Zack and I left for the airport in the wee hours of Tuesday morning the 10th. I don't think either one of us got much sleep that night in anticipation for our trip. We rode the bus to London where in order to get to Stansted Airport we needed to board another bus. Fun, I know right?! Anywho, we arrive with ample enough time at the airport (3 hours to spare) to board our plane. We bought cheap tickets through the discount airline Ryanair and were curious as to how the process works in comparison to American flight standards and ways. We expected most things to be the same, but were shocked by how it was so different! As soon as you hand over your ticket to the stewardess at the terminal, it's literally a free for all. People shoving and pushing to get to the plane. We were so confused! Why the mad rush. We soon realized that there were no assigned seating and it's a first come first served situation. Crazy. Luckily we had no problem finding seats together, but what a crazy rush!
The flight itself lasted only about two and a half hours and was pretty uneventful. We arrived into Rome around 7pm and took a bus from the airport to Rome's city center where we walked to our hotel. There were still tons of people out and about going places which was nice since everything in Oxford closes down for the night around 6pm. Once we found our hotel and checked in, we immediately went outside to explore the nightlife around us. It was amazing to say the least. We got a little taste of what morning would bring.
Day One: The Forum, Colosseum, Piazza del Campidoglio, and General walking around...
We rose quite early Wednesday morning to begin our day. We immediately headed for the Colosseum, Forum, and Piazza del Campidoglio. I was amazed at how here were busy streets filled with the morning traffic and on either side were toppled columns from the Forum. The Piazza del Campidoglio was an incredible site. It stands on the summit of Capitoline Hill, once the spiritual heart of Ancient Rome where triumphant generals made sacrifices to the gods for giving them victories, and it a site to behold as it's massive.
I was able to grab a few shots of the Forum on our way to the Colosseum. We had tickets to see it on Friday, so those pictures will come on Day Three.
The Colosseum was astounding. I mean, I knew what to expect, but didn't expect to be completely blown away. We spent the money to go inside and I was in awe the whole time. Imagining what it was like during it's time of use, seeing the tunnels in the floor used by the slaves and fighters preparing for battle, and of course just the architecture. So beautiful and yet so horrible.
We spent most of the day just tackling those three places and after going back to the hotel and freshening up a bit, we were back on the town looking for good food and the Trevi Fountain. We found both and I say, I could sit there staring at the masterpiece the Fountain is for hours. I didn't bring the camera at this point and so was able to suck it all in.
Needless to say, we slept well that night and were ready for Day Two.
Untitled from Jessica Purvis on Vimeo.
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