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I think 'relaxed traveller' pretty much sums up my attitude to travelling, and believe me, Si can back me up. I'm fairly sure that leaving your passport under the couch in your old flat is probably not what my mother would consider a 'safe place'. So after the slightly chaotic night and early morning trekking half way across London to retrieve it, and a days work, we set off for Roma. I had never been to Rome before, and to arrive at night was spectacular. As we were staying on the other side of the city from the airport so we got driven though the centre of town.
After a good nights sleep we decided to walk into town and discover Rome by foot. Rome is surprisingly small and most of the things to see and great places to eat are all within walking distance. Our first stop was the Colosseum, and after managing to secure a guided tour we got to skip the hour long queue and got to see one of the oldest buildings in Rome. The Colosseum is amazing, however after being pillaged for centuries for its sandstone, marble and steel it is a little worse for wear,
and they are only starting to rebuild it. We also got to check out the Arch of Constantine, and the old temple site nearby. After a stop for lunch and to buy some sunscreen (again displaying my relaxed attitude to travelling - who would’ve thought to have packed things like sunscreen and anything but long pants for 30C weather) it was off to the Roman Forum. Amazing ruins and the old centre of government and worship. Back to the hotel for a siesta then it was time for some good old pasta and vino! Yum! Day 2 and we decided to take on the Vatican and St Peters Basilica. We probably should have paid more attention to lonely planets recommendation to 'get there early'. Eleven am and the queue was a couple of km's long. We decided to leave the Vatican museum to the next day and check out the Basilica. Only and hour or so's wait here to check out the Basilica, and also to climb the stairs right to the top. The great view from atop was well worth the not so easy and slightly dizzying climb. More food (yum pizza) and vino, a visit to the Spanish
steps and another siesta. The Spanish steps have always been a meeting place for everyone, and they are a great place to grab a gelati and people watch. That night we headed out to dinner in town and got to eat more delicious food (do you see a theme running here?) and do some more people watching. Oh and don't forget that gelati for dessert. Sunday and the Vatican Museum (and Sistine Chapel) is only open once a month for free, so we got up far too early and joined the queue at 7am. Yuck! Just 2 hours or so in that queue and we joined the hoards of people (and nuns) on the tour of the museum. After doing the entire almost obligatory tour of all the exhibits we finally got into the Sistine Chapel. With a good thousand or so other people and dick guards stopping people from talking, taking photos and possibly breathing. That afternoon we checked out Trevi Fountain, which as beautiful as it is, perplexes me as to why it is such a popular place. The area was completely rammed with tourists, and not a local in sight. However I of course threw my coins
in to the fountain - the first to ensure your return to Rome, and the second one to grant a wish. The rest of the trip we checked out Villa Borghese (the huge park overlooking the city), the dodgy local flea markets in Travesere, and streets and various piazzas in town. What a beautiful city. I am still recovering from the copious amounts of pizza, pasta, gelati and vino that I consumed in three days. It’s been a week and I still haven't eaten Italian since! Four nights was great for a taste but definitely not enough... I am now in love with Rome and Italy and desperately want to go back....
Anyway.. It’s almost World Cup and everyone here has got the fever. My pub has organised itself a TV to show the matches, and my boss from my other job is talking about it! Rez is in town this weekend yay! I'm really looking forward to catching up with her and all things Sydney. The weekend after is Renee's farewell then Si and I are off to Cambridge for the weekend to visit his Aunt! I love summer!! Bring it on!
More Rome photos here!
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Ratu Etuate in Fiji
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Jealousy material!
Nice shots and stories Sim...you're making me long for the pasta, vino and culture of Rome - what an amazing city! Live it up while the weather's warm (this isn't something we seem to be having a problem with in the South Pacific!), looking forward to the next blog adventure :) Ed