Eternity in a day

Rome is my favorite city in Italy. We covered the holy trinity - Rome, Florence and Venice during our trip very briefly and the one place I HAVE to go back to is Rome. There's just way too much to see and do, and we just scratched the surface during the 3 days we spent there.

This blogger pretty much sums it up - "Rome is an open-aired art museum, a feast of all senses. It is packed with all that I want out of life, footsteps away from the next breathtaking view or taste. It is life and death in some delicate balance, in a dance on the edge of something imperceptible. It is the footsteps of Artemisia Gentileschi, it is the footsteps of the Caesars. It is 6,000 year old Egyptian obelisks, it is 1000 year old Aurelian walls, it is the Grand Old Tour still walkable. It is the burial grounds of the English Romantic Poets. It is a dream. It is the eternal city. All roads still lead to it."

Here are my favorite memories of Rome:

1. Thanks to our tour director, Rosie, I had strangers singing me a birthday song on the evening of my birthday. I was jetlagged and did not even remember. What a pleasant surprise. .. my cake? A slice of tiramisu.


2. I had always wanted to take a trip to The Vatican. The Sistine Chapel did not disappoint. My jaw dropped as we entered the Chapel. It can be a little overwhelming as I saw a tourist tearing as he admired the famed ceiling frescoes. St Peter's Basilica was massive and I did not know where to start looking as we entered. A trip back is definitely in the cards.


st. peter's basilica

st peter's square

the colosseum

the arch of septimius severus

4. Trevi fountain is one of the most famous fountains in the world. It was so SO beautiful. It is said that if one throws one coin into the fountain with the right hand over the left shoulder, the person will return to Rome. If one throws two, you will end up marrying an Italian. My sister and I had quite a bit of a laugh over this as she threw two coins (!).

trevi fountain

5. The Pantheon was built originally as a temple to all Gods in Ancient Rome and has been used as a Catholic Church since the 7th century. Just the thought that the doors alone opened and closed almost every day for the last 2000 years is mindblowing.  

{all photos from yours truly}