Rome is easily one of the most iconic travel destinations on everyone’s OE bucket list!
I am slightly embarrassed to admit it but my interest in Rome began when I was young… thanks to the Lizzie Mcquire movie. Fast forward 16 years and here we are!
We had a jammed packed itinerary with thousands of years worth of history to cover in just three days. Our days started early and finished late. We explored the city the best way we know how – by foot! By the end of our third day, we had clocked up a total of 45, 229 steps. Our feet were sore but our minds were enriched with knowledge.
I have decided to write this blog post a little differently and talk about each sight or activity rather than a blow by blow of each day. So here goes!
Exploring the streets:
Our campground was conveniently located a few short train stops away from the center of Rome. We took advantage of this and spent the first day getting lost in the city. We stumbled upon a lot of the cities historic monuments and gorgeous town squares.
Trevi Fountain:
One word to describe the Trevi Fountain: BUSY! We had heard the Trevi Fountain can get busy during the day so to avoid the masses of people, it was best to arrive at sunrise. Us two sleepy heads had no intention of getting out of bed early that day! Our attitude was we would just go with the flow and really, how busy could it get…..?
REALLY BUSY!!
Safe to say we didn’t hang around for very long. Seeing the Trevi Fountain was great. It is incredibly iconic and no trip to Rome is complete without seeing the Trevi Fountain, but we weren’t about to battle the crowds or their selfie sticks.
More importantly, a cold lemon sorbet was calling my name.
Vatican City Tour
We had always planned to visit the Vatican but we were not originally booked in for a guided tour. On our way there, we got snagged by a street salesman who could talk the talk. Before we knew it, we were at the ticket office and had bought a guided tour of the Vatican. This guy could sell ice to an Eskimo! Although it was very expensive and it hurt our budget, we are really glad we ended up seeing the Vatican with a guide. We were given so much more in-depth information and made the whole day worthwhile!
Sistine Chapel
Included in our Vatican tour was access to the Sistine Chapel.
Wow.
As this was a no-photo zone, we don’t have any photos. It is something that you have to experience for yourself to get a full appreciation and scale of the true masterpiece.
Colosseum Tour:
The Colosseum is one of the most recognized symbols of Rome. This ancient structure is pretty hard to miss, still standing proudly since its construction in 80 AD! It only took the Romans 8 years to build the Colosseum.
That’s probably quicker than it will take Auckland Transport to build the Takanini ink off-ramp!
We decided the best way to experience the Colosseum was by a guided tour. Given that the Colosseum is nearly 2,000 years old and has survived earthquakes, multiple Wars and time itself, it was hard to work out what you are looking at. Our guide was able to paint a picture of what this incredible structure looked like during the gladiator days.
Visiting inside the arena you can see the underground chambers and passageways that were originally covered by a wooden floor. Underneath was a labyrinth of underground mazes and trap doors.
Given the time and technology that was available to the ancient Romans, the Colosseum was well beyond its years as an architectural masterpiece. When visiting the Colosseum, you can see why it was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Pantheon:
Rome is full of stunning ancient buildings and the Pantheon is no exception.
It is striking in appearance, with the thick columns that stand 40ft high!
Unfortunately, the line to enter wrapped around the entire square so we decided against standing in the baking heat for hours on end!
Spanish Steps
Another iconic place to visit in Rome is the Spanish Steps.
We found the Spanish steps pretty underwhelming. It was packed with tourists and in all honestly, we walked past them at first without realizing what they were!
St. Peter’s Basilica
Not only is St. Peter’s Basilica the biggest church in the world, but it is also the final resting place of St Peter (hence the name) who was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles and a large number of Popes.
Now I am no architectural or art expert but the work of St Peters is something else.
Morgan and I decided to climb to the top of the dome at St. Peter for 360-degree views over Rome. The hike up the tiny winding stars was well worth the views.
