Rome, Italy (Colosseum)

After a busy (but fun), redirected morning we finally made it to the Colosseum! It wasn't super crowded when we arrived (probably thanks to the parade) but we still had quite a wait to go through the security line.  Once "in" we used our Roma Pass to bypass the ticket line and go right inside!

There were tons of people offering every kind of guide and tour imaginable; however, with the way our day was going we knew we didn't have much time before our tired babies had a meltdown!  To try to ward this off and keep everyone entertained for as long as possible, we went to the gift shop and purchased a flip-over book of Rome that allowed you to see what everything looked like then/now (well worth the 20 EURO!).  

The Colosseum was amazing!  It is the largest amphitheater in the world and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.

The original floor was taken away so you could see down into the "basement" where animals and equipment were kept for gladiatorial and animal fights.

Once we were to the verge of meltdown we headed out to see the Arch of Constantine before going to Palatine Hill to let the kids run free!