Weekend in Rome
I went to Rome for a weekend with my family at the end of September for a final glimpse of the sun before the winter well and truly hit. I know September was ages ago but I have been procasta-blogging on this one as there is just so much to say about Rome, but hopefully I shall do it justice!
Vittorio Emanuele II Monument @liakadatravel
We stayed in Hotel 47, a boutique hotel with a fantastically central location, right around the corner from the Colosseum. It also didn’t cost an arm and a leg like many of the other centrally located hotels in Rome.
It will be nice when it’s finished @liakadatravel
Hotel 47 is perfect for a weekend trip with spacious and modern rooms, free wifi, and a rooftop bar serving excellent prosecco…
As a first timer to Rome this trip was all about seeing the tourist sites, which happen to be plentiful in The Eternal City.
St Peter’s Square – Vatican City @liakadatravel
Our first port of call was St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. When we arrived our first serious problem presented itself, the queue to get in. Now my ghost white skin is a bit of a beacon to the sun and it goes a nice shade of tomato red if I stand in it too long, so when I saw a snaking line of several hundred people standing in the scorching heat I was instantly ready to call it quits and go get gelato.
mmmm gelato @liakadatravel
Yet the family had other ideas, so to the back of the queue we went. In fairness the Basilica was nothing less than spectacular and was very much worth the wait.
St Peter’s Basilica @liakadatravel
Needless to say on the plane home there was a neat article in the inflight magazine about how to skip the queues in Rome, helpful. The gist of it was that you need to book private tours in advance and then you don’t have to queue at all. Also, avoid the scalpers in the square as they are horrendously expensive.
Stunning Ceiling in the Basilica @liakadatravel
Until recently the Basilica was the largest church in the world. It was originally commissioned by Emperor Constantine in 349 AD, and then later rebuilt in the 16th century by a series of notable renaissance artists including Michelangelo.
God has a Beautiful House @liakadatravel
After spending a suitable amount of time admiring the astonishing architecture in the Basilica we walked towards the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately we then got distracted by hunger and a mad hunt for sunglasses so we never made it back in time to see it.
Marble was all the rage back in the 16th century @liakadatravel
We did however, find the shops and I got myself a lovely pair of sunglasses. The Piazza di Spagna at the base of the Spanish Steps is one of Rome’s central shopping locations, housing all the haute couture brands such as Dior and Versace, as well as high street brands like Zara.
Piazza di Spagna @liakadatravel
Compared to the other architectural feats in Rome I don’t think the Spanish Steps are anything to write home about, but the atmosphere was buzzing with crowds of people out for a saturday afternoon stroll and a spot of shopping.
Saturday Afternoon at the Piazza di Spagna @liakadatravel
In the evening, after eating our body weight in rich Italian food at Casa Bleve we went for an intense walk to burn off all the calories… ok it was more of a slow meander that burnt about one calorie, but still it was very pleasant as the streets were less crowded. Also for the end of September the weather was lovely and warm at night with only a light jacket needed.
Antipasti at Casa Bleve @liakadatravel
On our walk we passed by the Pantheon; a striking structure built as a Roman temple in 126 AD and now in use as a Catholic Church. If you are rather special you can even get married here!
The Pantheon at Night @liakadatravel
Day 2
On Sunday we did a loop of all the attractions that were near each other, and near the hotel! The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument are all within a few minutes walk of each other.
Colosseum
Like everywhere in Rome the sites were packed with tourists, so if you don’t like people this may not by your ideal city destination.
Roman Forum @liakadatravel
My personal favourite was the Vittorio Emanuele II monument, nicknamed the wedding cake. This enormous monument was constructed from bright white marble in the 20th century in honour of Victor Emanuele II the first king of unified Italy. The monument is quite controversial as many Romans feel it is an eyesore as it doesn’t exactly blend in, but love it or hate it, you definitely won’t miss it.
The Wedding Cake @liakadatravel
After all that site seeing we jumped in a cab in search of food and gelato. We headed to Piazza Navona, a city square with two beautiful fountains.
Fontana del Moro @liakadatravel
We ordered pizza in a cafe on the square… standard tourist mistake to eat in such a central location, the food was just about ok, but really it was an opportunity missed as there are much better places to eat if you walk down any of the side streets.
Pizza – had to be done
Determined not to make the same mistake with the gelato I looked up where was the best gelateria nearby and up came Gelateria del Teatro, named as one of the 6 best gelaterias in Rome and a 5 minute walk from Piazza Navona!
Piazza Navona @liakadatravel
The ice cream was deliciously creamy… whether it was one of the best in Rome or not.. well I couldn’t possibly say but if you are in the area I would recommend it!
On a Gelato Mission @liakadatravel
To finish off a splendid weekend in Rome we went for a walk by the Tiber before making our way to the airport. Arrivederci Roma, it was wonderful!
When in Rome go for a stroll along the Tiber @liakadatravel
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