We boarded a bus to the Flavian Amphitheater which is much like the Roman Colosseum. We first toured it at ground level. Many artifacts decorated various old niches. We learned that not all gladiators were killed. Expensively trained athletes were well taken care of. Some of those developed quite a following and folks would cheer for their favorites. Women even purchased their vials of sweat for perfume!
Next we, entered the underground area where gladiators and animals were kept. There was also an intricate system for bringing animals, water and supplies to the arena. Some of the gears are still intact.
The bus then dropped us of in front of the Macellum Temple of Serapis, where giant columns outline an ancient Roman market place. It’s a fascinating site to behold.
The day was topped off with an extra exploration to Rione Terra Archeological Excavation Site, an underground town from Roman times. Francine thought we could take an elevator up to the Rione Terra, but it wasn’t working and up the steps we went. It was such an amazing find that we couldn’t understand why more people were not there. Francine told us that few people know about it and it had only recently been opened to the public. We were so glad we saw it when we did because at some time it will be a major, crowded tourist attraction.
Our archeologist guide took us into the building to led us through the ancient city, some of which was underneath a transparent walkway. There were bone and building fragments that had been outlined to show the ancient people and their buildings. At the end of the tour after viewing pieces of a temple on a wall with the outline of the temple around it, we walked out of the ruin area. Right before our eyes was the identical life-sized reconstructed temple - a real WOW moment.
That night we were entertained on the ship by a couple good musicians who played and sang Tuscan songs. We had further entertainment provided by our musicians. Lou showed a video of bringing Bolivian music into the schools and then Bob played and sang for us.
