Italy Day 1: Rome

The first day of my fortnight in Italy, spent seeing as much of Rome as possible.

Didn't wake up as early as intended, but headed to the Palatine Hill and Foro Romano via a stop for lunch. Spent much longer exploring the ruins of the birthplace of Rome than I'd expected, but eventually tore myself away to see the Colosseum.

The image that springs to mind when anyone mentions Rome is that of the Colosseum, and any itinerary that didn't feature a visit to this ancient amphitheatre would surely be considered lacking.

The monument is also notable for being the site of my first thunderstorm in Italy, during which I sheltered under an archway with an American family for around 30 minutes.

Despite that, the visit was fascinating - the scale of the place was unexpected, and must have looked incredible when first built. Room for 50,000 spectators and a retractible canvas roof to provide shade. Sadly earthquakes and re-use of the stone has stripped away much of the seating and outer walls, but enough remains to leave a lasting impression of what once stood.

I wan't able to see much of the Pantheon due to a church service taking place inside, but enjoyed the first of many Italian ice creams before taking a circuitous route back to the hostel via the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.

A great first day that left me excited for the rest of the trip. With all of the above it seems a shame to upload this photo as my blip, but I was quite happy with how it turned out - a tunnel I found while wandering about the city.

(More photos: Colosseum, Other)