All Roads Lead To Rome
I guess that everyones wants to see the eternal city at least once in their life. Rome is the sparkling gem of Italy and the Roman Empire in the past. With more than 3000 years of historical roots and knowledge there is much that lies in place rather than just the sights itself. Each rock and building are all a part of something greater! From the iconic Colosseum to the 18th Century Trevi Fountain! There is something for everyone and I am very thankful that we still get to witness this glorious city today! In terms of cities in Italy, I find Rome and Florence to be one of the most gorgeous ones. Florence is a little more medieval however Rome is much more grand, imperialistic. I would say that Rome is a mixture between Vienna and Florence. For any first time visitor to Europe, I would say that Rome is definitely a must visit! Yea it is touristy and common, but nonetheless, it is that magical!
Rome Was Not Built In A Day
Something that I really love about Rome was how the way they incorporated the ruins of the past into the current Rome that we see now. Pass the various avenues and street in the city, you get a little insight to how the past is. From the Roman Forum to various little nit and bit everywhere. It is lovely and a part of history!
Let’s start out with the classic usual. One of the must see is definitely the magical, amazing Trevi Fountain. It is lovely to see this place bask under the sun. Designed by the famed artist Nicola Salvi back in 1732 it has come true the years. I will not go into the various phrases or description why it is so gorgeous. But then, simply look at it. How amazing that is. It seems like something that you can only view in heaven or in a fairytale. Sadly, one bad but true item of the Trevi Fountain is the crowd that it faced. After all everyone wants a share of it. The place isn’t huge where the fountain is located and you can frequently find it covered by tourist. I guess google is still the only place you can only get to see a full perfect picture of it. You sure can try some shots here, these are the best ones.
Legends has it is that if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand while back facing it, you will return to the fountain in the future. I can truly said that I did came back after 5 years! A fun fact about the Trevi Fountain, the amount of coin that can be sweep up in a day amounts up to 3,000 Euros. They are used to help the needy people!
Then you have the bunch of classic attractions that you have to visit in Rome, all of them have their history and a story to tell. You have the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo. Just to name a few. All of them are extremely beautiful. Let me rank them. The most medieval one and extremely romantic would be Piazza Navona. I love it the most. The pictures just looks like it is in the 1960s where gentlemans wear tux daily and the lady wear evening dresses with their hats. I love all the pictures I took here.
Pantheon is a former Roman temple which was about 2000 years old. It gives you a very greatness vibes that I can’t describe. It also gives me a very peaceful feeling. Many people come here to see why there is a hole in the roof of it right in the middle. I do not know why also! My sightseeing day in Rome was pretty special since it falls on the Nov 4, the Italy Armed Forces day. I was in a treat and totally surprised by it when I exited my bed and breakfast.
There were parades, celebrations and bands all over the town. I am so glad I got to experience this. Coming from the military myself, it is nice to see how different out parades are. Under the sun with the cold wind blowing, they even had horses in the parade as well! The tourists are even in for a treat as there were military bands playing throughout the city. Love it!
One of the greatest surprises that I had this time around in Rome was passing by the Ponte Sisto. Look at how idyllic this 1479 bridge is!
When In Rome, Do As The Roman Do
And of course when in Rome, live like the Romans, act like the Romans. One of my favourite activity in Rome or in Italy is visiting a good espresso bar. They are simply everywhere in town. Round the streets almost everywhere, they are usually a combination of coffee bar and an ACTUAL BAR. You will notice that Starbucks are hard to find in Italy because the locals have so much influences in Coffee. Live like the locals, get a shot of espresso in a min or a cup of cappuccino if you have a little more time to spare. They usually cost no more than 1 -2 Euros. It is an coffee culture that I love a lot!
For some shopping, head out early to the local popular market, Campo Dei Fiori. It is a typical outdoor Italian market so it is pretty good to see the local vibrant life! It is nice to see the local seeing their products and wares.
Pasta and Pizza are also a definitely safe bet when you are in Rome. Rome Pizza are a little more bread like. The middle of the pie is more heavy. For the pasta side, it is a little more chewy and hard, Al Dente as they say. Anyway mushy pasta sucks! Simply you can’t go wrong with any of these in town. Italian cuisine is a cultural thing around the world. It is also one of the most important feature in the world. An authentic Italian meal have various courses, In fact Pasta is only the first course and then there is a main after that!
And one last thing, you can go without GELATO while in Rome! Gelato is there for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is an integral part of both the touristy and the locals life. in fact there are so common that you can find them anywhere in town. However do not get the factory made ones. Proper Gelato should be handmade to ensure that is is made with the freshest ingredients. Gelato are more airy than the usually ice cream. The nut flavours are usually a safe best although sometimes the fruit flavours are pretty refreshing as well. One of the best brands in town is the established Giolitti! A small size cost 2.50 Euros.
Another great try would be the tiramisu! That is another classic! Pompi is known for serving up one of the best Tiramisu in town. I hope you all like my little sharing on Rome.
Seeing The World In Steps 