Yesterday
The Roman Ampitheatre is a huge grey stone circular stucture that is entirely preserved. It is more impressive than beautiful. The word 'solid' rather than 'graceful' comes to mind. It has many levels of seats and tunnels, and you think you read that it can fit 20,000 people, though that seems difficult to believe.
You head for the very top, where there is an American tour group being told about the ampitheatre. You only catch the very end of the talk, which was about the perfomance of Opera and a comparison of this ampitheatre with that in Verona (which you have also been to, and you remember something more elegant but less complete). Apparently, to hear the music you need to be in the higher seats - otherwise you just lose everything.
You spend a long time sitting enjoying the sun and heat, and writing up yesterday's diary. At one point two small boys run into the Arena and atart having a fist fight. You try to get your camera out; by the time you manage they have stopped. But it feels like a distant echo of the place's history.
What do you want to do next?
You head for the very top, where there is an American tour group being told about the ampitheatre. You only catch the very end of the talk, which was about the perfomance of Opera and a comparison of this ampitheatre with that in Verona (which you have also been to, and you remember something more elegant but less complete). Apparently, to hear the music you need to be in the higher seats - otherwise you just lose everything.
You spend a long time sitting enjoying the sun and heat, and writing up yesterday's diary. At one point two small boys run into the Arena and atart having a fist fight. You try to get your camera out; by the time you manage they have stopped. But it feels like a distant echo of the place's history.
What do you want to do next?