Rome With Me | ShumisTravels

We came, We saw, We contoured...in the ancient city of Rome, Italy. From circling the infamous 2000-year-old stadium to crossing the border into the world's smallest country, We got a taste of la dolce vita and now I want to share it with you!  

Day one. We were greeted by a picturesque sunset at Ciampino Airport, from where we took a bus and the Rome Metro to our Airbnb, located in the heart of Rome. On the brisk walk down the streets of Rome, from the Spagna Metro station to our building, we couldn't tell if we were breathless from our journey or all the top luxurious designer shops on the way. We had Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari on one side, Chanel, Prada, Dior on the other. I was in my fashion heaven, I wanted to go in and get everything, if only my wallet would let me!

We were exhausted from the trek, but that didn't stop us from going out to hunt for some authentic Italian pizza. And thus, began our journey of devouring all the pizza, pasta, and gelato we could get our hands on for the next six days.

Day two. Rome wasn't built in a day, but we only had a day to wander its streets, and we made the most of it. We started off our adventure at dawn, cherishing the silence of the early hour to admire the majestic grandeur of the Trevi Fountain. There's a reason why this fountain is one of the most famous in the world. Once you're in front of it, it's hard to look away - I dare you to try.

Next, we found our way to the Spanish Steps, which were built to allow convenient access from Piazza di Spagna at the base, to the Trinita dei Monti church at the peak of the steep incline. We climbed all 135 steps of this monumental stairway of 135 steps only to find an enchanting view of the city from the top. Our legs weren't too happy, but our eyes thanked us for the worthwhile view!

They say all roads lead to Rome, but at this point, all the roads seemed to be leading back to our cozy beds. So, we took a brief siesta, rested our legs, and got back out for part two of our adventure. It was nice that our Airbnb was in a very central location, because this allowed us to walk to all the popular sites in the city. One of the great things about strolling through Rome, is that you are bound to pass by numerous architectural masterpieces on the way to your destination. Although, this made our journey a whole lot longer, because we couldn't help but stop to snap a picture. 

Our first stop was the Pantheon, which was initially a Roman temple, but now stands as a magnificent church. Here's some fun trivia for you - the Pantheon is one of best preserved of all of the Ancient Roman buildings and it is actually the burial site for the renowned painter, Raphael. We went inside to explore Basilica San Maria and we were in awe of its stunning high ceiling and detailed carvings.

Our next stop was one that we had been looking forward to the entire day. In fact, we were so thrilled to see the Colosseum that we walked for half an hour to stand in the shadow of its splendour. We felt our excitement build up as we approached the breathtaking structure, and when we were finally standing in front of the enormous stadium, we couldn’t help but feel like all of our worries were very small in comparison. The Colosseum, also know as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is a massive stadium that was used for animal hunting, gladiator competitions, public executions, and other entertainment. We didn’t get a chance to go inside, but it was more satisfying to take in the beautiful intricacies of the amphitheatre from the outside.

As the sun began its descent into the horizon, we wandered past the Forum, where we had the opportunity to look at the remains of what used to be an Ancient Roman court of justice. It was hard to imagine that an entire world existed in this very place thousands of years ago, and it made us wonder what people would learn about our lives thousands of years from now.         

 

Day Three. It was time to travel to a different country, but oddly enough, we didn't need our passports for this trip! As we crossed the border into the Vatican City, we were still in disbelief of the fact that it stands as an independent state. Our disbelief soon turned into awe, as our eyes took in the impressive columns that surrounded St. Peter's Square. Our gaze followed the columns and stopped to meet the striking St. Peter’s Basilica at the center. Then, our gaze met with the never-ending line to get inside the Basilica and our hearts dropped. As much as we wanted to go inside this famed church, we didn’t have the time to do so.

We still had places to see, and we briskly made our way to the Vatican Museum. The walk from St. Peter’s Square to the Vatican Museum was a dangerous one, riddled with scamm artists left, right, and center. We were stopped and stalked on more than one occasion by suited men who tried to convince us we needed to buy tickets from them to get inside the Museum. Thanks to our past experience in Paris, we knew every trick in the book and were able to avoid becoming pawns in their game. After waiting an hour in line, it was finally our turn to go inside the Museum. We explored a variety of works by several artists, who utilized a vast array of mediums and techniques. We saved the best work for last - the best being Michelangelo's masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. 

As we entered the Sistine Chapel, we saw hundreds of heads looking up towards the ceiling, and our heads followed suit. The brilliant colours and exquisite details were far better than any description we had heard or picture we had seen. The lifelike figures looked like they were literally popping out of the ceiling and coming towards us. With a view so spectacular, we couldn't help but reach for our cameras. Unfortunately, we were told that we were not allowed to take pictures or video in the Chapel. We later learned that this rule was originally put into place after a contract with a Japanese company giving them exclusive rights to photograph the Sistine Chapel in exchange for their monetary contribution to the restoration of the ceiling. This contract has long expired, but the rule still remains in place, perhaps for consistency or to avoid the negative impact of flash photography on the artwork. We concluded our visit to the Vatican Museum by walking down the beautifully designed spiral staircase and made our way back to our Airbnb.          

We had one thing left to do before calling it a day. I'm sure you've heard of the saying: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I'm pretty sure the Romans love to eat pizza, so we decided to do the same. We grabbed a few slices from a local pizzeria and prepared to set off for our long commute to Sorrento.   

So, there you have it - the Rome-antic story of how I fell in love with the capital of Italy. If you haven't already gotten a chance to do so, check out my Youtube channel for a vlog on my entire trip to Italy, including footage from Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii. 


Our beautifully furnished Airbnb in heart of Rome; 
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/164465?eal_exp=1520835297&eal_sig=0e007e7ba08bb5589ee49f873030f97a0ecfc547b50cc1399afec3e0e3e2015b&eal_uid=167160525&eluid=0&euid=a9236f80-09a4-fad0-d811-baae0f6ca504

We loved the Pizza from Miss Pizza Prati/Centro, this was just a couple minutes walk from our Airbnb. It is a chain restaurant and they have many locations around Rome!