Roma Italia
On February 23-27, 2012, my mom and I went on a mini-trip to the Eternal City, the City of Love, beautiful Rome. We landed at lunch time and took the train to Termini Central Station. The sun was shining and people were walking in all directions. We walked the few meters to our hotel, Hotel Universo, checked in and went for a guided bus tour around the city. After two hours on the top of the double-decker bus we had seen most of the known sights and gotten a chance to familiarize us with the city map. We ate a delicious dinner at a small local restaurant before heading to bed for a good night's sleep so we would be all refreshed to do some sightseeing by foot the following day.
After a typical Italian breakfast, cappuccino and bread with butter and jelly, we met our guide. Ulla took us through town and informed us about everything from what used to be, architecture and how people live today.
We saw Pantheon, Piazza di Navona, Piazza di Fiori and Fontana di Trevi. We went through small streets with outdoor cafes and shops, before saying good bye in shopping heaven. |
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The next day we met my cousin Susanne and her girls, who had taken the train from their home in Milano to hang with us. We headed towards the Colosseo, and got educated on its history. Did you know that the walls on the bottom made up rooms and elevators where the different animals and men was raised up to the stage? After Colosseo we wandered around the Foro Romano before having lunch overlooking Altare della Patria, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We continued "downtown" to Piazza di Spagna and on to Parchi Bolognesi.
Our last day in Rome, we took the bus to Piazza San Pietro. Did you know that the Vatican is the smallest country in the world? We arrived before the rest of Rome and the basilica was near empty, just a few men and women listening to the early morning mass. By the time we were ready to enter the Vatican Museums, especially Capella Sistina, Rome had awakened and gotten in line ahead of us. After about an hour and a half we finally entered history and beauty all around us. It is truly amazing, all these people so long ago had all this knowledge that no one listened to or cared about until centuries later. A great treat this visit was the speech from the Pope Benedict XVI on this First Sunday of Lent. He spoke to us not only in Italian but also in French, German, Polish, Spanish and English. Needless to say we left the Citta del Vaticano feeling all refreshed and completely free of sins.
Read the Pope's speech here >>
Our last day in Rome, we took the bus to Piazza San Pietro. Did you know that the Vatican is the smallest country in the world? We arrived before the rest of Rome and the basilica was near empty, just a few men and women listening to the early morning mass. By the time we were ready to enter the Vatican Museums, especially Capella Sistina, Rome had awakened and gotten in line ahead of us. After about an hour and a half we finally entered history and beauty all around us. It is truly amazing, all these people so long ago had all this knowledge that no one listened to or cared about until centuries later. A great treat this visit was the speech from the Pope Benedict XVI on this First Sunday of Lent. He spoke to us not only in Italian but also in French, German, Polish, Spanish and English. Needless to say we left the Citta del Vaticano feeling all refreshed and completely free of sins.
Read the Pope's speech here >>