Rome, where all roads lead

We were very excited to head to Rome as a capper to an amazing time in Italy. There is so much history and so much to see, it seemed that even a full week could not do it justice. We stayed in the Porta Pia neighborhood, in the northern part of the city. We had a bus stop at the end of the block, so it was pretty convenient to get around.

Not far from the Rome Termini (the main transit center) is the Santa Maria degli Angeli. On the inside it looks like any other ridiculous European church. There was an exhibit featuring Galileo and his inventions, which we thought kind of odd given that the church persecuted him.

The “Wedding Cake” or the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II is a really impressive, but strange building given that it is surrounded by Roman ruins. It is built of a type of white marble that never stains, and it houses the tomb of the unknown soldier as well as a museum.

The Trevi Fountain, can you feel the love? Even though it is surrounded by hordes of tourists, it is a beautiful and serene sight in the heart of Rome.

The Pantheon is one of the most amazing buildings. It's an ancient building that has been renovated & added to over the centuries. Of course converted into a church, because it is so well preserved, it gives you a sense of how incredible all the ruins must have been. Also, Raphael’s tomb is here.

At the Largo di Torre Argentina, there is an excavation of three Roman temples (4th century BC) that is now a Cat Sanctuary. There is a foundation that vaccinates and cares for stray cats here. We came by here several time to pet the kitties.

The Castel Sant' Angelo was initially a mausoleum for Hadrian that later got converted into a fortress. There is a covered passageway that links the Vatican to it, which was used as a safe way for the Pope to travel there in case of an attack. It sits on the bank of the Tiber river, just east of the Vatican city. The bridge leading to it has a series of large sculptures and from a bridge further east you get this view of it with St. Peter's Basilica in the background.

The Vatican is crazy. St. Peter's basilica is so massive and ornate, a clear display of the power of the Catholic church. Pictures don’t do justice to how enormous it is, you could fit a dozen regular churches inside of it. the complex in front of the church is immense and jammed with tourists.

Although they are regarded as some of the most elite soldiers, the Swiss Guard look like more like elite jugglers.

The Vatican Museum is room after room of amazing paintings, frescoes, sculptures, artifacts, and tapestries, culminating in with the Sistine Chapel. One of the coolest rooms features The School of Athens by Raphael - featuring Socrates, Pythagorus, and Michaelangelo, among others.

Serendipitously, we found out or friends Elya and Ryan were in Rome too! We met up with them, Elya’s brother Jason, and the brothers Chris and Brandon who they picked up from their hostel. We explored the city, shared some great meals and multiple liters of wine, and danced/sang the night away at this random pub.

We joined a tour of the Colesseum and learned a lot about its construction, purpose, and history. It was built with what our tour guide called the equivalent of technology of that time, which were slaves. Some interesting features included the ability to flood the arena for boat battles, an underground network with trap doors and elevators that could bring people and animals to the arena floor, and a tarp that could cover the entire Arena to provide shade. The games were primarily funded by the Emperor and sponsors who wanted to advertise their business or people running for political office. There were excessive quotes from “Gladiator” from our crew the entire time.

The second half of the Coliseum tour was the Roman Forum. Even though it is ruinous, you can still imagine how impressive it must have been in its heyday.

The romance continuous with the Spanish Steps, especially incredible in the evening. The boat fountain is one of the most unique we’ve seen.

The Piazza Navona is a long square featuring this extraordinary fountain and obelisk, flanked by two other amazing fountains. On the north end is the Sant'Agnese in Agone church, which is tiny but beautifully ornate inside.