Il Colosseo

New York has the Statue of Liberty; Paris, the Eiffel Tower; and Rome…il Colosseo. The Colosseum is a massive amphitheater that could seat up to 75,000 people. On the sunny day that I visited it, it felt like there were 74,999 other people with me.

Rome was packed. And at this wildly popular tourist attraction, it took the patience of Job to finally get a few shots without tons of strangers around every corner.

I love my aerial shot of the Colosseum, and the view of one of the many tree-lined hills through one of its perfectly framed windows.

This place has been home to gladiators, slaves, and emperors. It has survived earthquakes and stone robbers. It has even morphed into a Christian shrine along the way.

Much has happened here since the Roman engineers first broke ground in 72AD. Just like much has happened to me between the time I first set foot on its grounds in 2002, and a few days ago ten years later!

May 22, 2012