Things to do in Rome

Things to do in Rome

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Posted 2014-10-18 by London Schweppesfollow
'Buona sera!'We were greeted by the receptionists at the Sofitel on our first evening in the beautiful Italian capital after we were dropped off by our cab driver and the valet helped us with our bags. Located in a charming and quiet area of the city, lined with quaint cafes and distinct architecture, I was almost immediately ready to adopt an Italian passport and settle down in this culturally colourful city. As our first destination of our mini moon it was a special touch to be presented with a welcome plate of delicious (and very sweet) macarons, which was mostly left uneaten as we managed to satiate ourselves with heavy meals exploring the restaurants of Rome instead. Pasta and Pizza overload - need I say more?







The next day, we began exploring the city around mid morning and were lucky to be within a walking distance of a lot of the major tourist attractions including the Fountain of Trevi and the Spanish steps and the Piazza Nevona. The rest of the attractions such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Pantheon, Palatine Hill and of course the Vatican museums and St. Peter's Basilica were all easily accessible by train and a short walk.

Being so monumental, we chose to check the Colosseum off our list and realising that the queue into the Colosseum would be just as monumental, we chose to enter it through the Roman Forum instead. The Forum Magnum, originally a rectangular shaped marketplace, was central to the lives of Romans for centuries. It functioned as a venue for processions, criminal trials, and commercial affairs and is now home to the ruins of important government buildings, and architectural fragments of excavations. Located in the centre of the city, it provides a stark contrast to the modern constructions immediately surrounding it reflecting the juxtaposition of modern day Rome, with that of ancient Rome, so rich in its history and culture.





I would recommend checking the opening times for the Colosseum, as it so happened that once we finished strolling through the Forum and Palatine Hill, which includes the house of Augustus or Domus Augusti, the first Emperor of Rome, we were too late for the day. The Domus Augusti residence was quite modest considering the status of its owner, but interesting to note it had survived the fire of Nero and restorations had been made to it since.



Many picture worthy moments later, we went to the Piazza Nevona and the Spanish Steps to spend the evening.

A beauty to marvel during the sunset indeed, we spent some time exploring the designer boutiques, followed by making a wish at the Fontana di Trevi to finish the day and boy, was it packed with tourists; it was hard enough getting a snap without other people's heads in the frame!





But do check out the gelato shops at the Fountain. It's expensive but several generous servings later it was a romantic evening well spent. On the way back home, we noticed gorgeous outdoor seated restaurants, just like in the movies, music playing, and delicious looking menus and made a mental note to come back if we could.



Apologies my dear readers, but because there is not enough room in one article to articulate our adventures in Rome - there's just too much; so please do look out for Part 2 in Rome for the rest of it.

Ciao for now.

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92187 - 2023-06-11 08:57:29

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