When in Rome…

We had a great time in Rome over our long weekend there. We took heaps of photos and have put a selection of them in the gallery so you can see for yourselves what we got up to: photos here

There is so much I could write about Rome – it’s a fantastic city to visit with beautiful fountains and piazzas and of course the incredible history of the city – the center of the ancient Roman Empire! A short list of what we did when in Rome

  1. I threw a coin over my shoulder into the Trevi Fountain. According to popular tradition if a visitor throws a coin in the fountain it’s supposed to ensure a return to Rome. Apparently 3000 euro is thrown in the fountain every day!
  2. We walked through the Colosseum. It was cool to stand in the remains of such a famous structure. It was sobering however to consider the gruesome history of the place and remember that thousands upon thousands of people died there for the amusement of the Roman masses.
  3. Strolled the Roman Forum – heart of the ancient Roman Empire. There’s not much left intact here, just scattered columns, a few facades and the foundations of buildings but still very cool to see.
  4. We ate gelato – lots of gelato, yum yum!
  5. We ate pizza – lots of pizza, yum yum!
  6. We sent a postcard from Vatican City – smallest country in the world!
  7. We marveled at the massive size and extravagance of St Peters Basilica. So many ornate mosaics, tombs and statues!
  8. Craned our necks looking up at the famous Sistine Chapel. This experience was somewhat marred by sharing it with a tightly packed crowd of other tourists and by the angry looking Museum guard standing at the front of the chapel barking ‘Silencio!’ every few minutes.
  9. Got ripped off for a bad meal in a tourist restaurant. Probably bound to happen at some point but it was still disappointing.
  10. Took a ‘short cut’ and stumbled across some tiny lanes and back alleys that oozed Italian charm! Some of the best memories of a place are found when you manage to step off the well beaten tourist track 🙂

Comment from Gill on 2008-02-10

Ah the history! That’s what we don’t have here.
Sounds like a great time was had and it was not diet land!