Roma: Day two

We came. We saw. We tantrumed.

Australia is a really long way away from the rest of the world. I know this, because we are all off our faces on jet lag. Body clocks thrown completely upside down as we try and encourage the kids to walk for kilometres at a time in the heat when they would usually be in bed, in the cold. And not to mention the fact its the end of school term for everyone, when exhaustion is at a high.

But we got out there, we hit that pavement on a hot early autumn morning down the Tiber and across to the back of the Forum and the Colosseum. Man is there some history in this city, down every street and corner, age and history in all it’s decay and peeling layers dripping out of this city. The beautifully green trees, the red terracotta colour on the buildings and in the stones of the building. It’s breathtaking and impossible to try to convey to the kids.

Ancient history.

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We ventured into the Colosseum and the Forum along with eleventh billion other tourists. I got goosebumps when I walked under the arches of the Colosseum into the open space, imagining the roar of the crowds as Gladiators fought for their lives. Kings and slaves. And now selfie sticks. Bloody everywhere. That’s enough to make you lose your goosebumps. People by themselves or in groups all working the very best angle to take a photo of themselves. Then checking said moment was captured to their liking and moving on. So few people just looking, really being there.

What has happened to us? Are we going to look back on this time and wonder what the hell we were doing? Have we lost our minds? Our abilities to BE? To connect to people and places. I sure as shit hope not.

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We wandered into the forum but it was getting hot and tiring. Everyone was hot and tired. Australia really is a very long way away from the rest of the world. I sat under some olive trees, adding bandaids to my daughters feet to make them feel better and hope they’d buy me a few more kilometres pondering human civilisation. Politics. What I’d eat for lunch.

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We wandered home through cobblestoned streets, stopping for breast feeds and water breaks in the cool shade of a ruin, or park all the way home. Afternoon sleeps were banned which meant for a true display of small children behaviour this afternoon. We’ve crashed early, tomorrow another day.

Comments

  1. I so agree with you about those blasted selfie sticks, Beth! I was moved almost to tears in the Vatican today, once I’d struggled past the people taking selfies! They were even trying to take pics in the Sistine Chapel despite all the signs saying it wasn’t allowed. However, I must say I have fallen in love with this beautiful city, so much history and atmosphere!

  2. Welcome to Southern Europe in September, I hope it’s not as hot there as it has been here? But please do take afternoon naps or siestas it’s the only way to do things here, then you get to go out in the evenings when it’s slightly cooler and all the history takes on another life ? enjoy

  3. love it! … thankyou beth!
    nothing like a bit of ancient history to put oneself in the
    scheme of things! … love those ruins! and don’t you love what they do with those stone pines with their long trunks?
    and mags! well she is soaking it up subliminally! hers is the easiest job! … ok … next!
    each day will unfold! … yes it’s important to be there in the NOW!
    much appreciated hun! keep on enjoying! love m:)X

  4. I just got back from Bali and ohhh the selfie sticks! I remember when I was backpacking having to go to an internet cafe once a week to email my folks. What will they do with all that footage anyway? Enjoy Italy! Eat some gelato for me… White chocolate. X

  5. Spectacular photos yet again. You really know who to use that camera. Albeit fantastic scenery and locations as your backdrop.

  6. Takes me back to our visit about 6 years ago- my younger son who was 7 also had a tantrum because it was hot and crowded.. Ah Rome! A bit of gelato therapy required!!

  7. The jetlag will pass….its awful isn’t it.
    What a truly wondrous place.
    I can feel the heat and shoes rubbing on those little feet!
    Maggie has the best place. The pram looks very comfy.
    Enjoy enjoy enjoy.
    I am enjoying the warmth of Sydney for a month. Spring is in the air!

  8. My God you are a brave woman that’s all I can say. I’m not sure I could manage a trip like this with three kids in tow, one of them only a few months old ….. and manage to stay CHIPPER! I’d be a grumpy ar$e! Your photos are beautiful. As usual! All the best for tomorrow and hope you all get some rest! x

  9. It’s funny you mention the selfie stick as there was a bit on the news only a few days ago about how tourists are obsessed with them! They said they were banned at the Colosseum as they are considered dangerous and also at Disneyland! There is also a website now where you can check if the good ol’ selfie stick is allowed. Really? Yep. Enjoy your holiday x

  10. I watched on tv where they have banned selfie sticks there! They even have the “selfie stick police”!! Maybe they were having a siesta!

  11. Embrace the siesta my friend – it’s the only way x

  12. Yep, the rise of the selfie stick (and selfie in general) is concerning. The most prevalent place I’ve seen was in Singapore, they love a good selfie stick there!

    I would also recommend the siesta. I’m usually a routine, early bedtime nazi (usually for my own sanity), but on our recent Europe jaunt I decided to let them kip if they wanted (or I needed) and let them stay up late in the evening, let’s face it their routines are stuffed up anyway. I have to say it worked a treat and made for happy parents and kids. We discovered this whole out in the evening time thing that was most pleasant! xx

  13. Wow what a beautiful place and awesome experience for your kids. I find the whole selfie stick thing sad. Is that what we have all become? I hope not.

  14. Travel with young kids is hard work, that’s for sure..
    Ours were desperate for some time back in the apartment after lunch each day. Not for sleeping but just reading, relaxing, dreaded screen time etc. It seemed to work – a couple of hours of quiet time out of the heat and then we could go out again later.

  15. So with you on the incessant photography, especially in museums where people view and click object after object through a view finder. You don’t see the real beauty of the paintings or sculptures and I have no idea what they do with all those images.

    Best thing I saw was in Oslo a few weeks ago where the guards at that Viking Ship Museum were stopping the use of selfie sticks.

  16. Oh my. We always embrace the nap whilst travelling, and set an alarm. We made the mistake of missing that vital step once, and once only!!
    Loving all of this.
    Maggie just makes me laugh.

  17. The Colosseum was an absolute highlight of Rome for us. We had the most animated, passionate Italian tour guide and brought history alive for us. We couldn’t help but be swept up in his words and we too got goosebumps when we walked out into the arena. Incredible.

  18. I cannot tell you how much I HATE selfie sticks!!! With every fibre of my being. I used to miss so much by taking lots of photos and making sure we had a family photo doing this and a family photo doing that. While I still LOVE taking photos, I have scaled the stress of capturing the perfect shot down to about a third of what it used to be say 4 years ago. Now, I am much more content and satisfied and FULL when I soak in the moment, as its happening. So I can remember it as it was, not necessarily through the lens. Don’t get me wrong, I love photos, but also love to capture the memory myself.
    Your photos are gorgeous, the girls in their dresses, perfection.

  19. if you are spending a bit of time away, walking big cities, buy you daughter a scooter. Total life saver. Will by you days and km of sights. Hunt down a sports store. One of you get an uber and go there. You can buy a sports bag to put it in a plane hold. Seriously. Just do it.

  20. I’m glad I went there pre-selfie stick! It was too hot for me to go in the forum (heatwave day sadly of 35+) so I did miss that 🙁

  21. I can’t fathom jet lag with jet lag kids. I suffered jet lag on the first day in the US and I didn’t realise just how shit i felt until I’d come out the otherside. If I had kids to factor too I probably would have cried. lol.

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