Never have I appreciated sleep more than whilst our two nights spent in Rome.
Never have I seen so much culture in so little time.
We arrived fresh off of a red-eye flight from Boston to Roma around one in the afternoon their time, got a quick bite to eat and barely had enough time to re-apply deodorant before we were off again. Our tour guide informed us that we could take an optional golden-hour stroll through the city and though we were exhausted, we thought, "When in Roma!"
Our first stop was the Spanish Steps, a popular gathering spot, apparently. At first, I couldn't see the appeal of the site, but as I got to the bottom, the sights and sounds and sheer magnitude of the Piazza was enough to captivate me. Also, having Prada and Max Mara down the street wasn't too shabby.
We then ventured off to the Piazza Colonna, which is home to the Column of Marcus Aurelius, which was truly quite an impressive sight. The column sits in the center of the Piazza and is a tribute of sorts to the Roman Emperor's military conquests. Depicted on the stone are carved representations of each of Marcus Aurelius' victories.
Rome is a magical city. One second you could be rounding and old street corner, and the next you could stumble upon the Pantheon. The inside of the Pantheon was the most awe-inspiring. It houses a former pagan temple converted to Christianity and also the body of the famous painter, Raphael.
Our achy feet somehow led us then to Piazza Navona where we admired the work of local artisans, ate at Tre Scalini (the same restaurant that Audrey Hepburn ate at in Roman Holiday), and enjoyed a delicious Tartufo (heavenly/chocolatey gelato creation) under the stars.
After a quick six hour nap and accompanied by some dark circles, we prepared ourselves for the long, 100° sunny day ahead. Vatican City was our first stop, thankfully traveling with a tour group means no 3-hour lines. We admired the architecture, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and blessed ourselves in St. Peter's Basilica. As Christians, this was sort of a big deal for my family and I.
By the afternoon, we were big, sweaty messes, but I couldn't complain as I usually would because we were en route to the Colosseum, a place I've dreamed of seeing since I was a kid. Just seeing the immense structure was awe-inspiring enough, but being able to touch the ancient brick and marble columns, and imagining the frescos that once adorned the building was enough to give you chills.
I could say I enjoyed my time in Rome, but that wouldn't be saying enough.
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