Tuesday Travels: A Walking Tour of Rome

Photo: Light shines through the arches of the Colosseum in Rome

The evening before our scheduled walking tour of Rome, John and I went with another couple on our own stroll around the city. Though we wouldn't go inside the Colosseum then, seeing the lighted arches of the Colosseum against the dark evening sky made the chilly outing worth it.

The next day, we returned for a guided walking tour of Rome. What follows is a quick, photo-heavy recap.

The Colosseum is just as impressive in the sunlight as it is in the moonlight. Note how tiny the people seem in the photo below:

Photo: A crowd of seemingly-tiny people mill around the Colosseum in Rome, which stands under a cloudless sky.

Before we went inside the Colosseum, we stopped at the triumphal arch. It's easy to feel very small.

Photo: The arch in Rome, celebrating Constantine's reign.

Once inside the Colosseum, I again felt small. The Colosseum could seat at least 50,000 people in its heyday. Look for the people in the photo below for a sense of scale. The white plastic-looking area in the photo shows where the floor would have been. Below that is where the gladiators and animals would wait for their turn in the arena.

Photo: The inside of the Colosseum, showing the various levels from the underground portion to the upper sitting areas.

Next, it was off to the Forum, where my eye was drawn to old columns, and the contrast of new plant growth on ancient ruins.

Photo: Old columns stand tall, proving the existence of a past building

Photo: A vine clings to the side of old brick ruins

We continued our tour by visiting the Pantheon, whose dome is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. At the top of the dome, an opening allows sunlight to stream in. (Our guide encouraged us to take a selfie there to get a halo effect, but quite frankly, that wasn't the best angle for a selfie!)

Photo: The outside columns of the Pantheon.

Photo: Inside the dome of the Pantheon, with the oculus at the top to allow light to enter

We concluded our walking tour by visiting Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We made sure to toss a coin in the fountain, thus assuring (according to tradition) that we will return again someday. I certainly wouldn't mind that!