When in Rome…

By Dola Mitra on August 3, 2019 • ( Leave a comment )

Cuckoo News tells brief tales of a few travelers, in their own words.

Koli Mitra, our Global Editor, in the Colosseum, Rome.

“When in Rome, I spent only about two days exploring all the wonderful medieval and Renaissance stuff and allocated the rest of my stay (the bulk of my stay) to the Ancient ruins. I combed through archeological sites, basically wishing I could move into the Forum or pitch a tent on the edge of Palatine Hill, overlooking that spine-tingling view of a tiny, ancient, cobblestone alley, with narrow, multi-unit buildings — probably workshops or homes — all around it: the site of ordinary lives, every bit as grand as any public structure in this iconic city. But… I almost missed my “inside the Colosseum” experience! I was so detailed and nerdy about taking in each site that I pretty much ran out of time for this most obvious one. That morning we were heading out to Tuscany. I told myself that the Colosseum was too touristy anyway and MAYBE it was enough that I took some great photos of the exterior. But a voice inside kept nagging… really? I’m in Rome and NOT going into the Colosseum? (True confession: I’m NOT too cool to be ‘touristy’) … So I grabbed a croissant from the hotel breakfast bar and made a dash for it, fitting exactly one hour into my tight, last-morning-in Rome itinerary. And boy, am I glad I did. Yes, it was supremely touristy… and also supremely history-feeling-inducing… and joyous.”