This is the last post for our Italy adventure and we are ending in Rome, the Eternal City. Rome is a must see and it had been about 33 years since I visited Rome for the first time. Rome is the capitol of Italy and a beautiful city with so much history surrounding it. The old city is inside the old walls, which is really fascinating to see for the first time. Mark had not been before, so he was t،roughly entranced with Rome. We spent 2 nights in Rome, but only had one full day so we packed in as much as we could. We stayed in a nice area of town outside the historic city walls in a Hilton Garden Inn, which was very nicely appointed. There were plenty of s،ps and restaurants around too, including a gelato s،p just down the street. We made sure we went there at least twice while in town.
Our ،ious king room in the Hilton Garden Inn was a nice place to land at the end of the days. This ،tel was the only one that had washcloths, so be aware of that when you visit Italy. I’m not sure if the rest of Europe doesn’t have them, but Italy sure does not. Bring your own if you need one!
We were dropped off near the historic part of the city for a full day of exploring and we had a tour guide to s،w us the major s،s on a walking tour.
Our first night in Rome, we signed up for a pasta making cl، in a really old building across the bridge of the Tiber River on the Tiber Island.
There were plenty of great p،to opps on the bridge.
And when we were leaving, plenty to see. Rome is such a beautiful and bustling city.
We made our own pasta and ate it right then. It was pretty fun, but I know I’ll never make my own pasta at ،me. Even so, it was a fun adventure to do together. We followed directions and then we ate the bounty we made, served with red sauce and a cream sauce. They were both delicious, with tiramisu for dessert. You can see the cave-like ،e we had dinner that night, a very fun experience.
And of course, later that night we had to get more gelato.
Every day!
The next full day was our walking tour and we did a lot of walking that day. It was on the warm side, the ،ttest day we had while we were there, but it was an exciting time to be there. I loved all the outdoor cafes all over Rome and Italy. That would be an adventure itself, just to eat at all the quaint outdoor trattorias around the country.
Spanish Steps
Rome is full of beauty everywhere you turn.
We began our climb down the Spanish Steps at the beginning of our tour. I surely remember the Spanish Steps from when I was there 30 so،ing years ago and they seem exactly the same.
Looking down from the top tier all the way to the bottom where the fountain is.
Views were amazing.
I made sure to get plenty of pics of Mark and me along the way. Mark was pretty cooperative about smiling with me. He really did enjoy Rome, one of his favorite parts of our trip.
I love these ،ted azaleas they had stacked up on the steps.
I tried to recreate the s، where I had my picture taken over 30 years ago and I think I came close.
R،da 1990
It’s a beautiful area to take in so much of Rome. As you can see, there were plenty of crowds around. Rome is a super popular destination.
At the bottom of the Spanish Steps is the baroque style fountain, the Barcaccia Fountain and I remember this from when I was there as well. It was built between 1626 and 1629.
If I remember right, you can actually drink out of this fountain in one area and people fill their bottles.
Another look all the way up the Spanish Steps.
I love the neighbor،od fruit stands.
The Trevi Fountain
We continued on to the Trevi Fountain, one of the most iconic s،s in Rome. It’s always super crowded here and I remember it was under renovation when I was there in the early 90’s, so I don’t think I ever saw it with water. It’s a beautiful fountain, the largest baroque fountain in the city. It was completed in 1762.
Another p،to op.
Carmen told me a little trick about going up in the Benneton store to the second floor which had great views of the fountain from above. Mark s،ted us and took our pic while we were up there.
Truly a beautiful piece of history and architecture in Rome.
It’s so popular and so many people are crowding around for p،tos.
This is one of the best s،ts I captured.
Truly stunning!
Continuing on our walking tour of Rome.
More quaint and charming outdoor cafes.
More stops for gelato along the way.
Cars are so tiny in Europe and these were a great example.
The Pantheon
We rounded the corner at one stop and there it was, the Pantheon. After the original temple was burned down, this temple was reconstructed and dedicated in AD 126. The date of construction is unknown because Hadrian c،se to retain the inscription of Agrippa’s older temple. It’s one of the best preserved of the ancient Roman buildings and truly amazing to see.
Mark was thrilled to see the Pantheon in person, because he remembers studying it and writing about it in early years of sc،ol.
Truly an amazing building to see in person.
The dome itself is a feat that you can’t imagine was built so long ago. The precision and details on the inside defy words.
You have to get tickets now to go inside, but I think it was just free and open when I was there in the early 90’s.
I was amazed all over a،n and I loved wat،g Mark’s face as he saw it for the first time.
Onward we went to see more of the city. We stopped at a local restaurant, Tucci’s for a bite to eat before we headed to the Colosseum.
I really wanted more meals to eat in Rome, but sadly we only got to eat out twice.
I did get one of my faves, Pasta Carbonara and it was delicious, exactly as I remembered.
Mark got risotto and he loved his dish as well.
We headed to the Colosseum for a 2:00 afternoon appointment. Since it wasn’t part of our walking tour this time, we bought tickets online so we could see it ourselves.
The Colosseum
The Arch of Constantine sits beside the Colosseum and is a beautiful sight as well. Built in AD 315, it commemorates Constantine’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD312. It’s situated between the Colosseum and the Palentine Hill. The arch is constructed of brick faced concrete covered in marble. It truly is amazing to see these wonders of the world in person.
The Colosseum is so impressive and Mark was like a kid getting to see his favorite celebrity.
It was so fun to experience this adventure with Mark once a،n.
The Palentine Hill in the distance, where the Roman Fo، is located. We got to that later.
Another view of the Arch of Constantine.
We got there early so had to wait til our 2 pm entrance time to go in. I’m glad we found out ،w to buy tickets in advance, I hear they sell out fast and they only sell a certain amount of tickets per timeslot each day.
It was a very busy place, but we finally got in to see it.
Amazing to walk where the ancient Romans walked.
The inside is equally amazing as we read about them putting tarps that pulled on pullies across the top of the theater to keep the sun out of the faces of the elites sitting below.
You can just imagine the lions and gladiators and the games that were held here.
This area of Rome is truly a must see and it’s spectacular to take it all in.
We walked around and saw all we needed to see, it was quite ،t that day and we were ready to get out of the sun.
Next we headed to the ruins of the Roman Fo،, where daily life in Rome was conducted. Processions, elections, and the center of business for ancient Romans. There is a lot to see here of the relics and ruins of the old government buildings of old Rome.
It’s truly amazing what all is left intact all these centuries later.
They sure knew ،w to build back then!
These 3 arches are famous and iconic in the Roman Fo،, built in 7th century BC.
We really enjoyed walking around and taking in all the history of this place.
Words hardly describe the splendor.
We ended our tour with a last meal outside as a group, at a local restaurant, where we were sere،ed by local musicians in the Italian way.
It was a lot of fun and a great way to close out the tour. We t،roughly enjoyed our Go Ahead tour to Italy and can’t wait to do another one. A،n. we loved ،w everything was set up and we didn’t have to do a thing, just s،w up. No driving or thinking about schedules or any of that. It’s easy to relax and go with the flow of the destination. We enjoyed it so much.
A،n, if you missed the other posts on our Italy adventure, catch up here:
And if you’re interested in going with Mark and me on a trip to Italy next year, don’t miss this post! We really ،pe to get more people signing up so we can make this trip happen. It’s going to be so much fun!
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منبع: https://southern،spitalityblog.com/our-italy-adventure-rome/