Rome

Rome is the second of three repeat players in my second tour of Europe. I visited Rome, like Barcelona, in 2005, but I decided that I needed to come back. First of all, it was on the way, and I had time to kill while Reed hung out with his wife. Second, there were a few things that I didn’t get to see the last time around. (The Sistine Chapel seems pretty worthwhile.) Third, my parents really liked Rome. So five years later, we came back.

My parents and I spent about two days in Rome itself, and we took it pretty easy. Since we had been once before, we didn’t get up all that early, and we took our time. To start things off, my dad wanted to go back to the Coliseum. Walking around the Coliseum could never get old, so my mom and I gladly agreed. Then we walked through the Roman forum –one thing that I missed last time. The Roman forum is a pretty large area of excavated ruins. We walked through the incredibly dusty grounds to see where marketplaces once stood and to marvel at what remained of toppled temples. I find ancient Rome fascinating, so it was a fun hour or two.

We went back to some of the best sites to round out the first night – mostly the Pantheon and a few of the larger plazas. And we had dinner at the bustling Piazza Navona to round out the day before walking home past St. Peter’s Basilica by night (24). (I ragged on Italy’s food a bit earlier, but the pasta with prosciutto that I had at this dinner was one of a few bright spots while there. So it wasn’t all bad.)

On our second day in Rome, we started with a tour of the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel (25). (I may have mentioned that my parents are the tour-booking kind of tourist, but this one was worthwhile.) The museum was interesting – impressive considering how many museums I have seen at this point. I saw some cool stuff that the Pope has hoarded up, and the tour guide was very informative. (He also mentioned three of the four ninja turtles – whether he knew it or not.)

The Sistine Chapel was incredible to see. It’s essentially covered from floor to ceiling (and of course on the ceiling) with frescoes that art experts assure me are beyond comparison. It’s undeniably impressive. As in many stuffy places in Europe, it is forbidden to take pictures inside the chapel - here, not because it’s a chapel but because some Japanese company that helped pay for restoration owns the copyrights. Somehow, when I left the chapel, I had this picture in my camera anyway. Strange.

(It's a bad picture; I know. But surveillance was vigilant.)

After the Sistine Chapel, we went to Il Vittoriano. I had seen this very cool looking monument before. The Italians built it about 100 years ago to commemorate the official unification of Italy. But I didn’t get a chance to go inside last time, so my parents and I took some stairs and an elevator to the top to get a better look at Rome. It was worthwhile. Next, we stopped by the Trevi Fountain because my mother loves it there, and then we strolled over to the Spanish Steps.

I had missed the Spanish Steps on my last trip to Rome, too, but if I’m being honest, they really aren’t much to see. I have a feeling that’s a controversial statement, but it’s true. It’s an outdoor staircase. Nevertheless, we saw it.

Overall, it was a nice visit. In terms of historical background, Rome really cannot be beaten. And I find Roman history especially interesting. Admittedly, I didn’t like Rome as much on my second visit as I did on the first. While its history is fascinating, Rome appeals to me less as a modern city. There are cars and mopeds everywhere. Crowded roads run right alongside the Coliseum and up against the Vatican, and exhaust hangs in the air everywhere. It detracts from the place a bit, and so for me, Rome will always be a distant third to London and Paris. And considering how much I liked Florence, it may come in second within Italy as well.

But it was great to visit the city again with my parents. It was good to just spend time with them and walk around at our own pace. We had a nice, relaxing dinner near the Spanish steps on our last evening before they would move on to conclude their vacation in Portugal, and I would continue on through Italy.

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More pictures of Rome: