The Colosseum and Roman Forum: Italy Part 3

Thankfully our first scheduled event on our first full day in Rome was a 1:15 pm skip-the-line tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We didn't rush through our morning, but got up when we felt like it and made our way down to breakfast. The hotel (Navona Colors) provided continental breakfast with your choice of coffee. The coffee was one of my hardest adjustments. My morning routine starts with lingering over about 10 oz. of coffee before I can think or carry on any kind of conversation. Italians start the day with a quick espresso or cappuccino. Even the cappuccino is only about 4 oz. It's only about 2 swallows. But, when in Rome... I adjusted. Next time, I'll take one of these pour over things and take advantage of the kettle to make some American coffee.  (Learn more here:  How to Drink Coffee in Italy.)

Another adjustment is that Italian breakfast is mostly just a pastry. Our hotel did provide other options - fruit, yogurt, cereal, and usually boiled eggs and bacon or prosciutto. I needed that protein first thing in the morning. They had wonderful, freshly-squeezed orange juice, too. One day when MB wanted some juice as we were leaving, the attendant got her a paper cup with a lid so she could take it to go. The hotel also puts pastries out in the afternoon, and you can stop in and get a coffee and pastry.

By 10:00 or so, we started walking toward the Colosseum, planning to stop in at the Trevi Fountain and the Capitoline Museum on the way. If you elbow your way through the crowds to the fountain, it is possible to snap a photo that doesn't include hundreds of your new best friends. We saw only about 1/4-1/3 of the Capitoline before having to move on, but we would like to revisit it one day. I had particularly wanted to see some of the sculptures, and was happy that we saw the Romulus and Remus statue.

We had been advised to arrive for our tour (we used The Roman Guy) about 15 min. early, so we got there about 20 min. early to meet the group. This was advantageous as it gave us a chance to grab some quick street food from inside the Colosseo metro stop and refill our water bottles at a nearby fountain.

Smart Tip:  One of the best things we did was to carry collapsible water bottles. There are fountains all over the place where you can refill a bottle. We bought silicone bottles that could be folded up inside a bag without taking up much room. Well worth it in the 90+ heat. 
Smart Tip:  DON'T fail to get skip the line tickets for major attractions ahead of time, especially if you're there in high season. Otherwise, you'll spend literally hours waiting in the heat for a ticket. We were glad that we also chose to do tours because we heard so many interesting tidbits we wouldn't have known otherwise. 
Smart Tip:  Men, get over yourselves and carry a man bag. They won't let you carry a backpack into a lot of the museums. 

Even with our skip the line tickets, we had to queue for the security check. The Colosseum tour was pretty amazing. It's so mind-blowing to realize how long the structure has been standing, even through earthquakes, and with no mortar between the stones. It's a marvel of engineering. It's also mind-blowing to think of how modern the functioning of the Colosseum was. They had seats arranged by letter and number just as we do in stadiums. There were myriads of trap doors and lifts that could open up in the arena floor. Our tour guide Marco spoke English with an Italian accent and had an endearing habit of twirling a loose thread on his hat as he spoke. We learned much from listening to him.

Smart Tip:  Not only at the Colosseum, but pretty much everywhere you go, you walk on cobblestones and uneven surfaces. Sneakers or athletic sandals are an absolute must. 

Our tour continued outside the Colosseum to the arch of Titus and the Roman Forum. It was so interesting to hear about life around the Forum. We even saw Julius Caesar's grave.

By the end of the tour, we were very hot and tired, so we walked back to the hotel, rested a bit, and tried to decide where to eat supper. The best food is not to be found on a main tourist street. Those places have no reason to serve you memorable food because you're probably not coming back. One of our tour guides gave us good advice: If you can see a monument, obelisk, fountain, or other historic thing from the restaurant, don't eat there. If there are people out front inviting you in, don't eat there. If it's on a main drag, don't eat there. If there are pictures of the food on a sign board out front or on the menu, don't eat there. So, we consulted Trip Advisor for a restaurant with good reviews nearby and decided on Ristorante Al Duello. (Sadly, I think it's closed now.) We called for a reservation, but probably didn't need to.

Ristorante Al Duello is in an alley, off another alley!

We were the first guests to arrive! Italian restaurants tend not to open until 7 or 7:30 because they eat late in Italy. Our food was amazingly good. We decided to be adventurous and try beef carpaccio as a starter. It was delicious and we didn't die from eating raw beef! I had lamb with roasted potatoes that was melt-in-your-mouth good, Kevin had rigatoni, and I don't remember MB's dish. We also ordered a salad that we all 3 picked out of. We all loved and highly recommend this place!

We walked 7.7 miles on our first full day in Italy.

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Part 4