the edge and bulldoze it in favour of the Basilica on site presently. At the time it was a very controversial decision.
The above photo is of one of Michelangelo’s statues, he preferred them to painting and didn’t enjoy creating the Sistine Chapel. The reason for the glass is a visitor who charged the statue and snapped off a few fingers.
One of the 9 Nazgul from Lord of the RingsWooden altar believed to be the site of Peters crucifixion
The above door is only opened during holy years (about every 25 years) and the current Pope randomly declared one so I was lucky in my timing.
Above a man prays for death to be delayed as he comes through the window and gets caught in some curtains- a classic defence technique.
After getting over all the marble and gold plated everything I started the long climb up into the dome. Much gelato was needed afterwards for a proper recovery!
The Swiss Guard
As a brief note on the Swiss Guard, they are the official military arm of the Vatican. Everyone assumes the Swiss are peaceful but for hundreds of years they had a massive mercenary army which served most of the major European powers at one point or another. At one point King Francis I of France had over 120,000 Swiss in his army but the massacre of the guards during the French Revolution led to the large dissolution of most Swiss Units. The main exception being the unit which still serves Vatican City today.
My time in Pompeii was probably my favourite travel day of the past year. Exploring the Forum or the Colosseum was great but they were single, damaged, looks at a small part of an entire city. When people tell you they excavated the city of Pompeii I pictured a few city blocks, maybe an amphitheatre or the odd temple. What I found was literally an entire city, left almost exactly the way it was all those years ago.
Imagine what it was like,79 A.D and its a hot August day. Lots of ships are coming into the port and workers are still trying to repair the damage done by the earthquake in 62 A.D. Its 11 in the morning and most people are focused on lunch, but not for long. A loud resounding boom echoes down from the mountain, interrupting the sounds of conversation and children at play. People are coming out of their homes, clogging the streets to stare at the mountain that was by now vomiting fire into the air. Food, tools, carts and belongings were dropped as people rushed inside for shelter to escape the large bits of falling rock and the ash that descended like snow. Like lost hikers in a blizzard panicked Romans stumbled through the ash towards city gates, before succumbing one after another. Pompeii was now a ghost town, its people buried under feet of ash. Some died collecting their wealth from its hiding places. Some sought shelter in doors, dying in the shadows or crushed when their roofs couldn’t take the weight of the ash. A brave few sheltered their loved ones, dying in each others embrace. They would lie there undisturbed, in some cases for almost 2000 years.
These days Pompeii is once again a seaside town. The actual location is right alongside the old one which at the time of the disaster housed 20,000 people and served not only as a port but as a resort town for wealthy Romans. I caught a very affordable (and early) morning train from Rome. Admission to the old city is only 11 Euros but you can also get package deals to see the nearby town of Herculaneum or to pick up guidebooks/audio guides. I had a trip to the top of Mount Vesuvius on my list but was forced to abandon it because tours only left at mid day, meaning you wouldn’t have enough time to fully explore the city. If you plan on doing the new town and Vesuvius allocate two days because Pompeii requires a full one. I was there from opening to close and still didn’t see the whole city- also pick up the audio guide, it provides tons of info the signs don’t. One of the important things to realize with Pompeii is that the combination of ash and two waves of pyroclastic flow (gas, ash and rock) buried the city under 5 or 6 meters of debris. The ash hardened and formed an air tight seal preserving all organic materials. Because of Pompeii we know far more about how every day Romans lived and functioned. Pompeii continues to be a gold mine of historical information and is still a very active dig site in more then one spot. Many of the discovered bodies are on display, making the impact of the disaster a little more real. If you look closely, you can see the clothing and footwear they were wearing when they died.
I began my tour at the side entrance by the amphitheatre, far less crowded and closer to the train station. The amphitheatre is the oldest surviving example in the Roman world and is surrounded by vineyards. Archeologists preserved the holes left by root systems and replanted both the vines and the stakes supporting them in their original place. They replicated this with plants all over Pompeii, using the casts of root systems for identifying the plant type. It worked so well that Pompeii now creates its own wine.
Entry to the floor of the arena
Excellent year!
Next up was the Palestra Grande, sort of an early version of the YMCA for boys and according to some, the inspiration behind the Hitler Youth. These buildings were normally built by the Emperor or other rich benefactors for the youth of the city they favoured. Also seen are some of the family grave plots at the city outskirts. You can actually go inside and look around.
Family Crypts
One of my favourite things about Pompeii is that I could go through entire streets of houses and not see another person. Don’t just follow the provided list of must see sites, get off the traditional tour route and explore some of the houses on your own. Several amphora’s, roofing tiles and other pottery are just littering the area.
Raised streets for flooding. You an also see tracks worn into the stones by carts. Stacks of Roman roofing tile
Fancy marble stove topA restaurant in Pompeii which catered to sailors from other countries
After roaming the individual homes it was on the gladiator school and the theatres for performances (one big, one small).
Training took place in the field here, meals at the back and on the right hand side you can see small rooms where Gladiators could stay in greater comfort the night before a big fight (sort of a last meal of the day).
The Brothel in Pompeii is a major attraction and one of the things people seem to talk about a lot is the presence of penises throughout the city. Penises were a symbol of power at the time and often accompanied political graffiti on walls. They also were carved into the street and if you followed them would lead you to the town brothel. In Pompeii you would select from several rooms where graphic paintings advertised what was offered inside. Many of them still remain but if you’d like to see them you’ll have to go visit yourselves.
For those who don’t believe me…
The yellow brick road it ain’t, don’t follow it. Just past the brothel is the Forum. For those who read my last post you’ll know the Forum was sort of a main street of its day. It was home to temples, markets and political activities as well as the buildings in which those sectors of society operated. A good case could be made for it being the nicest section of the city, although the preservation is not as nice as within some of the houses.
On the right is the Temple of Jupiter’s front facade
Edifice of Eumachia
I was one of the last people left in the ancient city when it closed for the day- and what a well spent day it was. I’ve definitely got to go back for the nearby town of Herculaneum which was buried by a mud slide and is apparently smaller but very well preserved. For all the foodies, I found a small restaurant that does the best lasagne and then discovered the joy of egg nog gelato. All in all a success!
The Colosseum has never needed much of an introduction. It is an iconic landmark which can be found on almost every must-see travel list. Add in Russel Crowe’s “Gladiator” movie and the Flavian Amphitheatre (as the Colosseum is technically known) has rarely been more popular. Of course in its heyday the Colosseum was full more often then not. Having conquered much of the known world, Romans had well over 200 public holidays a year and could be found spending many of them watching games in the arena. The games were free to all, although the best seats were reserved for the most important members of Roman society. It is estimated that as many as 80’000 screaming Romans may have crammed into the arena to watch the spectacles occurring on the sand below but the arena wasn’t the first building to stand on its current site.
Originally the land was the home of many wealthy Roman families but these Villa’s burned to the ground in the great fire of 64 A.D (in which Nero is said to have fiddled). Being an egotistical maniac Nero then took the land for himself and ordered it dug out to the bedrock and flooded to make a massive artificial lake for the front of his palace. Nearby he put up the massive Colossus of Nero, a solid bronze statue of himself which apparently required 24 elephants to move into position. After Nero’s demise the Flavian dynasty came to power and in 72 A.D Emperor Vespasian began the process of draining the lake and using the bedrock as the base for his gift to the people, a new amphitheatre. The massive statue of Nero was altered to look like a statue of the sun god and moved next to the Colosseum which is where many historians think the name comes from. The Colossus led to the Flavian amphitheatre getting a reputation as the Colosseum. In 80 A.D the arena was completed by Titus, the heir to Vespasian and another member of the Flavian dynasty.
In the coming years the Colosseum would host hunts, battle re-enactments, stories from classical mythology, gladiatorial combat, executions and even naval battles. As a former lake the bedrock base allowed the Colosseum to be filled with water. In some cases hippo’s or crocodiles were added to the mix to spice things up. Hunts were done in detail, with flora and fauna from the area in question being brought in. There are records of large shows featuring rhino’s and elephants. On once occasion it is reported that a large beached whale was hollowed out, filled with gladiators and put in the middle of the arena as an ambush for the incoming party.
Here the floor is exposed, with only the back of the former arena floor now replaced. The tunnel entering onto that section is where large animals too big for trap doors arrived
The experience wasn’t simply about the show on the sand either. The colosseum had water fountains (some lines are still maintained), food/toy vendors, ladies offering certain services and even sailors hired to rig shaded awnings over the crowd. The top rim of the Colosseum had holes in it for sailors to drop poles into. They would then position their sails around the perimeter to provide shade wherever the sun was at that particular point in the day. As it moved the poles were simply picked up and moved into the next slot. Gambling was also a major pastime, since apparently someone or something dying every once in a while wasn’t entertaining enough. Historians have found board games sketched right into the arena stone, including a game very similar to back-gammon.
At the bottom right you can see a restored trap door, while in the background you see marble seats reserved for Rome’s finest. These seats had the owners name inscribed and as people died or were replaced the chiseling out of names caused curves to occur in the marbleHere you can see an example of a named seat, now carefully protected
As Rome grew weaker the era of 200 straight days of games passed and by about 500 A.D the Colosseum was falling into disrepair. In the medieval period (12/1300’s) it was fortified and used as a castle. At this point all that remained of the nearby Colossus was the base, which can still be seen today. Leading up to the modern day the arena has been used as a hospital, quarry, storage site, religious monument to Christian martyrs and even a bull fighting ring. In recent years intense preservation has taken place and even when I was there lots of construction was on going. Unstable upper portions have been stabilized and the building is constantly monitored for any sign of needed repair. Despite the ongoing work, walking into the arena for the first time is something every traveller should do at least once. The building has an aura about it, a piece of living history where misery and majesty met in one of the biggest architectural masterpieces of the day. I spent hours walking around exploring and taking it in.
You can get a good idea of the constant work needed by observing where the scaffolding is up topCorridors are often under repair and many museum like displays are being set up/maintained to provide more information on this fascinating building
Be sure to go early as it lines up fast but don’t fall for the hustlers advertising speedy tours that help you skip the line. They will yell things like “average wait time from here is 3 hours, we can get you in now”. The average wait time is in fact much shorter then they would want you to believe but do be prepared to wait longer later in the day. Water fountains and (modern) bathrooms are available inside. If you want to go into the highest and lowest levels of the Colosseum a special ticket is needed which you can get online in advance. Overall you want the combo ticket for 12 Euros which gets you into the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill nearby (as seen from the Colosseum below).
The path to the Forum
Currently the entrance above is under repair so you need to go to the right to get into the Roman Forum. Many people use their combo ticket to do the Forum and Palatine Hill on the same day. If you are a real history nut they are easily worth a whole day by themselves. An audio guide is available, but not overly well laid out. It is however the only source of info besides the sparse signs dotting the area. The Forum is massive, as is the Palatine (one of Rome’s 7 hills). The Forum was the centre of Rome’s political, economic and religious life and is home to countless temples, monuments and government buildings. The Palatine was the home of Rome’s emperors and is now a major archeological dig spot. Lets start with the Forum!
The Forum as seen from the Palatine Hill. The area is covered in the remains of temples and monuments.
The Forum was actually a swamp when Rome was first founded and extensive works were required to drain the excess water and turn it into decent land. Different temples and buildings were put in at different times, varying by hundreds of years so an exploration of the area doesn’t exactly follow a specific route and can seem very chaotic. I’m going to include some pictures and brief descriptions of a few highlights. The good thing about the Forum is that you don’t need to know anything about Roman history to appreciate what you are walking past.
Temple built by Emperor Antoninus in memory of his wife Faustina, 141 A.D
One of the most significant buildings in the Forum is the Curia where the Senate met. The photo below is a bit unimpressive from the outside but it is the one rebuilt by Julius Caesar. When I visited the inside was closed for renovations (a bit of a theme in Rome). In this building many important decisions were made, often having international ramifications.
Arch of Septimius Severus, 203 A.D, to celebrate the defeat of the Parthians
Another notable site in the Forum is the remains of the Temple of Caesar. After his death in 44 B.C Caesar was cremated on the spot where Augustus built him a temple in 29 B.C. Part of the temple alter was built with the rostra’s of Antony and Cleopatra’s ships, captured by Augustus in the battle of Actium. The largest remaining part is the cement core of the altar, seen below.
Temple of SaturnRemains of the Basilica Guilia, built by Caesar and later updated by Augustus
Below is the rostra, the podium from which orators addressed the Roman people. The name comes from the rams (rostra’s) of ships captured by the Romans in battle which were used to decorate it. Cicero, one of Rome’s most famous orators, would have addressed the people from this very spot. It is the unimpressive rectangle of brick at the front of the photo.
The temple of Vesta was one of Rome’s most important and no men were allowed to enter (except the emperor). Below is all that remains after the fire of A.D 191.
Behind the temple was the house of the Vestal Virgins, women sworn to the service of the temple and who maintained it’s flame. Punishments for breaking a vow were severe and always ended in death. Service lasted 30 years and brought wealth and honour to the priestesses. The house is lined on the side with statues of famous Vestas of the past.
There are many other monuments and temples that deserve attention and are really interesting in their own right but there simply isn’t space to cover them all so onwards to the Palatine Hill! If you are looking for some great views the top of the Palatine is a great place to get them. There is also a very interesting active dig exploring a early hut village from the days of Rome’s founding.
The remains of a house belonging to Augustus, with St.Pauls in the background. Across the street from his house Augustus built a larger house for his wife Livia. The Augustan complex was huge and takes quite a while to explore properly. This fountain was one of two in the courtyard of the Flavian Villa (the same family who funded the Colosseum)
Many of the earliest homes on the Palatine were destroyed later on by Emperors. These same men also had a taste for gardens which cover much of the Palatine but are also a source of several archaeological digs. The Palatine Stadia, seen below, was part of the Flavian Palace, as was the fountain above.
If you look in the background of the above shot you’ll see the large ovular trench that takes up quite a bit of space. It is now used for running and concerts but at one point was the Circus Maximus (think chariot race from Ben-Hur). It is currently the site of a large dig (also another theme in Rome).
My last stop on the way off the Palatine Hill was the remains of the Claudian Aqueduct, considered one of the finest in Rome. From start to finish the entire the area is a constant throwback to what it might have been like to live in ancient Rome. That said, it had nothing on Pompeii, but more on that tomorrow!
Ever since I was a kid ancient Rome has fascinated me so when I was planning my trip I knew it had to be a stop, and a significant one. I spent the better part of my undergrad taking courses on the ancient world, and you can only read about it for so long before you venture out to explore the physical remains.
It’s no wonder that the Roman Empire captures the imagination so easily. It stretched from the shores of England to the Middle East, from Germany to Africa, essentially the “known world” at the time. Its fall spawned the dark ages, thus named for the decline of culture, economics and technology left in its wake. While some historians argue this gives the dark ages an unfair reputation many maintain that things didn’t start to recover until the Italian renaissance of the 14th century.
Rome started out as a city-state, entering into conflict with other city-states of the region in the 8th century B.C. At this point we know they were ruled by a series of kings but written records are basically non-existent from the period. The generally agreed date for Rome transitioning to a Republic is 509 B.C. During this period Rome exerted control over the Mediterranean and eliminated a major rival in Carthage. The Roman Empire is generally dated to 27 B.C when Augustus officially took power although it certainly wasn’t a Republic when Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 B.C. Caesar’s death in 44 B.C set off the chain of events that saw his adopted son Octavian become Augustus and in so doing changed the way Rome was ruled. Through civil war Rome eventually split into two Empires, East and West. The Western empire fell in 476 B.C while the Eastern one existed as a shadow of its former glory (run out of Istanbul) till falling to the Turks in 1453. The period of Empire was filled with many emperors in possession of a life time supply of crazy pills (which some blame on the lead pipes of the day) and many often shortened their own lives considerably by taking the top job. While Emperor Gordian holds the record at 21 days in power I prefer Emperor Pertinax who was killed by his own bodyguards who then offered the throne to whoever had the deepest pockets.
My own trip to Rome started with a really nice flight over the Alps, an incredible view from the air! I landed on Christmas Eve and after dropping my bag it was off to explore. First stop was the Coliseum, which will be getting its own post but suffice to say that it was incredible. A top item on my bucket list and I was so content to just stare and walk around it several times. This proved tiring and delicious gelato was needed to refuel.
Near the Coliseum is the Arch of Constantine, which commemorates his victory over Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 B.C. When a Roman delivered a particularly impressive thumping to an enemy they were awarded a public triumph (parade) through the city. The route they followed took them through the arches, of which this one is the largest.
It’s a very short walk from there alongside the length of the Roman forum towards Trajan’s column. There is just so much to look at and take in that it’s a bit overwhelming. You can guess who erected the column which tells the story of Rome’s war with the Dacians. It features spiralling panels that tell the story (as the Romans saw things) of how the conflict unfolded. While historians think there was a statue of Trajan at the top the one currently there dates to the mid 1500’s and was placed by the Pope (it’s actually a statue of St. Peter). After visiting Rome and learning how so many monuments became run down I have a bone to pick with the Catholic Church but more on that later.
From there it was about a five minute walk to the Trevi Fountain for an essential tourist stop. Then it was off to the Vatican for a Christmas Eve stop at the world’s smallest country.
Of course the Vatican was packed and decked out with an awesome Nativity scene as well as a massive Christmas tree. Being there on that night, of all the nights was pretty special. Certainly a once in a lifetime experience.
thedreameroftheday 