All roads lead to Rome...

View of Rome, with St Peter's Basilica in the background

After a quick recovery session back home in Milan, it was off to Rome for the weekend with a group of friends. Bright and early the 8 of us set off (my alarm went off at 3:30, just as an indication of time) and by 10am we had landed in Rome, dumped our bags and were off exploring- with only three days to use, and plenty to see, we tried to fill them up as much as possible!

Rome is such a beautiful and old city (although a quick Google search tells me it is not even in the 10 oldest cities in the world!), that everywhere you turn and look there are more ruins to explore, more piazzas to visit and another fountain to take a photo of. Even though there is so much of the same all-over, it is all just so different and amazing that I just had to stop and stare everywhere we went. On my bucket list has always been to see the Pope, and while I did not get to do that this trip- he was making a visit to South America this past weekend, I did manage to take a tour of Vatican City, adding another country/city to my travel list. Good thing I threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain to make sure I will return and see him soon! We walked through a lot of the Vatican Museums, learning a bit about the art and sculptures that are there, of which there is plenty. Fun fact- if you looked at every piece of art in the Vatican Museum for 1 minute, you would be looking for approximately 11 years!

A quick run through the Sistine Chapel (where no photos are allowed, but postcards were purchased) and St Peter's Basilica, and we were began to head home. Besides the fountain and Vatican City, on Friday we also managed to fit in the Spanish steps and some wanderings through the amazing streets, a very busy day for people running on very little sleep. Friday was a bit of a multicultural day for me as I ran back to the hostel after the Vatican to get changed into some clothes so I could pay a visit to the Great Synagogue in Rome. The building is HUGE! Inside it is decorated with some impressive designs, and I think I may have spent more time looking around than actual following the service.

With the weather getting hotter around here, Saturday was a full outdoor day. We went for a visit to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, and if I had more time I would have spent all day there! The ruins and remains of the buildings that have withstood so much time show just how much power, wealth and influence the Romans had centuries ago. I managed to grab an extra half-hour in the Roman forum to find the Arch of Titus, the one that displays the conquering of Jerusalem in an intricate mural, while the others went to have a sit down and some lunch. I met up with them all again to go inside the Colosseum, but unfortunately we got caught in a bit of a flash storm (making the lines and crowds a bit thinner was a benefit!). Anna and I then snuck off to go look at Il Vittoriano- the monument to the first king of unified Italy, managing to get a fantastic view of the sun setting through stormy clouds over the city. I thought Rome was beautiful when I arrived, it was even more so then!

Sunsets and storm clouds make for great photos!

My last day in Rome (some of us were leaving early the next morning, others the next night) was more relaxed than trying to fill everything up. We spent some time lying in the sun in Villa Borghese, a large public park, followed by a walk down to the Capuchin Crypt, believed to be a crypt holding the bones of about 4000 friars and opened to the public as a reminder of how short life is. The crypt, while a bit macabre, has the bones fixed to the walls and roof in a variety of shapes and forms, and while (again) you cannot take photos inside (it also functions as a cemetery), I did grab some postcards on the way out. My postcard collection is certainly growing as the number of attractions I visit in which you cannot take photos increases! A quick visit to the most amazing gelato store- 3 huge scoops for only 2,50euros and a walk to the Pantheon on a beautiful afternoon made for a fantastic end to a trip in Rome.

I definitely tried to make the most of my short trip to Rome, and while I did not see everything that I wanted to, at least I know I will be returning soon. We were told by our guide for Vatican City that if we live a year full of sin in 2024, then return in 2025 and walk through the Holy Door, the door in the middle of St Peter's Basilica, all our sins will be removed. Kind of like a once-every-25-years Yom Kippur for Catholics, so start planning your trip for 2025 if you have ever wanted a reason to come!

The Holy Door

I hope people are keeping these!