August 9, 2015
We made it safely to Rome after taking a 3 hour train from Venice. I booked a hostel I have stayed at before, so luckily it was not hard to find again. We were able to check in, throw our bags down and start wandering around to discover the history of Rome!
First up, obviously, the Colosseum! The sheer size, history and magnificance of this building is mindblowing. We did not have to stand in a long line to enter or get a headset to listen about the history and structure of the building, which was a blessing since this area is a tourist hotspot. It is hard to wrap your mind around how Romans, from that timeframe, were able to build such a large building with minimal machinery... if any at all.
After walking around the Colosseum, we explored the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is where the Roman family of the time lived- kinda like their style of palace. This is where the Romans would practice for chariot races and the Olympics!
The amount of ruins and columns throughout the city is incredible. Every which way you look there is a column popping up next to a building. The whole city is well preserved!
We started to get hungry and stopped for some brushetta and vino. This restaurant turned into our new favorite place to frequent. The liter of vino was only 7euro and they had a brushetta sampler for a reasonable as well. It was delish and we finished every last bit!
Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps were up next. Unfortunately, the Trevi Fountain was under heavy construction and we weren't able to get close or see it. But, on a postiive note, when we were walking by the fountain we noticed there was a gelato shop which had 150 FLAVORS! We were definately going to be back!
August 10, 2015
We dedicated a day to the Vatican City, this enormous museum could take weeks to actually walk through and fully see everything. However, since it was quiet warm and we just really wanted to see the famous pieces of art, we walked through fairly quick. The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking and mindboggling how someone was able to get up on ladders and paint such a detailed piece of art. It was amazing to see, even for the second time.
The Pantheon, being one of the oldest buildings in Rome, was next on our must sees. The building is GIANT and located in the middle of a square amonst other shops, restaurants and apartments. It looks a bit out of place due to its huge stature but nevertheless incredible.
By, this point we were getting hungry and tired. Sooo why not go back to the place that had cheap vino?! The guys kinda of laughed when we went to the same restaurant for the second night in a row. But it was so worth it, they had great food and prices. This time we went the healthier route and got a salad to split.
August 11, 2015
Our last full day in Roma! We decide to rent a Vespa and ride to Ostia and the beach area. Ostia is similar to Pompeii-- ancient ruins dating back to 90BC... these structures are unthinkable! Everything went smoothly with renting the Vespa; I was quiet surprised how many they rented out and to whoever wanted to take one. The gentleman helping us told us that we should go with the less powerful engine- I agreed since my last run in with ]Vespas did not turn out so well. This time however I wish we would have gotten the engine with a bit of GUSTO!
We started out just fine, heading to Ostia, in the correct direction. Until the 'highway' came along, we got lost a couple of time and ended up on a road similar to I-90.... going 50km..... aka 30mph.... we were being passed by everyone. When we finally found our way back to the correct street it was smooth sailing. We made it to Ostia which was incredible and enjoyed the less crowded ancient ruins.
The beach was next on our list, some relaxation time was much needed after the fiasco in Venice! We had lunch at an American place (yes, I know.... shame on us) It was called Old Wild West and they had superb burgers! Much needed! YUM!
Hanging out at the beach was a nice change from walking around and exploring all the major mecca cities. Unfortunately, being so close to the sea it rains on and off, so on the way back to Roma we got caught in the rain. We road like champs on the Vespa and made it back in one piece.
Time for a shower and to get ready for our last night in Rome. We took the Vespa for a spin around all the major sights, which was a very diffrent perspective at night. Ate one last pizza/pasta dinner and called it a night since our flight to Barcelona was at 7:15am. Rome was very memorable and one of our favorite cities by far!
We made it safely to Rome after taking a 3 hour train from Venice. I booked a hostel I have stayed at before, so luckily it was not hard to find again. We were able to check in, throw our bags down and start wandering around to discover the history of Rome!
Colosseum
After walking around the Colosseum, we explored the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is where the Roman family of the time lived- kinda like their style of palace. This is where the Romans would practice for chariot races and the Olympics!
Roman Forum with the Colosseum in the background
The amount of ruins and columns throughout the city is incredible. Every which way you look there is a column popping up next to a building. The whole city is well preserved!
We started to get hungry and stopped for some brushetta and vino. This restaurant turned into our new favorite place to frequent. The liter of vino was only 7euro and they had a brushetta sampler for a reasonable as well. It was delish and we finished every last bit!
We had traditional tomato, mushroom spread, salmon/cream cheese and prosciutto.
150 flavors of gelato... We were in Heaven!
We dedicated a day to the Vatican City, this enormous museum could take weeks to actually walk through and fully see everything. However, since it was quiet warm and we just really wanted to see the famous pieces of art, we walked through fairly quick. The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking and mindboggling how someone was able to get up on ladders and paint such a detailed piece of art. It was amazing to see, even for the second time.
Sistine Chapel... we snuck a picture ;)
The Pantheon, being one of the oldest buildings in Rome, was next on our must sees. The building is GIANT and located in the middle of a square amonst other shops, restaurants and apartments. It looks a bit out of place due to its huge stature but nevertheless incredible.
August 11, 2015
Our last full day in Roma! We decide to rent a Vespa and ride to Ostia and the beach area. Ostia is similar to Pompeii-- ancient ruins dating back to 90BC... these structures are unthinkable! Everything went smoothly with renting the Vespa; I was quiet surprised how many they rented out and to whoever wanted to take one. The gentleman helping us told us that we should go with the less powerful engine- I agreed since my last run in with ]Vespas did not turn out so well. This time however I wish we would have gotten the engine with a bit of GUSTO!
We started out just fine, heading to Ostia, in the correct direction. Until the 'highway' came along, we got lost a couple of time and ended up on a road similar to I-90.... going 50km..... aka 30mph.... we were being passed by everyone. When we finally found our way back to the correct street it was smooth sailing. We made it to Ostia which was incredible and enjoyed the less crowded ancient ruins.
Time for a shower and to get ready for our last night in Rome. We took the Vespa for a spin around all the major sights, which was a very diffrent perspective at night. Ate one last pizza/pasta dinner and called it a night since our flight to Barcelona was at 7:15am. Rome was very memorable and one of our favorite cities by far!
We had a honking habit....
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