Today we decided to visit three of Rome’s biggest attractions, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. As I’ve said before, the Colosseum always amazes me. It is one of those “tourist” spots that, once inside, makes it so easy to peel back the millennia and picture a little of what life would have been like, whether you were a citizen crowding into one of the highest seats, or the emperor surveying the masses from your seat of power.
When Kate and Gin arrived in Rome from London, we headed for the closest pizzeria faster than you can say ‘Una pizza margherita per favore!’ Over a cheeky rosé we caught up on each other’s gossip, and started to plan our adventures for the next few days.
First stop – pizza!
After our delicious pizzas, we wandered in the sunshine to the Colosseum, before heading on to the Trevi Fountain for the obligatory coin toss.
We’ll be back!
So romantic!
Rather hilariously, we were presented with the roses while we were consulting maps. After several days of having them shoved under my nose in various tourist spots, I waved it away without even looking at the person presenting it – which rather annoyed the well-dressed Italian woman who tried to explain she was just giving them to us! We’re still not exactly sure why, but it was a lovely contrast to the usual.
Later that evening, we met up with Lili and Grietje to explore the Trastevere area, which we’d been told was great for restaurants and night-life. The little lanes were very cute and there were many, many choices for restaurants… it was difficult to decide!
Serene Tiber River at night
We headed to the river where there were more restaurants, and lots of stalls selling everything from sweets to souvenirs. It was packed with both tourists and Romans enjoying the beautiful night.
Stalls along the Tiber River
The next morning a new country awaited us as we crossed the border into the Vatican City with ease – we timed it early enough that the horror lines we’d heard about hadn’t yet eventuated.
Possibly the Pope’s hang out in the evening when the crowds leave?
The grounds of the Vatican are impressive enough, but the art collections in the museums are simply mind-blowing. One of the biggest art collections in the world, begun by Pope Julius II in 1506, and now featuring works by everyone from da Vinci to Dali, it would be impossible to see it all in a day, although we did give it our best shot.
Statues, Vatican City Museum
Gallery of Maps, Vatican City
My favourite painting was Raphael’s masterpiece, The School of Athens… not least for his cheeky self-portrait and depiction of fellow artists, including Michaelangelo and da Vinci.
The School of Athens
Raphael staring at the viewer from behind a pillar
Of course, a highlight of any visit to the Vatican will always be the incredible and moving Sistine Chapel, where we sat and contemplated the ceiling amongst the hum of tours and the guards’ noisy whispers of “Silencio!”. When we’d had our fill of amazing art, we headed for St Peter’s Basilica.
St Peter’s Basilica in the afternoon sun
One arc of Bernini’s collonade that stretches from the Basilica
The magnificence and sheer scale of St Peter’s Basilica is almost overwhelming, but at the same time it felt welcoming. This came partly from the afternoon mass being conducted at the front of the nave – to see it as a functioning church rather than simply a massive edifice was very special.
So angelic!
The interior of the massive dome
Swiss Guards – always hilarious
An epic day of art and culture!
Apologies for the blogging hiatus – starting my new job, having NZ friends to visit and moving into my new flat hasn’t left a lot of time over! If you’d like to, you can always check out my Instagram account to see what I’m up to on a more-regular basis.
I bid goodbye to Dad and Zoe in Naples, as they were off to Sicily, and caught a fast train to Rome. I had visited briefly before, at the end of my Contiki tour in 2008, and was so excited to go back to explore the city properly. On my first afternoon, I made straight for the Colosseum… via a gelato store, of course!
Very excited to be at the Colosseum
It really does blow my mind that the Colosseum was built in 70-80 AD and has survived so much to still be standing, relatively intact, to this day.
Once again I wandered for the afternoon with no real plan in mind, other than that I could aim for the Trevi Fountain and then the Spanish steps. It was over 32C, so a slow stroll was definitely preferable to a mad sight-seeing dash! I was so relaxed, I didn’t even take any photos (virtually unheard of)… just soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed the bustle around me.
Back at my backpackers, I met my new roommates: Jeremy from Canada, Lili from France, and Grietje from the Netherlands. They were all travelling solo like me and keen to be social – ideal! We didn’t stray far, but had an awesome night out… I had to keep pinching myself to remember that I was partying in Rome!
Roommates in Rome – me, Grietje, Lili and Jeremy
Piazza della Repubblica
The next day Lili took command as our tour guide – she had a full itinerary planned and didn’t want to waste a minute! Luckily for the rest of us, she also speaks fluent Italian, which made life super easy.
First up was the manic atmosphere of the Trevi Fountain, where we all tossed euros backwards to ensure that we would visit Rome again. I wasn’t taking any chances with this so every time I visited the fountain this week, I popped another in – just in case!
Next on the list was the Pantheon, which is another mind-blowing experience (more to come from inside in a later blog). I love that it has stayed as a space of worship, even if the god(s) have changed!
By this point we needed to escape the heat, so headed for the river. While it’s not the most attractive colour, it was much cooler sitting down in the shade, watching the mutant fish jump – they were huge! I enjoyed the view of Castel Sant’Angelo, which is so attractively medieval, just like a true castle should look.
Enjoying the shade!
I loved the arches of the trees along the Tiber
The next stop on Lili’s list was Il Vittoriano, which was in fine patriotic form with huge Italian flags out front. I can see why it’s nicknamed the wedding cake or the typewriter… it’s certainly a ‘distinctive’ style.
The massive Il Vittoriano
Our last stop was a quick peek at the Roman Forum – again, more on this in a later blog!
The next day the heat was predicted to top 36C, so we did as the Ancient Romans would have, and headed for the beach. The lido at Ostia is easily accessible on the metro from Rome, only 20 minutes away. Once there, we wandered past the exclusive but seductive-looking loungers and umbrellas to a free beach… a distinction I’m not used to in New Zealand!
Beach time!
We spent a perfect day swimming, sunning – and of course constantly applying sunblock! It really was too hot to do much else and it was so lovely to just relax and enjoy the amazing weather.
Don’t make me leave!
The next day Jeremy had headed to Milan, while Lili and Grietje explored the Vatican City. My good friends Kate and Gin from New Zealand were due to arrive from London in the afternoon, so I filled in some more time wandering around the city – as you do.
I love the wide expanse of the Piazza del Popolo with its matching churches and huge obelisk, brought to Rome in 10BC. It’s strange to think that the Ancient Romans would have viewed the Ancient Egyptians as being just as antiquated as we now view them!
View of St Pauls from the Pincian Hill
As if I hadn’t done enough relaxing the day before, I then lazed in the shade with my book near the Villa Borghese until it was time for Kate and Gin to arrive – bliss!
It’s a tough life…
Roman domes in a row!
