Like a million others, I have been to Rome too. Multiple times. And every time, I have fallen in love with a little more. And every time, i have felt a tinge of sadness too – for reasons I cannot explain. Rome is a great city but saying that would be stating the obvious, right? Who leave Rome without being in love with it?
Truth is – Rome is a great city and like a million others, I love it. And I love its art. And its coffee shops. Its pizza and its association with Lord Byron and Keats!
It is one of the most visually appealing cities I have visited.
Rome, The Eternal City
It is, like its name, a truly – Eternal City. The title of ‘eternal city’ was first used by the Roman poet Tibullus (c. 54–19 BCE). But more than its glorious history is its old world charm and pace of life that is so different from the rest of the country – something I really loved. It is unhurried and laid back. Here, I was told that rest is more important than productivity, holidays more important than workdays…now, why wouldn’t anyone fall in love with the culture of Rome, right?
To add to the charm of Rome is 12 of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites – clearly the top reason for me to love it, given my obsession of visiting as many UNESCO sites as possible around the world. Rome is filled to the brim with evidence of different time periods, therefore it feels like an open air museum.
Here are my reasons to love this city
There is no denying the fact that you cant help but fall in love with Rome – it was after all the capital of one of the most powerful empires of ancient times – but that apart, the legacy of that empire lives on even today. Evidences of its illustrious past can be seen at every corner, every building or monument and even the fountains in the city.
The Sistine Chapel
So, I do not have pictures of the Chapel itself. The reason? Photography is prohibited inside the Chapel. Of course, a tour of the Vatican Museums, that eventually lead me to the Sistine Chapel is a continuous work of art. I wish I could spend days admiring the beauty of the paintings and frescoes, tapestries and sculptures, but much as I love art, after two hours of ooh aahing, jostling for space with the humongous crowds, I was rather tired. But here are some pictures that will inspire you stay longer.
The Sistine Chapel is the shining example of Michelangelo’s best work of art. My jaw dropped. It stayed on the floor for sometime too, imagining all sorts of things.
The Vatican Museums
Here are some cool pictures like I promised earlier…The Vatican Museum has a huge number of works amassed by the Catholic Church over the centuries, including renowned sculptures.
The Colosseum
Naturally, as all visitors, I bent my path towards the Colosseum – Rome’s most famous icon. A landmark that needs no explaining! As expected, it was full of people but hey, there is always enough space for another visitor -me! This gigantic amphitheater has seen some spectacular games and sports in its times when the entire nations came to watch. To see it from the inside you need to buy a ticket, but the view from the outside is free!
The Fountains of Rome
Of all the pretty fountains, The Trevi Fountain takes the crown! Of course there are numerous other beautiful fountains in all of Rome, but Trevi Fountains also has the distinction of being a “wishing fountain” as well. Did you know that about 3,000 euro is thrown into the fountain every day! Talk about wishing! Plus, it is also one of the oldest water sources in Rome!
PS. The money is collected at the end of the day and used to provide for the homeless people!
The Pantheon
As one of Rome’s most recognizable and oldest monument, the Pantheon is a definite must-visit on every travelers list. You cannot miss this one, whether you are an art or architecture buff or not. The dome of the Pantheon is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, which is quite amazing considering that it is two thousand years old. A fun fact about Pantheon is that the light coming through the oculus and moves around the inside of the Pantheon in a reverse sundial effect.
Carbonara, pizza and coffee is FOOD
In all honesty, I cannot stop raving about the Italian food simply because it is really good. I mean, it is not just the pasta and pizza or the carbonara (incredibly creamy) … it is the “fried appetisers” or Supli (a fried snack) or maritozi the gelato or the Bucatini Amatricinia. In fact Rome has its own style of cooking too. Renowned for its pastas and pizza by-the-slice – a favorite street food, Rome is a foodie heaven alright. Not to forget the famous gelato, coffee and craft beer…
Getting into Rome
From Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci airport, you can arrive into town in the following way –
- Take the Leonardo Express Airport train which takes 30 minutes to reach the city centre stopping at Termini station. This dedicated airport train runs frequently and is the fastest mode of transport.
- Catch a slower, but cheaper regional train from the airport to the city centre.
- Take the COTRAL public bus
- Take a taxi, private shuttle or an Uber.
- Rent a car from the airport.
Best way to get around Rome
There are plenty of options for getting around Rome. From big red buses to Vespas, you will not be stuck trying to figure out the best ways to getting around Rome.
Options:
- Bus: Rome has over 350 different bus lines and due to the limitations of the Metro, the bus service offers the most and is your best option for getting around Rome.
- Metro: Running from 5:30am to 11:30 PM and like the underground, the Metro system is one of the fastest and most reliable ways of getting around Rome. The Metro Line contains 3 different underground lines (A, B and C line). It’s not a huge network but it does stop at the major attractions throughout the city.
- Hire a moped.
- Hop on Hop off buses: With onboard audio guides, the big red bus is a fun way to see the city.
- Get yourself a 24 or 72 hour pass.
