Roam the Rome

Rome has something about it, the old city, with the lanes and the shops and the churches you come across and the fountains and the architecture.... there is something so laid back and old world about this place, cant even place what it is. Maybe the fact that in between the city, you have ruins from the BC years, maintained as if it were not as old, maybe because of the cobbled streets and the lanes, and the old looking shops on both sides with the biggest brands, its this mix of the old and the new in such a way, that you are transported to the old world so easily.

We went to Rome in summer, in June. So it was definitely not the best time to go there, it becomes very very hot there. But the city is amazing. There is a long list of places to go to, and we walked a lot in the city as all the places to visit are all located nearby. You need at least 2-3 days for this city, and if interested in history, a lot more time. There is so much to explore and learn from the history strewn everywhere in the city.

Let me start with some of the places which are a must-see in the city. First, there is the Emmanuel Vittoria Monument at Piazza Venezia. This would be one of the relatively new buildings of the city though. Gives a good view of the city around including the Colosseum and the Forum. Its a huge structure built in memory of the soldiers of Italy, all in white.


The Colosseum is a must see for any visitor to Rome.Its very difficult to imagine how such a huge structure could have been constructed ages ago. It still looks as grand as ever, though partially broken down. It looks fabulous at night too, all lighted up!
The Forum is very near the Emmanuel Monument, and has the remains of the Roman empire of old (of the BC years) It even has the location marked where apparently Brutus had stabbed Caesar. Cant imagine how something this old survives to this day in the state it is in right now.













The Fontana de Trevi, located somewhere within the bylanes of the city, is a good place to take rest, next to the cold fountain water. It comes up suddenly while walking in the city, quite a surprise and in such a small area. There are lot of street artists and musicians displaying their art near this area, as its quite frequented by tourists. Its somehow always crowded, with people just sitting there and chatting all day along.

Piazza Navona, is the square with open cafes to eat and drink, and is very very lively in the evening. Piazza di Spagna, is where the Spanish steps are, and where the Romans get together in the evening, sitting at the steps and doing nothing:). The Pantheon is an old temple, still preserved and grand as ever. There are many other museums, old temples, palaces, churches etc on the way to visit. Depending on how much time you have, you can explore these.

The Vatican is on the other side of the river Tiber, a small area ear-marked for the seat of Christianity. It is for all purposes part of Rome and Italy, though technically its a separate country. It has its own guard company though, the Swiss guards guarding the Vatican. In the Vatican Area, Castel Sant'Angela is the old Castle which was used for military purposes in the old days.

You can explore St Peter's Basilica, the seat of Christianity, the church where the famous Madonna status is kept. The church is huge, and it takes long to look around and appreciate the paintings and sculptors strewn all over the church across the years. The area also sparkles at night with the lighting all over and the road leading to the Basilica.

If you land up at St. Peters Square on a Sunday, you can see the Pope giving his Sunday sermon too. The whole square is teeming with people on Sundays.











The Vatican Museum has a long wait if you want to go in, but its definitely worth it! The Sistine Chapel is painted by the great masters and it actually surprises you, imagining how it would have been painted! There are a lot more art pieces collected from over the world and over the ages in the museum. Please note though that sleeveless shirts and shorts are not allowed in this area.





There are some Ferrari shops also nearby, would be a good place to buy Ferrari merchandise for all the enthusiasts and fans. The city is very nice to walk around in the streets, where you may suddenly come up into a piazza (square) and open air cafes to sit and enjoy the views around, and churches abound everywhere. In fact we landed up at a church where a Christian wedding was going on, stunning again! The Italians are friendly and lively people, you will enjoy interacting with them too. The country is a bit chaotic though, but being from India, that may be something we may feel comfortable with! Rome is good for shopping too, especially well designed clothes at cheaper prices. You can explore the lanes and the shops there for such bargains. The city is grand and lively, inviting and interesting, old and new, slow and fast. Loved it inspite of the summer heat!