Rome / Roma ; the capital of Italy/ Italia (sounds more romantic in Italian right?)

It was the beginning of summer (June) in Europe. We had a whole package scheduled for us to holiday in Rome ; from flight tickets, hotel room booking, walking tours, transport in an AC bus to and from the hotel, breakfast to dinner, it was the entire deal.

Since we were visiting for the first time and that too with our twins under 2 years , this package seemed the right fit for us. Everything was well mapped out so we didn’t have to waste time figuring things out on our own or wait in long lines at the touristic spots. But best of all, we didn’t have to wait at the restaurants for a table since the tables were reserved for the group. The free time that we got was spent resting up and trying out more flavours of gelato.So, if package deals are convenient for you, take it up, or if you want to explore the city on your own, then buy the necessary tourist spot tickets online and go for it, if you want a local guide and experience the whole local culture and culinary, there are quite a few of those available and if you want to go as per the recommendations from your hotel concierge, go ahead with that. But do not fall for some of the walking tours that people will approach you and try to sell at exorbitant rates in the streets. My advice is to do your research, compare and then make a choice.

A 2 hour flight from Paris and Buon giorno Roma!
Loved these all in one stroller and trolleys at the Rome airport.

Snapshots of the main sights – roaming Rome

Below are the snapshots of our 3 day trip to Rome. We did the maximum exploring of the city that was possible for us. The heat in June in Rome can be much, so sunscreen applications and a pair of cool glares were the must haves.

We started with a visit to the Colosseum, the monument that has become the very symbol of ancient Rome. However, standing at this place made me feel kind of sad thinking back to all the horrid things that must have occurred inside the arena so many centuries ago. The Colosseum games included wild animals tearing men to pieces, gladiator fights and an audience, seated according to social hierarchy, watching it all.

Next, we walked on to see a few more historical legacies of the Roman empire.

The oldest building in all of Rome; the Pantheon. A former Roman temple, now a functional Catholic church.

Ruins of the ancient Rome including the Roman forum

Altare della Patria also known as National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II- This is a monument built in the early 20th century, to honor the first king of unified Italy.

We enjoyed eating out at restaurants tucked away in alleyways near the colosseum at day and had the pleasure of wining and dining just fine at open air restaurants further down town with some romantic settings that included serenading.

The following day was spent simply walking the cobbled stone streets finding more gems of the city such as the church with Spanish steps, chilling out at a piazza admiring the fountains and trying hard to get past all the tourists at the Trevi fountain to get a decent snap. Interesting story – We met a photographer who was offering his services for real cheap. So hubby and myself went for it and got printed copies of a portrait and a landscape shot of us at the Trevi fountain for a total of 5 euros.

This was one of the highlights of the Rome trip ; visiting the St.Peter’s Basilica in Vatican city and touring the museum as well as admiring the art of the Sistine chapel. After our visit to the Vatican, it was time for some main course lunch and dessert at the nearby Ristorante Aldo ai Musei Vaticani.

The trip ended most entertainingly at the Hotel and Restaurant named “Theatre Centrale à Rome”. We enjoyed a three course dinner sipping on some white wine while artists performed theatrics and musicals. We wrapped up the night by joining everyone in a little fun dance before saying good night.

Ciao Roma! Grazie!