Day 1: A Long Walk
Colosseum and the Palatine
The weather in Rome was very sunny when we arrived. After checking in to our hotel, we walked to our first visit site: The Colosseum. Built in AD 80, this was where gladiators used to fight. The stadium was fairly run down, unlike the grand image pictured in movies. I later learnt that this was a result of numerous earthquakes and pilage by builders of stone and marble resources. A huge pity...
The exterior view of Colosseum
The grand stand...
The remains of the stage where gladiators used to fight.
On the western side of the Colosseum was the Arco di Costantino, built to honour Constantine following a victorious battle against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge.
The victorious arc
Just across the Colosseum was the Palatine. According to the guide book, this was where Romulus (the first ruler of Rome) killed his brother, Remus and founded Rome. We spent only a short time here as it did not appeal to us plus there were other exciting sites waiting for us!
The ruins at Palentine
The Pantheon
Our next destination was the Pantheon, a place of worship for various gods. This was an unique architecture that exuded man's intelligence in ancient times. Known as Rome's best preserved building, it has been standing around for close to 2000 years.
The exterior view of the Pantheon
The dome which was a perfect semisphere
One of the numerous paintings
A statue worshipped by followers
Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps)
I was told that the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain were sights not to be missed in Rome so naturally, both attractions were on our "to-visit-list" before night fell.
The piazza was named after the Spanish Embassy while the staircase, which led to a French church, was built with a legacy from the French. At the foot of the steps was the fountain of a sinking ship believed to be by Pietro Bernini. The Spanish Steps is now a gathering place for Italian teenagers.
The Steps and Church (under renovation)
The Sinking Ship
The Trevi Fountain
Known as Rome's most famous fountain, this place become popular due to a show "La Dolce Vita", which showed the female lead dancing around the fountain. Word had it that if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, you will return to Rome one day. If you toss a second coin, you will fall in love with an Italian and with the third coin, the marriage will be secured. So how many coins did I toss? Well, with my husband next to me, the answer was pretty obvious. :)
Coin toss 1, 2, 3!
By now, we were both rather tired and decided to call it a day by catching a quick dinner and heading back to our hotel for a rest. After all, there's more to see the next day at Vatican City.
Day 2: A Long Queue
On the second day, we woke up early and headed off to the Vatican City, the world's smallest country, to visit two great sights: The St. Peter's Basilica and The Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter's Basilica
The St. Peter's Basilica was built by Rome's Christian Emperior, Constantine. Subsequently, the basilica fell into disrepair and was rebuilt, through the efforts of various artists, including the famous Michelangelo.
Outside the basilica, all peace and quiet on an early morning (but this won't last long)
The spectacular interior of the basilica contained various works of art, with the most famous being the dome, which was Michelangelo's masterpiece.
The impressive dome
This is what I consider a grand sight...
Frankly, I have never seen so many fantastic art pieces at one place in my entire life. The Vatican Museums, with a huge collection of art pieces, left me giddy and lost. The giddiness could be partly attributed to the 2.5 hours we spent queuing under the sun (from 9.45am to 12.15pm) before we reached the entrance of the museum! I almost got heatstroke, if not for my sturdy little umbrella.
Entrance to the museum.. much anticipation
Sights along the way...
Leaves your neck in pain... as you keep staring at the ceiling
More "strains" to come...
There were just too many wonderful pictures that I couldn't put them all up on my blog. But I guess you would know what I mean by now. :)
The famous circular steps
We had a quick lunch near the Sistine Chapel before heading to Museo e Galleria Borghese, one of the finest art galleries in Rome. Unfortunately, we were unable to call to reserve tickets earlier (this is a MUST) and was turned away in disappointment. Nevertheless, there were plenty of other sights to see so we headed off to the Capitoline Hill where we visited a museum there, which was a slight disappointment after the Vatican Museums.
The entrance of the museum
The Forum
We also took some pictures of the Forum opposite the hill. The Roman Forum was a shopping mall cum civic centre during the ancient times. The original forum became too small (it was probably as popular as Takashimaya) and expansion sites were created. Sadly, all that remained today of the Forum were ruins.
The structure of the forum was still visible...
Probably the main entrance?
Counting down to Home
We decided to buy ourselves a good dinner since it was our last night and even treated ourselves to huge slices of delicious pizza at one of the roadside stores. It was really yummy except the portions were too huge! The girl over the counter looked absolutely flabbergasted when I requested for only a small piece of the mushroom pizza (as I had my dinner already). M greedily tried two different flavours and both were good!
Food for Thought
Our Italy tour ended very much on a high note before we headed on a 12 hour flight journey back home. I must say I enjoyed myself very much in Italy. Transport was efficient, both subway and trains, sights were grand and the people were friendly. However, the only drawback was the food. I have never been a fan of pizza and cheese so sadly, my meals were often piled with salads, soups and bread. After 8 days, I began to crave for my rice and steamed vegetables. I didn't enjoy the long queues at the museums too! It was terrible, having to waste 2-3 hours of our previous travel time just queuing. It would be quite a while before I ever return to Italy but if I do, I would want to visit the Tuscany next as I heard a lot about the stunning views. Till then!
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