Weekly Photo Challenge: Relics

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Flavian Amphitheater, New7Wonders of the World, Rome, The Colosseum, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Relics

The Colosseum in Rome is probably one of the most famous relics in the world and tells us of a time with the Roman Empire was a super power. It is the largest amphitheater in the world  and was complete 80AD under the emperor Titus.

Back in the day it could seat up to 80.000 spectators and was used for a whole array of spectacular events, such as mock sea battles (they could flood the arena), gladiatorial contests and animal hunts. However against popular belief they didn’t hold any chariot races in the Coloseum, or Flavian Amphitheater as it is also know, and whether of not Christians were martyred in it is disputed.

Today the Colosseum, like the entire historic center of Rome, is listed as a world heritage site and is listed as one of the New7Wonders of the World.

These are the seats with the best view, some ancient marble tablets still tell us who sat here

one of many arches

the left overs of what was beneath the wooden arena.

some mossy stones

the Colosseum is made of millions of bricks

some nightly illumination

 

 

My Galway Film Fleadh (festival) adventure

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Darren Darker, Galway Film Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, Gerard Barrett, Jack Reynor, John Carney, Lance Daly, Radison Blu, Toni Collette, Town Hall Theater, Will Poulter

My trip out west to the Galway Film Fleadh (festival) was a lot of fun and I met so many interesting and even a few famous people. Before my friend and I headed out to see Gerard Barrett wonderful new film Glassland we met up with a crime writer Darren Darker at the Radison Blu. This big bustling hotel was obviously the place to be as everyone bar us seemed to be staying there. With the lesson learned to book early if you want to sleep next door to the ‘who is who’ of film we enjoyed a cup of tea and a chat before venturing over to the Town Hall Theater and the hustle and bustle of the world premiere of Glassland.

Director/writer Gerard Barrett had left tickets behind the desk for us and we ended up sitting in wonderful seats amongst the cast and crew of the film. I’ll post a review at a later date but for now just let me say it is a gritty film about a Dublin lad (Jack Reynor) wanting to save his mother (Toni Collette). After the Q&A with Gerard, Jack Reynor and Will Poulter my friend and I needed a quick bite to eat and found a little diner nearby.

As chance would have it we ended up sharing nachos and chips with director/writer John Carney (Once and Begin Again) and director/writer Lance Daly (Life’s a Breeze and The Good Doctor). After that the evening turned into a string of meet and greets and G&Ts, all over Galway.

We went from the Rowing Club to the Quays and ended up back in the Radison Blu. In The Quays I talked to Jack Reynor (Transformers and Glassland) and told him that I didn’t really think Transformers was a great film but that Glassland showed what he was able to do. In the Radison Blu I had a long chat with Will Poulter (We’re the Millers and Glassland) who is lovely and lots of fun. We all stayed up late and when the sun began to rise it was time to call it a night.

After all the hobnobbing and celeb chatting it’s good to be back home, and I am enjoying a quite day over cups of tea and blueberry pancakes.