Rome: Day 2

Since I saw most of the sights in Rome yesterday, today was more of a "revisit" and roam around type of day to just take it all in since yesterday was more of a fast paced day.

So I finally got a chance to sleep in which was fabulous, it's amazing what sleep can do for you, when you've been lacking it....lol. Then I headed into town with a couple people to actually go into the colosseum and the Roman Forum! On our way in, we ran into two brothers from Denmark who were heading the same way, so they joined us and we all went into town together.  Let me tell you, the inside of the colosseum was amazing! It was so amazing to imagine what used to be, and see where people used to sit and where the gladiators fought and it was just a moment of awe, as you can see in the picture below:

We also went to the forum, and walked around the ruins of what used to be where the roman dictators used to meet and make decisions.

After seeing the forum we went based on a recommendation from my sister to the gelatarie which is supposedly the best one in Rome: San Crispinos. It was a great recommendation, I got the creme whiskey and creme hazelnut!  Delicious! This place was so good, I really should've had another taste before heading back to the hostel later in the evening, but hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it.  I'm not worried though, as I know I will be back to Rome for more of San Crispino's gelato one day!

This was not my first gelato, and it was definitely not my last in Italy....I have three cities in Italy I'm visiting, so lots of carbs (pizza and pasta) and gelato will be consumed!!!   ;)

So at this point we all split off and kind of did our own thing, which was perfect, because I feel that the entire tour thus far I've been in a "group",because obviously we are all there for the same reason, to see the same sights and experience the city, so it's always better with others, than to wander by yourself. So yes, I expected that, as that's what a tour is about, however it hasn't given me much time to just be by myself and take in the sights or the trip itself. 

To be honest, this trip was intended to be a "break from life and reality" just for a short period, and so when you're in a confined space with others constantly, spending majority of your time on a bus, or in a hostel or what not, it can get to a point where you just need some time for YOU, so this was my time for me, and since Rome had quickly turned into a city that I was in love with, it was the perfect place to just sit down, people watch, enjoy some pasta, wine, and take it all in. So I enjoyed just strolling through the streets at my own pace and sitting by the Trevi fountain and on the Spanish Steps just thinking about life and this opportunity and having a "me" moment!!!  It was just what I needed! 

I also walked around Piazza Navano again and since it was the weekend it was packed with street artists and tourists! I ended up buying some paintings of the colosseum, Trevi fountain, and the Spanish steps,  I definitely wanted to take something home to represent this in my house when I get back to the US.

I was soon to learn, that Rome would become one of my favorite cities in Europe, and on this tour. It was just amazing, so much history behind each sight, and yet so much liveliness and character to the city outside of the historic buildings. I just could've wandered around for hours and got lost in this city, and been simply in bliss. Can't say enough how much I loved and will always remember my time in this city.

This was essentially how I ended my day in Rome before returning back to the hostel.

When in Rome....

June 7th night and 8th:

So after leaving Florence we head off to Rome, for 3 nights!! Yay, this is the longest that we've stayed in one city! I was thrilled because we are now halfway through this trip, and three days in one place means we actually can achieve some relaxation and rest!

So as with all the other campground hostels we have stayed at, this hostel was really nice as well. This time we had a bungalow which came with a fridge, stove, sink, and a patio deck!  They even had an infiniti pool which was great! 

Our first night in I was just ready to get some rest and chill out, so I didn't head into the actual city and pretty much just hung out on site and layed by the pool and then later in the evening we got together because all of our bungalows were on the same strip so we just had a "block party" out on our patios, which was a blast. Think 40 young adults, alcohol, music, and you can imagine what fun we had, and how loud we were across the campsite. 

The next day was an early start, and a long day. We were scheduled for a walking tour of the city and then heading to Vatican City for a tour of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.

It was amazing to see the sights I have heard about for so many years and to see it in front of me was so surreal. I was so excited to see Rome, and fell in love by the end of my 3 days here.

We were basically taken through the streets from plaza to plaza: started off at the Spanish Steps, and wandered around to the Neptune Fountain which represents the four main rivers in various regions of the world. We then meandered around towards the beauty: The Trevi Fountain, it is so beautiful in person, after seeing it in numerous movies and hearing about it, I now understand why. Seeing the Trevi fountain as we came around the corner was one of those moments where you heard everyone say "oooooh" and "ahhhh".  From there we went to Piazza Navona, and on to the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Forum.

The Colosseum

The Spanish Steps

The Trevi Fountain

Had to throw my coin in, to make sure I returned back!  ;)

The Pantheon

The Neptune Fountain, in Piazza Navona

After our walking tour we went on to the Vatican and were taken on a guides tour through. It was awesome to hear the stories and history behind it. Vatican City is the one of the smallest countries in the world, only those who are part of the church can reside within this city, it is blocked off from all others.

We also saw Michaelangelo's famous Sistine Chapel which was amazing. The story behind how he managed to be the artist who completed this masterpiece was awesome, it turns out he wasn't really much of a painter initially and was considered to be a sculptor until he did this piece, which then became one of his most famous works of art. 

Part of the Ceiling inside the Sistine Chapel

 

The last sight for the day is St Peters Basilica, which was another beautiful church located within the Vatican City. This church, is where the pope come out to when he does, as well as where the chambers are for the smoke when a new pope is elected.

This is where the pope stands when he comes and presides over the people in the church

Tonight, after returning back to the hostel, we hung out by the pool with some of the new folks who were joining us for the second half of the tour, and got to know them. We drank some wine, and just joked and laughed together, before heading over to the Black and White party they were having at this hostel (apparently that was a popular theme with the hostels...lol).....

More to come from Rome.....this was just Day 1