We met with friends to spend the day exploring some of the remaining buildings of Ancient Rome.
The 50,000-seat Colossium was a marvel of engineering. All sections of society gathered in seating appropriate to their status to enjoy the animal hunts, gladiatorial contests, executions and mythological theatre that took place there.
The Forum, a market place, civic centre and religious complex, was vast and we wandered the ruins till we came across the site of the Temple of Vesta and the nearby remains of the house and garden of the Vestal Virgins who served the Temple. The main role of these six priestesses was to keep alight the public fire that was to burn perpetually as a symbol of the city’s life force. They also looked after sacred objects and celebrated annual festivals.
A fascinating end to our stay in Rome.
canddaway's Blog 
Were you told that the Romans used pee to bleach their togas, well that’s what we heard. Just think and some of those buildings were there in Christ’s time.
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It cannot fail to remind one of Carry on Cleo:
Caesar (Kenneth Williams): “O daughters of Vesta! I seek an augury with you –
Mark Antony (Sid James): “You better hurry up of they’ll be calling last augurs!”
Curtain is drawn back to reveal Hengist Pod (Kenneth Connor) disguised as a eunuch
“I’m sorry – vestal virgins are off tonight!”
Father of Calpurnia and resident visionary and soothsayer (Charles Hawtrey – previously referred to by Caesar as a ‘silly old faggot’ after warning him “You’re days are numbered; beware the Ides of March!) informs mighty Caesar that the eunuchs have gone on strike, complaining of loss of assets.
Just then, Caesar’s personal bodyguard Brutus Maximus draws his sword and, to the mighty Caesar’s obvious discumbobulation, says:
“I’m sorry, sir, but for the good of Rome you must die!”
Caesar shrieks: “I may not be a very good live emperor but I’d be an even worse dead one!” Altogether now – “Infamy, Infamy – they’ve all got it in for me!”
Why bother going all the way to Rome when you can download this historically exact documentary from Netflix for 99p? Some people always simply want to show off!
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Funny!
You have to make this travel collection into a book. The photographs and comments are way too good to languish in a virtual universe. xx
Ps Rough dates for June? Margaret is desperate to know if you’ll overlap.
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