Rome: the Heart of Italy

My journey from Budapest to Rome lasted an hour forty mins and I landed ready to explore the beautiful city. However, I didn't count on the near 2 hours delay by airport shuttle company. At long last, we were on our way into town and final stop in front of the Roma Termini railway station. My first stop happened to the African shop only a few yards from the termini station.

I lodged at the Hotel Luce, a decent hotel we booked on fireflies.com which is basically the best website you book a hotel on. Hence our five nights, double room, breakfast inclusive stay at Hotel Luce cost only 29 USD, something you won't find on any other site.

Rome is quite the city, In fact, you never have to worry about not finding landscapes or museums or castles to visit because you will never run out of these sites. On our first night, we took a long stroll to Piazza di Spagna and  Trinità dei Monti. The view from the steps overlooks a little part of the city and it's quite nice that you almost do not mind the migrants shoving roses in your face every two minutes and the church has candles, alter and paintings that exude that aura of peace and bliss. I had dinner at a fantastic restaurant at the bottom of the Spanish steps. Quick tip for beer lovers; it's cheaper to buy a bottle of the house wine than a 0.5l bottle of beer.

Day 2 was the Vatican city and the tram took me directly to that stop. Now you can join a guided tour group (50EUR),  or go solo (14 EUR) and buy an audio guide. The advantage of a tour group is that you can be in the building within minutes because these tour companies can skip the line, the disadvantage is that you may not have the dwell so much on your subject of interest and take pictures. Whichever your pick is, the world's smallest city is an amazing place to be in. There are so many and diverse art forms with intriguing stories behind them that it would take a whole day to visit everywhere. From the marble statues of the Roman gods and Fresco paintings to the Sarcophagus and Egyptian mummies. The Cistern chapel not only has a fascinating backstory, but it houses the original paintings of Micheal Angelo. The climb to the dome of St Peter's Basilica is a stressful one to say the least, but absolutely worth it.

The entry ticket to the Colosseum which is the first amphitheater also covers the Roman forum and Palatine come together but it was free and we could skip the line since I purchased the 72 hours Roma Pass. I, however, purchased the audio guide for 5 EUR. I visited the Capitoline museum later that day to explore the painting, sculptures and get a little history lesson on ancient Rome and Roman mythology. My last stop for the day was Piazza Venezia before dinner.

Other attractions I visited and recommend include: Piazza Navona, Fountain of Neptune and Castel Sant' Angelo. The Museum of Ara Pacis together with Spartacus: slave and masters exhibit and Leonardo da Vinci museum, only recommended if interested. All in all, Rome is not only known for its various attractions which are even more beautiful at night btw, but the delicious cuisine and nightlife.  

However, the transportation aka the buses are a complete mess, better to use the tram because the buses are never on time, are extremely packed with people smooshed together like sardines and sometimes especially at night when there are fewer people at the bus stop, you may have to wave and jump like doofus to get the buses to stop for you.

If you've made it to the end of this article, thank you for reading. I intend to share more.