Day 1 in Rome

The night was pleasantly cozy on the new mattress of the camper bed. Jo was tired early, slept through the night, and is still sleeping while we enjoy our first coffee.

Later, we finally start our journey. Taking the bus and subway to Rome Centro. As we emerge from the 'underground' of the Roman train, it stands before us: The Colosseum. Big, old, and very impressive! The first structure on our way today through 'Ancient Rome'.

Thanks to our city pass, which we booked in advance, we pass by the long line at the entrance. The interior of the mighty building is equally impressive. We keep asking ourselves 'How could people build something like this so many years ago without today's technology?'. After our tour, we leave this place where so much awful happened and move on to the 'Forum Romanum' - the ancient marketplace of Rome.

Here too, we are overwhelmed by the number of ancient architecture. Despite the numerous half-collapsed temples, colonnades, and villas, we can imagine the enormous, beautiful, and bustling center that Rome once was. The location in a valley between three hills makes our way through the terrain somewhat challenging. Up and down, stairs, and paths that take some getting used to. The ancient Romans must have been good on their feet 😉

Hunger and the search for a restroom lead us to leave the area and head towards the 'Vittorio Emanuelle II' national monument. Here, close by, we find a nice little Irish pub, with an affordable lunch menu and a proper restroom 👍🏻😃 The break is refreshing, our feet are happy, and our stomachs are calmed after having hamburgers with fries, beer, and soda. Freshly energized, we head towards the 'Bocca della Verita' - the Mouth of Truth. An old floor relief with an opening where you can reach into the mouth. According to history, anyone who has ever lied will lose their hand if they put it in the mouth. Hm, should we test it?

The mouth relief is located in a small church on the wall. On-site, we realize that we probably won't have the opportunity for a 'truth test'. The very, very, very long line in front of the church makes us hesitate. Nah, it's not that important for us to 'use' the 'lie detector'. And since we always tell the truth anyway... 😊 We decide to drive back to the campsite and end the first day in ancient Rome comfortably in the motorhome.