This week I had the pleasure of visiting La Citta’ Eterna…Rome! I visited Rome when I was a sophomore in high school, but I was still immature and didn’t appreciate all the amazing history and architecture that Rome has to offer. I decided I needed to go back to really take in all the beauty and visit all the monuments that I took for granted when I was 16 years old. I remembered Rome as a beautiful city so I had high expectations when visiting again. Sure enough, my expectations were met and I had a blast my second time around as a more experienced traveler. I visited places like the Colosseum, Roman Forum/Palentine, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Castel Sant’Angelo, Vatican Museums, Spanish Steps, and more. I was only there for 2 days but I managed to pack in everything that I wanted to see and do. Unfortunately, the Trevi Fountain was closed off with a gate due to a soccer match, so I couldn’t throw my coin in and make a wish- but it was beautiful to see at night! Also, the Forum/Palentine was much bigger than I remembered it. It took me forever to walk around it and see everything. Even then, I didn’t get to see everything in the Palentine because I wanted to make sure I had enough time to visit the Vatican Museums. I am glad I revisited the Vatican Museums because I love looking at all the statues and beautiful decorated ceilings. I enjoy looking at statues more than paintings, so I appreciate all the lovely statues that the Vatican offers. I gave myself enoughย time to look at all the different roomsย and of course The Sistine Chapel.
I usually prefer to see everything on my own without a tour guide, but since I am a member of a train travel company, I had the opportunity for a free evening walking tour of Rome. Our tour guide informed us that only non-Italians call the Spanish Steps by that name. He also said that he has no clue why they are called the Spanish Steps since they were built by the French and have nothing to do with Spain. That was just one of the many interesting facts I learned on the tour. The tour was 2 hours long and after we got some free food and wine, so it was definitely worth it. Also, I had the most amazing gelato in Rome…pineapple and black cherry. After having gelato in Italy, regular ice cream will never equate to the deliciousness of gelato. Gelato is the best ice cream in the world and no one can change my mind on that. On another note…even though it rained both days, I made the most of it and still got to experience the best parts of Rome.