Italy - Rome

Why is Imran visiting Rome?

To meet and hangout with my brother.

What I did?

Things to do in Rome

The Colosseum 

Rome is a very pedestrian friendly city with walking being the best option to get a great overview of the city. The Colosseum is probably the most visited tourist site in all of Rome.  The lines to get into the Colosseum, especially on a weekend are very long and it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get in.  TT:  The best thing to do is to buy all inclusive tickets from Palatine hill which saves you the time of waiting in line for the Colosseum.  The all inclusive tickets give you access to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum.  The Colosseum was capable of seating around 50,000 spectators who would all watch Russel Crowe battle with tigers.  The venue was used for gladiator fights, battle reenactments, animal hunts and dramas.  You definitely get a perspective of how big the stadium is when you walk into it and take a look around.  The Colosseum is a definite must visit for all who visit Rome. 

Are you not entertained?

Isn't this why you are here?

Brother chilling.

180 view of the Colosseum.

Exhibit A - The Colosseum.

Walking around in the streets of Rome in one day

As I said the best way to explore Rome is on foot, which is exactly what I did.  Unfortunately my camera's battery was exhausted and I didn't get to take as many pictures of all the places we visited as I would have liked.  TT (Spending one day in Rome): After visiting the Colosseum explore the nearby Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum (the admission price is included in the all inclusive ticket purchased from Palatine Hill).  After the Roman Forum you can walk towards the nearby Capitoline Hill where you can visit the Capitoline Museums and the glorious Piazza del Campidoglio.  Walk towards the main street Via del Corso and take a detour to the well-trod streets leading towards the Pantheon.  After visiting the Pantheon and once you have built up an appetite for some good old fashion Italian Gelato, head towards Giolitti and try the bacio, pistachio and nutella gelato mmmm, to get an immediate sugar rush and energy to walk even further.  Make your way towards the world famous Trevi Fountain where you can flip a coin and make a wish.  There a lot of shopping spots close to the Trevi Fountain where you can bum around before making your way towards the Spanish steps.  Hang out at the Spanish steps or climb the steps and make your way towards the Borghese Park to catch the sunset views.  For dinner take the metro or the bus to the Trastevere neighborhood where you can find bars and restaurants to please any budget.  There you go I planned one full day in Rome for you, which you will definitely enjoy while exploring most of Rome.

My brother.

Statue pose.

My inner Gladiator awakes aaaaahhhhh!!

Statue posing all around Rome.

At the Pantheon.

Jogging in the streets of Rome.

Vatican City

The Vatican City is not only a city but technically a landlocked independent country which is about 110 acres big, making it the worlds smallest country by size and population.  Don't worry you don't require to take your passport to visit the Vatican City.  The Vatican City is where the Pope resides.  Unfortunately he was in Mexico when we visited the Vatican.  TT:  There is no ticket required to visit the museums and the Cathedral on the last sunday of every month.  Once in the Vatican go check out the Vatican Museum which has the world famous painting of Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel.  There is a short route to view the Sistine chapel and a long one, make sure you go through the long route if time isn't restrictive.  After you are done visiting the museum get in line to visit the St. Peter's Basilica and admire the great architecture and statues within. 

In two different countries Rome & Vatican City.

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

One of the domes of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Biggest dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

My brother at the St. Peter's Basilica.

There was a Sunday sermon going on when we visited the Cathedral.

Walking towards the Sistine Chapel.

Statue of a young Hercules.

Crowds in line for viewing the Sistine Chapel.

Walking towards the Sistine Chapel.

One of the paintings on the way towards the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel.

All of Sistine Chapel can't be captured in a picture.

Although photography is prohibited everyone takes pictures.

Admiring the artwork - ahh brilliant.

Exiting from the Vatican Museum.

The steps are super steep.

Miscellaneous Stuff

What I ate?

Things to eat in Rome

Okay now I am not a big fan of Italian food but unfortunately when in Rome you can't avoid Italian food duh!!  Since we were mostly walking around the touristy neighborhoods we didn't eat at the local neighborhood food joints but mostly at touristy food traps.  The food I had while travelling was moderately okay and nothing spectacular.  I am sure there are restaurants which serve good food throughout the touristy neighborhoods, I just didn't know about them.  

Margarita Pizza.

Probably microwaved Lasagna out of a box.

Quattro Formaggi (4 Cheeses) Pizza.

The nicest food item I had while in Rome has to be the Giolliti gelato which was so amazing that I could have had probably15 scoops of the gelato.  TT: You can ask the server to mix upto 3 flavors so don't be afraid to do so.  Giolliti is an Italian landmark and very famous even the locals eat here so everyone knows about its location.  Once in line be sure you get a large or a medium sized gelato as ordering a small size and being calorie conscious is just not an option while at Giolliti.  Once at Giolliti try the Bacio (Italian Chococlate), Pistachio and nutella for a creamy, nutty chocolate filled gelato which is sure to tickle every taste bud and keep you asking for more of the creamy goodness which is Giolliti gelato.  The lines are usually very long and orderly so don't worry when you see the amount of crowd between yourself and your gelato, you will eventually get there.  TT: Make sure you have all your flavors picked up before you get to the server since there will probably be a lot of people waiting behind you.

In line at GIolliti for my Gelato.

Enjoying my amazing Bacio, Pistachio & Nutella gelato mmmmm.

Conclusion

Rome is a great city with a lot of history behind it.  It is a very pedestrian friendly city and is best explored on foot.  The city is designed and meant to be walked in.  There is definitely a lot of monuments to be seen and a lot of ground to be covered so depending on how much time and detail you want to explore the city with, you can very well spend between 1-10 days just being lost in Rome.  When in Rome do as the Romans do, which is actually pretty hard when it comes to eating as most of the tourist spots are filled with tourist food traps which are hard to avoid.  TT: Make sure to wear comfortable shoes while in Rome.