.......3 VIEWS OF THE COLOSSEUM - (in Italian, "Colosseo") and it is AMAZING. We didn't go inside it this time (we did other times) but we managed to get a REAL closeup view of the side of it with the third photo below. It was, of course, much more impressive in it's "hey day" because it was completely covered in MARBLE, which later was stripped off it (stolen, as it were.) Naturally, I don't like it's history of brutal "entertainment" enjoyed thousands of years ago by the ancient Romans, (throwing people to the lions and such). But when has ANY civilization thru the ages ever been completely civilized?? Even in our most modern times of today, even in my own country the USA, we can find many examples of barbarism by individuals against their fellow man, (and especially against women and children).

......SO IT'S STILL A JUNGLE OUT THERE! EXCEPT NOWADAYS the only "victims" of the Colosseum and other heavy tourist spots in Rome are the unlucky travelers who fall victim to the thieving GYPSIES, and we heard that this is one of their favorite hunting grounds. We were all a little worried, because Sonia usually carried a big purse with a long strap, though for safety's sake, she carried it always in front of her, at least. Motorcyclists also often grab purse straps from the street while buzzing by, knocking pedestrians over in the process. This happened to 2 of Settimio's sisters, friends and many others. We heard & read all the usual warnings before embarking on this trip, including the helpful (?) hint that it's impossible nowadays to tell WHO the thieves are, because even the Gypsies don "normal" clothes today to better fit in with the crowd and not draw attention to themselves. NOT SO in the past.... In fact, Sonia said that when she visited the Colosseum in 1995 that she saw many Gypsies who were NOT disguised at all and were swarming all over the place in their odd, very distinctive clothes. Even Sonia's best friend, ( LAURA on the same trip with Sonia), got robbed by them, that very day! But Sonia, remarking on her observations this year, said that if the Gypsies were still there, they sure blended in well !