Before Rugby Union went fully professional, most international stadiums held 50 - 60k people - now…read morethey have grown into 75k plus. The great thing about this stadium is that it is a throwback to the old days - circa 30k spectators, and no matter where you are in the ground you always feels close to the action. The best thing os the passion of the home supporters - especially when they win. Last time I was there, they beat us Taffs and even though I was disappointed we lost, the atmosphere was fantastic - it was like they had won the World Cup, blue firecrackers going off, etc etc. The place to see your team play away in the 6 nations (unless you are Itlaian of course) and a great weekend overall in Rome.

Waaaah! Amaluna. Ama-was-really bored! Ama want my $126 back too!…read more What a letdown. I've seen four Cirque du Soleil shows and this one doesn't even seem to be good enough to put the Cirque du Soleil name on it. The show isn't cohesive at all. It's just one act after another, all talented, and they all do something interesting and impressive for about a minute or two, and then spend the next ten or fifteen minutes doing it again, and again, and again. Enough already. The music was upbeat and I think it gave the allusion that the show was better than it really was. Oh man, this was bad. I was so glad when the show was finally over. You know it's bad when a show features someone balancing bones for fifteen minutes. I wish I was kidding about that. I was thinking of being generous and giving it three stars but I don't what Cirque du Soleil throwing these sub-par shows at us and knowing we'll still go because of their name. Another thing is they were way too lax with people taking photos during the show They were even using flash! Not good! Not safe either. It's not cheap to see this show, but the Cirque de Soleil shows are usually worth it. Not this one. One good thing about the San Pedro venue where I saw it is that free street parking can easily be found just a five-minute walk away...which is great because I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there.

This show was full of so many talented people. I loved…read moreseeing all the different acts and listening to the rocking band. The reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because of our seats. We were not in the very center, but we weren't in nose bleed seats either. From our seats we could not see the very front part of the stage. It was obstructed by one of the tent poles. It would have been nice if the web site had mentioned this before purchasing our tickets.

The major classical music venue for Rome…read more The music that is booked there is a mix. Much of it is outstanding. We have heard magic. We have heard "leave-while-you-cans". * * * Architectually, the complex is an epic fail. Italy has tremendous architecture. The Citta Della Musica most assuredly does not make the A list. * * * The Auditorium Complex was meant to be a cross between London's South Bank and London's Barbican. It is like the South Bank because there are many concert halls involved in related buildings. It is like the Barbican because the complex is Brutalist. Make that failed Brutalist. Brutalism when it works combines two fascinating aspects. 1) An exterior profile that is striking and powerful. You can't get the basic shape out of your mind. 2. Complex interweaving interiors that are non-linear, difficult to manoever, but expose interlinkages of space in non-trivial surprising ways. Rome's Citta della Musica flunks majorly on both counts. 1 Elaborated) The profiles are three egg concrete egg shapes. They look like every basketball stadium you have seen in the United States. Nothing new or exciting in the shape. The architect did not allow for what water would do to the concrete. So what was once new and resplendent and white is now gray and dingy. On a powerful form such as Boston City Hall or the Barbican, Vertical sharp ridges on the walls or other parallel forms draw water away from the concrete allowing the concrete to maintain its original color. Plus the form is bold enough to be interesting regardless of the color of the concrete. Here you just get Cleveland blah. 2 Elaborated) There is no real twisting or turning of forms. Just inconvenience with no spatial discovery. The snack bars for all of the many halls is on the far right of the complex. So for many shows, refreshments are simply too far away to get. There is no great discovery in having to walk through three identical lobbies to get to water when you are thirsty. Most of the halls involve mandatory climbing of endless stairs. And I do mean endless. And I do mean mandatory. Anyone who has been to an old school concert hall like Carnegie Hall and has bought the cheap seats knows all about climbing endless stairs to get to your seat. Nothing new or innovative here. 3) The two plusses - credit where credit is due. 3a) The lobbies are in beautiful red brick. They are high, deep, and expansive. Those are wonderful public spaces. 3b) The acoustics are outstanding. Most of the great European symphony concert halls have great acoustics. So this is not so distinctive. Still, there are some surprisingly dead concert halls in the United States. * * * For the right performance of a Haydn symphony, a Strauss tone poem or a Szymanowski concerto, none of the failed Brutalism will matter. Music assuages the imperfections of architecture.

WOW. This place is just so stunning. What a beautiful hall to listen to music in. I actually had…read morethe honour of performing here once and was wowed by the acoustics. It is probably one of the best concert halls I have ever been in. The architecture is simply amazing. Do take the time to explore around here as there are cafes, stores, etc. that you can look around in prior to the event/concert you are attending. I wish I had more time to stay in the hall and fully soak in how great it was. Do not pass on an opportunity to come here if one comes up.

We purchased the small group skip the line Vatican & Sistine Chapel guided tour with expedited…read moreentry into St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. What an incredible experience and our guide Simona made it so. When we arrived at the meeting place we were warmly greeted and checked in. Simona joined us shortly after and she was friendly and knowledgeable. It was a short walk to the Vatican, and once in line (yes, it was long but went quickly) we got to a certain point where we moved past the rest of the people for our expedited entry. Simona has a lovely voice, and she was easy to understand. The headsets and her commentary made this experience all the better. We saw all the high points at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (also front of the line). We toured St. Peter's Basilica on our own once Simona brought us to the expedited entry. We toured at 8AM on a hot Friday. We had a reusable water bottle in my crossbody bag that kept us hydrated. We did not see anyone with uncovered knees or shoulders. Everyone was respectful and polite.

TLDR: Great guide, small group, and worth it to skip the lines, but the meeting point is a mess &…read moreneeds organization Anytime I book through Viator, it's always a bit sketch relying on just the website's reviews. However, now that I'm posting this on Yelp, I'm honestly shocked by the overwhelming amount of negative reviews, but at the same time, not shocked. I booked the Colosseum Arena Full Experience (semi-private, max of 8 people). My tour started at 9:00 AM and per instructions, requested to meet in front of Santi Cosma e Damiano Basilica 15 mins prior to pickup tickets and meet the tour guide. The instructions were clear, find a representative in a blue vest or white polo with the company logo, however, this said logo was never provided. A flag (& providing the company logo) would have made a huge difference. On Viator, this company is listed as "Vivicos Travel," but on the ticket provided and on the representative, they have an entirely different company name. Closer to 9:00 AM, two reps in blue vests finally arrived reading off names. I had just booked 1.5 hours before the tour, so I was honestly surprised they had my ticket ready. Because of that, I'll give them some grace for the disorganization. NOTE: You have to have an ID/your passport for entry. If you're booking last-minute, a digital copy will work. The tour starts at the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and ends at the Colosseum. Unfortunately, due to this route, you're walking uphill through a lot of uneven terrain before reaching the Colosseum--so wear your most comfortable sneakers. Because it's a guided tour, it runs on a tight schedule. You won't have much time to stop, read, or fully take things in. That said, our guide, Mircea, was excellent--super knowledgeable and was able to answer every question I threw at him.

If you've ever wondered whether a banana duct-taped to a wall is considered art, well today's your…read morelucky day because someone thinks it is*...and it's on display at MAXXI in Rome (also potentially at the Whitney in NYC though who's checking). While the banana wasn't the reason I visited, the architecture was! Ever since I chanced upon a building by Zaha Hadid (RIP) and her firm ZHA, (first in Manhattan at 520 West 28th Street, then in Prague at the Masaryčka - Budova A and B) I've been gaga over her buildings; she undoubtedly earned the "Queen of the Curve" nickname for a reason. MAXXI is considered one of her more notable works**, though the list is long of structures on an even more epic scale. From the outside flowing curves and jutting angles interplay hand in hand, producing some distinct visual high/lowlights from various perspectives. Inside the black stairs and overhead lights paint terraced, winding brushstrokes across the industrial atrium of a space that was formerly Italian military barracks. I loved just moving around the room, seeing the same space morph from different vantage points. Walking into the lobby there are currently six mobile and interactive pieces by Studio TAKK that in part serve as seating for visitors. Tickets can be purchased online for a discount, or in person at ticket machines or at the two ticket counters in the lobby. Four floors with a variety of exhibits centered on contemporary art by Italian artists. When I was there in April there was an exhibit on Tragicomica, art which combined tragedy and comedy--definitely some unexpected, puzzling, ironic and hilarious moments here. A separate exhibit highlighted Roman demographic stats as compared to other global cities, creating 2D and 3D comparisons; tbh this felt like an anthropology exhibit rather than art, though it was still an interesting topic to learn about. You could probably spend a good 1.5-2 hours here if you took your time. Cafe and book/gift store available. Bags above a certain size must be checked in their free lockers or coat check. I thought it was an amazing space with some quirky and cool exhibits! - Tickets €15 in person or €14 online. - Reduced tickets for senior citizens or students/young adults (18-25) are €12 in person, €11 online. - Free admission on your birthday, patrons with disabilities and caregivers, or for certain pass holders For more info: https://www.maxxi.art *and an "edition" of this sold at Sotheby's in NYC for $6.2 million!!! And that's not even including the actual fruit, it only gives the owner the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it "Comedian". All I have to say is some people have waaay too much money on their hands.... **a design that won a competition with over 270 entries, took ten years to build, opened to the public in 2010, and winning a prestigious Stirling Prize for architecture.

A must see modern museum of you visit Rome. The architecture (Zaha Hadid) and the content of all…read morethe works is incredible, interesting & interactive. The transition, as you move in the space from art to architecture is smooth and you'll enjoy & learn every minute of it. Plus students get in for free! (Not sure if it only applies to students that reside in the area though but mention that you are a student regardless because they seemed pretty chill when I went lol).