Rome’ing around Italy

Since the program in London isn’t as restrictive as Dublin, I really wanted to make the best of my time in Europe, particularly in Italy! Over the bank holiday in UK, I went to Rome, Italy. The temperature was in the 80-90 degree range with some humidity, which honestly would be the temperature back home in Philadelphia. From the past two cities I’ve been living in the temperature has been moderate, and refreshing. But I shouldn’t be complaining, I was finally able to soak in some sun! During the 3 days I was there, I had planned to spend full days in certain parts of Rome. Conveniently, the hotel I was staying at was near the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon; therefore, the first night I was able to see those two landmarks while eating some gelato (of course!). I honestly had a Lizzie McGuire/Tourist moment once I got to the Trevi Fountain, which meant I was singing Hilary Duff songs and making my wish. Both the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, I was expecting these places to be bigger and be part of a more open area, and not surrounded by buildings.
The next tourist thing to do would be going to the Colosseum! It was amazing, and great to finally experience and see this landmark in person. Since, most of the time I see the Colosseum used in movies. It was actually in pretty good condition. While I was in that area, I realized I was near the Forums, which is a combination of big rock and monuments. I also went back at night, and the both the Colosseum and the Forums look like a crazy light show at night! I also ran into some Roman Soldiers.

Lastly, a trip to Rome wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel! I would highly recommend to buy tickets online from the official website, and to skip the crazy lines find a tour on the site. I used Maya Tours, which included the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter’s Basilica. The experience was both breath taking, yet a bit creepy. In Saint Peter’s Basilica basement are the catacombs of previous Pope’s. It was interesting to observe, but I just felt out of place since I am not catholic. The only disappointment was not being able to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel! But the good thing was I was able to identify the Last Judgement and Last Supper (Good thing for ARTH 102!). Overall, I was able to cram the some of the most iconic and beautiful places in the world in 3 days, but the only thing I regret was shopping! I guess I will have to make another trip back to Rome one day! It myth about tossing the coin into the Trevi Fountain is a “safe return.”