We shall begin with the wonderful Campo de Fiori. Scene to the incredible Campo Market Stalls during the day and endless restaurants, musicians and bars during the night. Luckily for us, it was only a two minute stroll away from our hotel and so we ended up passing through it almost every day, buying some of the freshest fruit I've ever had. I also spent my 21st birthday evening here, dining at a mozzarella bar and having my first taste of Pinot Grigio. For such a tiny square, it sure does hold a lot of memories.
Smiling away after munching the nicest lasagne. We got pretty damn drunk after this mind, as Liam is clearly proving.
The next day was the big one. My birthday. Tadah! Wandering towards the Colosseum meant we spotted lots of tourist sights, including... the Teatro di Marcello...
...the synagogue in the Jewish quarter...
... and of course, The Victor Emmanuel II monument. It was actually quite hard to look at due to its pristine whiteness and the very strong sunlight. But the details on it were so insane. Yet another sight that is so much bigger than it appears.
After crossing the road at the VEII, by which I mean I ran and screamed avoiding as many speeding cars as I could. I spotted this. It's bloody wonderful isn't it.
Cue even more sights, such as The Arch of Constantine..
And various posing on my part. I did ask Liam for a nice picture, but I think in the end I just gave up and joined in.
Walking down the long road, I loved seeing all the ruins strewn about. Part of you always wonders about the people that might have lived here way way back. And if they'd ever have known the impact they'd still have on the city. Cue even more posing. One guess what this might be...
Finally, I got to see it. The Colosseum. It has every right to be a wonder of the world, it's just as breath taking as you expect it to be. We paid a little bit extra to have a tour and go to all the places normal tourists couldn't. I almost cried looking down from the very top and seeing such an ancient and glorious ruin. Soppy I know, but I genuinely loved it. If you look, you can see a small part of the floor they'd rebuilt. We even stood there. God that tour was worth every penny, and even then only 8 euros! This was by far my all time favourite part of the whole holiday. I mean c'mon just look at it.
I'm obviously being a gladiator.
This was actually underneath the main stage of The Colosseum. Apparently it would have been a big smelly bloody mess back when the fights were staged.How ..erm...lovely. I did ask our tour guide if there were any famous Gladiators that he knew of. His answer... Russell Crowe. Don't think I worded it quite right.
Way too many photo bombers for my liking. Anyway, on we went to the Roman Palantine.
I loved how fresh stream water was flowing from taps all over the city. You just had to find one and fill up your bottle, splash your face or in my case, pose.
Back then, this was all part of a palace. This area being a grand hall or something. What I loved was how they'd set up various art exhibitions within the ruins, which you can see here. It's the small cluster of bright white statues. It added that little extra something.
And right next door, the infamous Roman Forum. Home to the ruins from some of the biggest temples and buildings in the city.
Visiting the Colosseum, Forum and Palantine were all included in your one ticket and it was valid for two days, which meant you really could explore at your own choosing. We didn't realise this when we booked online but it was a nice surprise. Especially when we walked straight in missing out the giant queue. Hoorah for the internet!
Also found a quiet little corner and snapped this beauty. What a city.
...well, it was a pretty big Arch. The Arch of Titus to be exact.
This was taken stood at the top of the Colosseum. Right behind is the wonderful Forum.
The next day was dedicated to spotting those sights that wouldn't require hours and hours of viewing. First stop, Piazza Navona. I adored this place. Full of incredible restaurants, gelato shops and artists painting scenes, animals and caricatures. Did we get a caricature? Of course we did. The artist particularly loved Liam's beard. But who doesn't?
Next came the Pantheon, home to Raphael's tomb.
And just up the road, the Trevi Fountain. It's surprising how grand and beautiful it is, yet it's tucked in the smallest corner of a street. I still think it should be legal to jump in that thing.
The myth here is to take a coin, throw it behind your back into the fountain and make a wish. Because it's illegal to actually go in the fountain, the floor was full of coins. Here's me and Liam attempting our wishes. Oh, and sorry but I can't reveal my secret wish. It won't come true then!
The Spanish Steps. This photo had to be taken stood in the middle of a very busy road, to which I almost got ran over. Well let's be honest, NO ONE in Italy knows how to drive. I almost cried every time I tried to cross the road. The only thing I wish the steps had was the flowers you always see on photos, but even without them, tourists flocked there.
One last full day was spent at The Vatican. The museums were really interesting and full of artefacts from Egyptian mummies to Greek statues. The Raphael rooms, tapestries and artwork was so detailed and The Sistine Chapel was so beautiful. It's just a shame at how big the crowds were, I felt like a sheep at some points but that's what you get for visiting the holy land. Unfortunately, you can't photograph in the chapel so you'll just have to imagine how pretty it was.
We spent the evening across the river in the Travestere. The atmosphere was so different from the centre of Rome we'd grown used to, with bars and restaurants full of locals enjoying good food and good company. After dining on the nicest bowl of gnocchi and gulping a lovely glass of white wine, we crossed the bridge and wandered around as sunset approached. Looking at that view, I honestly have never felt happier.
To be honest, I learnt a lot in Rome. Not just about its incredible, interesting and beautiful history and traditions. But also about myself. I fell madly in love with the whole city, the atmosphere, the food. And I had the best company in the world. Me and Liam bonded so much over those five days and I landed back in the UK with a smile, souvenirs and that fluttery feeling of love in my heart. Oh, and the smallest of tans. Thank you Roma, for giving me the best 21st birthday, the fondest memories and a new love for Pinot Grigio.
Io amo l'Italia, grazie.
