Rome

I was not sure if it was appropriate anything about Italy at this very trying time. It feels surreal, unreal, very movie like. I pray and hope the very best for this beautiful nation which has contributed so much to the world. I would like to send some love and courage to the people of Italy- just know this will be over some day and I hope it is soon. I dedicate this post and a few that would follow to Italy and the wonderful and kind people that it inhabits.

I would like to make this log more pictorial than me writing. I will keep the writing to a minimum. I visited Italy last year in early October. I visited Rome, Florence, Pisa and Siena. I would blog about Rome, Florence and Pisa. I am not writing about the history and evolution of any of the place as all details are available on the internet and wikipedia.

Let's get started:

The Colosseum:
I was really happy to one of the 7 wonders of the world, intricate with architecture and an example of ahead of its time engineering and construction.

Constantine Arch:
In the same area as the Colosseum.

Palatine Hill:

Ruins of the ancient palace of Augustus was here. It is above the Roman Forum

The Colosseum from Palatine Hill

Roman Forum or the Ancient City of Rome:

Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

Temple built in honour of the Empress Diva Faustina- Temple of Antonius Pius

The Wedding Cake- The Victor Emmanuel Monument

Trevi Fountain- It is whiter than it appears on these pictures.

Pantheon- Unfortunately on the day we visited, it was closed until 6pm for prayers. We waited in the queue beyond this time and it looked like it would take longer than expected so we could not go in to witness the magnificent dome and we just clicked the pictures from the outside.

This ends our short trip to Rome. I would like to provide some details on stay and weather etc:

- We stayed at a B&B in Tiburtina area very close to the railway/metro and bus stations. It did appear a little shady and felt a little unsafe outdoors at nights. So, please do a better research than we did to pick your place of stay.
- In early October, the temperature was around 25C, but it felt like 35C with the sun beating down harshly on you. So please carry a wide brimmed hat to protect yourself.
- Please ensure you book your visits to these places of interest well in advance, otherwise, you will not let be inside. Please also make sure you arrive for your visit on time as well- if you are late, it will be extremely difficult to manage to visit these sites.
- If you are a vegetarian, you should be able to find good vegetarian food in most places easily. People in many restaurants are also willing to customize their food to meet the needs of vegetarians.
- All these areas are at a walking distance but if you are not a fan of walking, you might find the walks very long.
- Most places in Rome are quite crowded with tourists. Our friends in Italy had warned us about possible pick-pocket. So, that's something to watch-out for.
- You can get a Roma pass to move around the town easily. It also covers a bit of sightseeing.