Rome, the Coliseum, Day Three

After a beautiful trip back from Florence (once again with Steve telling me when I needed to open my eyes  because they just wouldn't stay open), we found our hotel--eventually. We were looking for a large sign that said, "Hotel Santa Croce," so we kept driving up and down the street, watching the GPS's location pin get closer then farther, then closer again. It turned out that the huge church at the end of the road was our hotel. Who knew?

Evidently, in Italy a lot of old buildings that are currently functioning as churches also double as hotels. This was previously part of Emperor Constantine's imperial palace, which was later turned into an abbey. (There is an itty-bitty sign by the lobby door that says the hotel's name.)

We dropped off our bags and then headed out to return our rental car--another adventure. Once everything was taken care of, we decided our first stop should be the Coliseum. Imagine walking out of the metro stop and seeing...

To say it was huge and impressive is an understatement. I can't imagine what it would've been like in its original state. Wow. Of course, due to Cultural Awareness Week, entry was free!

We got a kick out of the Roman Centurions standing guard, hoping for a photo op.

The Roman Forum could be seen in the distance. Steve walked around it earlier in the week, but I never made it through.