Hope you are doing well.
Today I wanted to share with you a new series I wanted to start on the blog all about the top places to visit, which I have been to so that my opinion is the most genuine possible.
This month's destination is Rome!! I have been to Italy twice but only once to Rome and let me tell you, it is exquisite! I was there almost a year ago and the image is as vivid as if I had just left.
Rome is the type of city that just welcomes you. Once you step out of the airport, you just feel this warmth from the sun and the simple "Buongiorno" from the locals that warms your heart and makes you feel all fuzzy inside.
The first place my family and I visited was the Piazza di Spagna. It's the place where the big staircase is or as they call it, Scalinata di Spagna. It was just a glorious view. Very hard to climb, though. Although I didn't take this picture, you can see just how spectacular it is. I did take some pictures, no worries. It was full of people just enjoying the sun and the world passing by.
The next stop on our itinerary, which was put together by moi, was the Villa Borghese. The Villa Borghese was a huge garden with some museums inside. Some of my family went to the museums, but I preferred to stay in the gardens just enjoying "il dolce far niente" (the sweetness of doing nothing) which is a very common and very valued activity in Italy. The garden was very green, peaceful and, as the rest of Rome, very welcoming.
And then to finish off the first day we went to see La Fontana di Trevi, which was certainly my favourite. It was full of people, like any other tourist attraction in Rome but it was very much worth it! We took pictures, as any good tourist would, and then went to sit in café were we just had some espresso and water with a view to the Fontana. That was when I realised just how happy I was in that moment looking over to the Fontana di Trevi, with a warm breeze and not a single worry. That moment brought a tear to my eye, and it still does every time I think of it. I threw a coin in the Fontana with the hopes of returning someday.
After this we went back to the hotel because were rather tired from waking up before the sunrise to travel to Rome, so we just had a very chill evening in our room. On our way to the hotel we stopped by Piazza Cavour, where we would get the bus, and took some pictures of the Palazzo di Giustizia. It was very relaxing, again reinforcing the whole "dolce far niente" idea.
The second day was a little more focused on one area as all the places we wanted to visit were all within walking distance of each other. First we went to see the Piazza Navona which was just amazing. Very spacious and inviting. There was a market taking place and it was filled with hand made products and artists.
(image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Piazza_Navona,_Roma_-_fontana_fc07.jpg)
Then we went to see the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which was a church that was very big and full of important religious historic moments. I liked it but it was not my favourite part.
After that we went to the Pantheon. It is as spectacular as they say. It had so many sculptures which was so amazing and it's architecture made me speechless!
After the Pantheon we went to the Piazza della Maddalena, where we had lunch. It was the most italian restaurant I had seen, located in the Via della Maddalena just next to the church. It was called La Scaletta. The waiters were so nice and friendly. The food was spectacular! The best spaghetti bolognese I have ever had and that I had in Italy!! The whole ristorante was just Perfecto! I just felt so at home in this piazza. To end the day we spent the afternoon shopping!
(image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/S_Eustachio_-_chiesa_e_piazza_della_Maddalena_1020697.JPG)
(image from: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/97/d6/84/filename-p1120078-2-jpg.jpg)
The following day we went to the Circo Massimo. This is was used for various sports and athletic competitions in its time was well as chariot races. Nowadays it is mostly used for jogging or walking the dogs.
After that we went to the Piazza della Bocca della Verità which is where the mouth of truth is. The legend says that those who lie and put their hand in its mouth loose their hand because it gets bitten off.
(image from: http://www.zainoo.com/media/medium/3523.JPEG)
After this, we just decided we'd spend the rest of the day walking and wandering through Roma just to see the beautiful sights and enjoy "il dolce far niente".
The following day was spent at the Colosseo, the Museo Palatino, the Arco di Constantino and the Piazza Venezia. The Colosseo is enormous! It is amazing how it is still standing, most of it at least. It holds a lot of history and it is very overwhelming when you go inside. It is full of artifacts that portray Rome's and Italy's history and are very valued by the locals. The Arco di Constantino is right next to the Colosseo and it slightly reminds you of the Arc de Triomphe. Opposite these two monuments is the Museo Palatino which is just full of all types of ruins and monuments. And yes, I finally took some pictures again.
Then we went to Piazza Venezia which is where the Altare della Patria is located. It is another amazing monument that just inspires anyone. It was built in honour of Vittorio Emanuele, the first king of the unified Italy.
(image from: http://www.hotelcasatranoiroma.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Hotel-Romas-piazza-venezia-2.jpg)
The last day was spent in Vaticano. It is a very amazing place. Every corner amazes you. From the buildings to the sculptures to the doors. Every inch of it is just so simple yet so extravagant. In the Vaticano there several gardens and museums filled with relics from the history of all the popes and religious figures. It is very difficult to express through words the feeling you get when you step into La Capella Sistina or even just the Piazza San Pietro.
A few tips for future travelers;
- keep your bag closed and close to you
- learn as much italian as you can before you can so that you can try to communicate with the locals
- don't wear white sneakers as that is trade mark for tourists and easily identified
- enjoy every inch of this beautiful and amazing city!
I personally loved Roma and I am dying to return and if possible stay for longer than 5 days. I am very thankful for being able to even have been there.
Thanks for reading and if you liked, then please share it :)
Bea xoxo
Disclaimer; I did not take all the pictures. The pictures that I did not take myself are linked to where I got them from.
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