The Colosseum, Thieves, Another Shell Game, Birks and No Fever: Roma Day 7

Well, we were unsure of how the morning was going to go since Duncan was not feeling great yesterday.  Maybe I should backtrack.  I shot out of bed at 4 am to check on him.  He was nice and cold.  Then I thought, is he dead?  He had the sheets off him and his head was cool too.  Thankfully, he was not so I got him to roll on to his side and then pull his blanket up.  Isla was almost off the side of her bed so I moved her over because these floors would really hurt and tucked her blanket it tight.  I made my way back to bed and tossed an turned for a while.  I could not get back to sleep.  At some point I did and Jess woke me up around 8 am to start getting ready.

But then the last thing I heard was that it was almost 9 so we aren't going to go to the Forum first.  So I started chilling out because I didn't think we were going anywhere - apparently I was wrong - but we then decided to wait and go straight to the Colosseum.  If this became an adventure.  We had to take the A line back to Termini and and then switch to the B line.  When we got there, the B line was not working, so we had to transfer to a bus - the 75.  Well, good luck trying to get a response from people about where that bus was.  Italians will just continue to do what they are doing in the order that they are doing it regardless of what anyone else may need.  I've seen this before and we saw it the other day on the line waiting to get our bags from the hold at the Duomo.  

We made it to the Colosseum with very few issues and walked around to our spot so that they could check our tickets and our passports - because you need to have them now wherever you go.  That's also kind of annoying.  We had tickets to the attic - the highest part of the Colosseum.  I'm not going to give you a history lesson - you know what the place is and the pictures can do it better than I can anyway.

For GRAPPA!!!!

Cat Door

On the way back to the apartment a group of young Roma girls tried to target us to pick our pockets - I guess because we looked so touristy.  I noticed one trying to inch closer and closer to Jane and then a guy working for the subway told Jane and a few other people to watch their back.  She attempted to protest to him and then they got on the subway car next to ours.  When we got off, for some reason Jess treid to go in the elevator again to drop a floor - my first instinct is no because it smells like piss - then the girls come flying around the corner and asking if we are looking for the A line - like they are trying to be helpful.  I assume they were hoping to pack in with us and start to run our pockets - it would have been a serious issue because I would have had no problem laying them out and then Neil would have jumped in too.  But everyone moved away and we started back to the apartment.  The ladies went to get other food and the boys and I got home.  I made PB and J and then made these beauties....

After lunch there was a long nap for me - which I was not planning on.  There was geocaching by the older ladies and the kids were on their iPads.  After that we took some time and went for a walk to see most of the big sites - 

Piazza Poppolo

Somehow and for some reason Duncan needed and Mommy got him Birkenstocks - and there was a god in the store..

The Spanish Steps and a rare moment of non-combat.

The shell game again....

A church we came across whose name I forget - the walls were painted and from far away, they looked like marble - up close, they just looked sloppy.

Trevi Fountain

I'n not sure what else we saw but I do not think there was much.  We headed back through Poppolo and grabbed some pizza and gelato - but not in that order.

We knew Duncan was feeling better because while we were home eating and playing Snakes and Ladders, he fell off his chair, as he always does.

Tomorrow - I think the Forum, Palatine Hill and Parthenon - not sure what else we have in store.  

Tonight's musing - why are their toilet water so far from your butt?  Any sized turd sounds like when you throw a heavy rock into water - specifically a lake.  It's kind weird.  No discretion - I'm guessing because they talk so loud they think you won't hear it.