Today was our first full day in Rome. We experienced some night life last night, taking a night bus tour of the city, just barely scraping the surface of what this wonderful city has to offer. Seeing the Colosseum while whirling by on a bus just doesn't serve it justice.
Still, it made for a cool picture.
Our first stop of the morning, however, was the Colosseum. After a lovely breakfast of muesli, croissants with Nutella, and coffee, we departed our hotel and headed towards the Colosseum. Now, Rome was once the largest city in the Western World and held onto that title for almost a thousand years, having a great political authority over its vast empire. However, it is true "All good things must come to end." The Roman empire might have fallen apart centuries ago, but its architecture and spirit still remain today, especially in the Colosseum.
Now, the Colosseum is an amphitheatre located in the center of Rome and was the largest amphitheatre ever built by the Romans.
It remains one of the prime examples of Roman engineering. Between 70 and 72 AD, emperor Vespasian ordered for the construction of the Colosseum to begin and it was completed in 80 AD under emperor Titus. In its heyday, the Colosseum could hold up to 50,000 spectators who would come to enjoy gladiatorial contests and other public events, such as mock sea battles, animal hangings, dramas, and executions. 
However, during the medieval era, the Colosseum stopped being used for entertainment purposes. Today, it is one of the most visited sites in Rome, attracting more thousands of paying tourists. We were just glad we all got the student discount.
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