Bonding over ruins, making friends in Ancient Rome 

In classic style, we’ve saved the crown jewel of Rome for last. The Roman Forum, possibly the most politically significant ruins, for its scale and far reaching influence. And unlike the clueless exploration we usually lead, this time we’ve opted for a tour led by an expert! After receiving headsets and rudimentary instructions we waddle through a high security, airport style gate into the site and our guide hits the ground running. 

Facts, figures and stories of a bygone era buzz through the radio. Be it a discarded fragment of a building, an entire surviving church or an empty square where something magnificent once stood. One thing is clear, the people who ruled here were great… However, equally, so too are the archaeologists who painstakingly uncover, preserve and curate the legacy. Most lovely of all, is that in these ruins we can see the world as Roman rulers would have. Here I can daydream about what an emperor must have thought as he stared down at the sprawling forum grounds and the key institutions in his influential and all-powerful capital city. 

There isn’t too much opportunity for daydreaming though, as we’re on a tight knit agenda! Though I do enjoy knowing a Roman kitchen from a Roman toilet, I have to admit I would have rather taken more time. A wish, I will be sure to fulfill another time. In the meantime, as part of our tour we’re also seeing the Colosseum interior. It’s now past midday, so we must jostle our way through the crowds. All the while, still listening in on the tour guide’s commentary and fumbling about with camera equipment. “Make sure you get a picture of Yoshi!” Jesse urges while simultaneously coordinating GoPro footage, “Of course!” I reassure him. However, when it comes to the critical juncture, in my small window of opportunity, an error pops up on my phone, “MEMORY FULL” It mocks. “You’re joking!” I exasperate, before running over to a confused Jesse and snatching his phone for a temporary fix!

All this fluffing about does seem to have a silver lining however, as all the while, it seems a lovely young couple in our group has been watching our green mascot with a twinkle of recognition in their eyes. They offer to take a polaroid of Jesse & I, later admitting that it was Yoshi that inspired them to give us this gift. Naturally, we all start to chat and before we know it we’ve lost track of what the tour guide is saying, but it’s worth it to have gained some new friends. Even as the tour comes to a close we continue with our new friends, Milena & Novak around the Colosseum and then to a cafe for afternoon coffee.

The young duo have a flight home to Prague in a couple of hours but that doesn’t faze them as our conversation glides through a constant stream of captivating stories. From the audacious plots of an Italian scam restaurant with a one star Google rating to Milena’s experience driving an automatic car for the first time (the mirror of what an Aussie might experience driving a manual car for the first time). And we might have continued chatting into the night, if not for that impending flight. Eventually we reluctantly go to wrap up the double date, reaching for the credit card… Only to discover that Novak has already sneakily paid for our coffee. Not to be outdone, with a sincere laugh, we all agree that Jesse & I will just have to visit Prague and return the favour.