Finally.......Rome

I cannot finish my trip to Europe without talking about Rome. When heading to Italy, our main destination in mind was Rome. This is the place we had missed the last time we visited Italy, and we felt Italy could not be complete without visiting Rome. Not that there weren't other places we wanted to see in Italy, because there are other places, but the history of Rome called us.

There was so much to see in Rome, but there were especially three sights in Rome that my family couldn't leave Rome without seeing. First, there was the Colosseum with the adjoining Arch of Constantine and the Acropolis, which was my son's choice. Then there was St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City. The size of the columns in St. Peter's square are absolutely amazing. And then there is the Pantheon that was built as temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, and rebuilt in the second century Rome A.D. (According to Wikipedia) Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church. The Pantheon was my pick for Rome.

And then of course, there were the other usual tourist places that we all had to see. There is Trevi Fountain and the tradition of throwing a coin over your shoulder to ensure a return trip to Rome. My family and I all threw a coin over our shoulder, so I guess we have to go back again someday;). Of course, if you follow the legend further, two coins promise romance and three coins marriage. Right next to Trevi Fountain are the Spanish steps. I have to mention that both the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are covered in tourists. Also, when traveling in Rome, make sure you keep your water bottle after drinking because around this area and all over Rome there are natural spring water fountains that are here and all over Rome that you will see tourists refilling.

So, the sights mentioned above were visited along with many other sights in Rome, which abound around every corner. A tip for travelers is take a trip south of the river when traveling in Rome to get away from the center of the tourist attractions. South of the river, you will still find tourists, but not as many and you will find restaurants that are frequented by tourists and locals alike. In the center of Rome, you have all of the main tourist attractions, and you will not escape from the restaurants that are tourist traps, for the most part. South of the river is like a breath of fresh air and you can wander through twisting alleyways a grab whatever romantic spot you can find. And of course, there was the gelato, again.......

I don't think there is too much more I can say about Rome, just because Rome is larger than words. Even with all the tourists buzzing everywhere, the history of the place supersedes that and amazes one. Another tip, take a hotel near the main train station in Rome. One can walk to many of the sights from there or take a five or ten minute train ride and get off at the other main tourist attractions. This way, when you arrive in Rome it is easy to drop off your luggage and get around and it also makes departing Rome easy to. With this, I end my trip to Rome.........