Day 2.
It’s important to realise that everywhere I’ve been, so far, on this European odyssey, the Roman Empire was there first. Those marble loving, toga-wearing, purveyors of pasta have marked territory all over the European countryside like lions on heat, with ‘ancient shit’, (not ‘shit’ as in ‘bad’, just as in ‘stuff’, and as opposed to old ‘shit’ and really just two more phrases that I used liberally to annoy/disturb my kids) so it was only fitting that we went to the source.
Palatine Hill is a great place to start. The site of the Romulus/Remus myth from where Rome got it’s name, and later (and more interestingly for me) the location of the residences of many Roman emperors and other well-to-do Roman types from those heady days of world domination and over achievement in architecture, sculpture and design.
One I was looking forward to seeing was Augustus’ residence, with it’s frescoed walls. I remember seeing it as a child and wanted my kids to see it – ‘ancient-shit’ doesn’t get much better than being able to walk around the house of a Roman emperor! But, as these things tend to play out in Jacqui-land, it was only open in the mornings and we didn’t get there until the afternoon. Never mind. Palatine Hill doesn’t disappoint, even without Gussy’s house.
Look at the detail here, how fine the stone has been carved, it’s incredible
Fashion, early AD
Big things
Rome scenery.
From The Palatine we walked to the Colosseum.
The kids loved it. The gory bits, of course, are appealing.
What I absolutely loved throughout Rome, throughout Italy, in parts of Spain and France, was the spring-water, flowing out of fonts everywhere. Fresh, usually icy-cold and free for all to enjoy. Particularly well loved in the heat, as we walked for two full days exploring Rome.
Fun!
Then more gelato…
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