Roaming Around Rome
Rome wasn’t built in a day - but we conquered it in two
Rome was a quick trip - by quick, I mean we were there for 48 hours in total, in which time, we visited 11 sites.
Namely, St Peter’s Basilica, Spanish Steps, Vatican Museum, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and a few more.
In two days we did more than what most people do in a week - we clocked over 23,000 steps. When walking around the city however it doesn’t feel as laborious as everything is fairly closely situated. So the ability to conquer all those sites in the time we had wasn’t completely unreasonable.
This holiday definitely needed careful planning - I was adamant to hit all the famous sites.
When broski heard about this plan, he looked slightly bewildered at how much we were too see, but I reassured him that there would be frequent pizza and gelato breaks - so need not worry!
Just two days to explore the ancient city of Rome and the smallest country in the world, Vatican City. I strategically ensured we were situated in the Vatican City area.
The trip started with a visit to the Vatican Museums - we opted for a GetYourGuide audio tour, which was great, allowing us to skip sections of the museum unknown to us and focus on the more interesting stuff. Check them out for tours/guides.
Everyone knows the Sistine Chapel, Gallery of Maps and Raphael Rooms are the most famous - so we made headway for those. The Sistine Chapel no pictures were allowed, listening to the audio, it was interesting to learn how Michelangelo painted it over the four year period.
Okay, the Vatican museums were done - we then headed for St Peter’s Basilica.
The grand architecture was apparent immediately - Michelangelo’s “Pietà,” a marble sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus (Prophet Isa PBUH) was arguably one of the most famous sculptures inside, it was actually quite small, but the sheer amount of people around it was incredible.
The next part was seeing the Vatican Grottoes, and as we got closer, I had a glimpse of where St.Peter tomb was located and all I could imagine was the seen in the film Angels and Demons where Ewan Mcgregor is running down the stairs with a fire-lit candle.
Moving on… See some pictures of the actual trip as a quick interlude.
The next part of the trip was going into Rome for some fresh pizzas and gelato. Which did not disappoint. One quick tip is making sure to know that when ordering a ‘latte’ as a coffee, they legit just give you milk. So be more specific.
The other aspects of the trip I’ll summarise below:
Pantheon: Originally built as a Roman temple around 126 AD and later converted into a church, the Pantheon is a marvel of ancient engineering. Located centrally in Rome, it was a quick pit-stop for us, in an attempt to brave the cold weather - but actually going inside was definitely one I would recommend.
Colosseum: Completed in 80 AD, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire and a stage for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. Of course me and broski had to act our Gladiator (without the killing and fighting of course) - basically just shouting ‘Are you not entertained.’
Spanish Steps: Built in the 18th century to connect the Piazza di Spagna with the Trinità dei Monti church, the Spanish Steps are a beloved gathering spot for many tourists alike. Broski couldn’t fathom the effort to climb the steps so I went up alone, and again all I could imagine is the scene in Fast X the film, where Vin Disel prevents Rome from being destroyed.
Rome is iconic for its history and grand architecture, which is likely why Hollywood film scenes here.
Hopefully after reading this post you’ll realise how relatively easy it is to explore Rome/Vatican City in a short period of time.
Some tips I’ll share to get the most out of your trip to Rome and conquer ‘11 sites in 48 hours’ (if you’re crazy enough to do this):
Plan ahead of time - book the Vatican Museums to avoid queing - tour guides are great, but audio-guides can help you save more time and speed up any uninteresting areas.
Be specific when ordering coffee to avoid disappointment.
Stay in close proximity to the city to take advantage of time - Rome has a good public transport system too.
Trastevere area is great for food
Trevi fountain at night is a vibe - compared to the day
Ciao
