In February, we headed to Rome to visit friends we had not seen since they swapped Bicester for the Italian sunshine. It felt like the perfect excuse for a proper adventure, so we booked a tour of the Colosseum while we were there. Rome really is something else. Every street seems to carry centuries of history. You can feel it as you walk around.
Standing inside the Colosseum was surreal. It is one thing to read about it. It is another to actually be there, imagining the scale, the noise, the drama that once filled that space.
But then came the reminder of why I struggle with major tourist attractions. The crowds. So many people everywhere. I do appreciate the irony that we were part of that same crowd. Even so, it was hard not to wonder what the ancient Romans would make of airport style security scanners and rows of gift shops selling miniature helmets and fridge magnets.
Despite the chaos, I loved it. Rome has a pull that is challenging to ignore. I would go back in a heartbeat, just next time I would try to explore a little further from the well-worn tourist trail. There is probably an even richer story waiting in the quieter corners.
