Rome
May 2nd 2016 was my Mums 40th (maybe 50th / or 60th?) and so my parents invited Sam and I to Rome to celebrate her birthday. We were never going to turn down a chance to visit Rome, the land of Gladiators, Pizza, Gelato, Pizza, the Holy Roman Empire and Pizza (did I say I like Pizza?).
The highlights of my trip were the Vatican and the Colosseum and these can be seen on separate blog posts by clicking the hyperlinks. I wanted to use this page to share everything else I loved about Rome.
The Pizza
Yes, I had Pizza for lunch and dinner (and snacks) for 4 straight days.. When in Rome!!
The Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps
The Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps are two of the ‘must see’ sites of Rome. To be honest I was disappointed with them both. I will grant the Spanish Steps were closed for renovations but the Trevi Fountains whilst spectacular were far too busy (I bet Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita, or even Lizzie Maguire didn’t have this issue). I would hate to see what they would be like in the height of summer considering what they were like in the relatively low season at the start of May.
The Jazz Tram
Mother’s birthday dinner was on the one-of-the kind Jazz Tram which is basically an old converted Tram which has been converted into a moving restaurant (complete with 4 piece Jazz band).
The food was decent but the seats were terribly uncomfortable and cramped, whilst I am fit as a fiddle it did cause problems for my Dad (6ft 2) and Mum who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.
The Pantheon, Top of the Spanish Steps and Italian Gelato
The Pantheon, behind the Colosseum is probably my favourite building in Rome, even ahead of St Peters Basillica. It fascinates me how someone could develop a single dome of that scale and grandeur, 2000 + years ago and it still remains standing today. I can’t even stack a Jenga puzzle without it falling to pieces. Whilst I was admiring this quirky treasure, Samantha was taking advantage of being lactose intolerant to order some Italian Gelato…. I tend not to ask these days!
Another great viewpoint is the top of the Spanish Steps which overlooks many buildings and churches of Rome with St Peters in the background. Rome, in the sunshine is simply breathtaking…. even with the construction boarding’s!
