Day 1 in Italy, and it's hard not to be drawn towards this massive structure which represents to much about ancient Rome. It took a few more days of wandering towards it from various directions before we went inside and, for me, the interior and exterior inspired very different reactions.
The exterior is all about the beauty and engineering marvel that is the Colosseum. The three different layers of columns and arches; the very modern (and ancient!) design which allowed the 50,000 seats to fill and empty in short time; the organisation of tickets and numbered gates; the fat that so much of it is still standing despite time, earthquakes, and theft (sanctioned and otherwise) of the stone and metal pins that held the facings in place. Even the drains are impressive! They had to be - it's built on what was a swamp.
It's impressive at any time, but to see it with the setting sun glowing on the warm stone is breath-taking.
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