Rome's Colosseo and Forum

Rome is a stressful place to drive through so have someone to navigate there are lots of trams and one ways. We stayed at the Mecenate Palace Hotel in the heart of Rome: the accommodation is affiliated with the Vatican so we had to prove our marriage prior to staying as my last name is different to Alex.  I had to pay $75 to get a marriage certificate before leaving home, funny thing was after a stressful driving experience late into the night travelling from Florence we were bickering like old married couples do so the conceierge didn't bother asking for it.

We visited the Colosseum a 2000yrs old entertainment complex for blood thirsty Romans.  The Emperors of the time would pay for the games to entertain the people and promote themselves ensuring continual popular reign. Slaves were forced to fight to the death with other gladiators and animals.  The Colosseum also had the ability to be flooded to enact ship war fare.  We did a fantastic tour - that we pre booked in Australia - with a local guide who had studied the history of the Romans and gave interesting stories about the time making it more memorable for the kids. The tour gave us access to the basement where the slaves worked to prepare the entertainment above e.g. using trap doors and pulley systems animals and sets were lifted into place.

The Forum is an area of Ancient Roman Ruins next to the Colosseum constructed between 42BC and 112 AD by successive Emperors.  Neglected, pillaged and built over for many centuries the excavations are still occuring.  Apparently the marble from the Roman ruins and the Colosseum was recycled to built St Peter's Basilica.

The white exterior is currently being cleaned to remove the centuries of soot and pollution that has blackened it.

The basement exposed: originally there was a timber floor concealing the machinations of the staged killings of slaves and animals

A model of the pulley system under the floor of the Colosseum

The Arc di Tito in the Roman Forum

Drinking water from the Forum well

The Roman Forum in Ancient times was a civic and religious centre and a market place.  Lots of temples and places for political debate  

Ruins of Palatine Hill