Roman ruins
The sky was somewhat overcast today and so under grey clouds we traipsed down to have a closer look at the Colosseum possibly one of the most famous sights in the world. Right next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum and the Palatine and so we wandered in and walked amongst the ruins. You can get a good view of the Forum from Capitoline Hill if you can’t face the queues or the entrance fees, but there is something special about walking next to massive columns, random pieces of masonry and headless statues. The hill behind it with the ruins of ancient villas and olive trees is calm by comparison with the rest of Rome and again quite a special experience. You can’t have too many Roman ruins so we braved the busy roads to get to the Terme di Caracalla – huge remains of once amazing Roman baths built by Emperor Caracalla in the 3rd century. Seaguls call and swoop protecting their nests in the ruins, the once grand marble covered structure is stripped to its hand-made red brick core and only a few of the mosaic floors remain yet the sheer size of it makes you marvel at the great empire.