Topdeck Travel: Trail to the Alps - Part IV (Rome)

Finally, all roads lead to Rome! This was the point of the trip I was waiting for. To see ancient Rome and the Vatican.

We arrived at Rome in the later afternoon. We were staying in a very nice hotel on the west end of the city. That evening, we walked around the city to explore some of the major, yet quick sites, like the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain (it was sadly undergoing renovations at the time). I still remember the sense of awe when we suddenly walked out into the open and the Pantheon was right in front of us. We topped off the evening with a nice dinner, followed by a walk to the Colosseum.

The next day, we started off with a guided tour of the Vatican Museums. The collection was incredibly vast, and the tour guide was excellent and extremely knowledgeable. I still remember gazing up at the Sistene Chapel and finishing up the tour in St. Peter's Basilica. It was an describable experience being in such a holy place.

View of St. Peter's Basilica (from the Roman Forum)

After finishing up in the Vatican, the group and I got some quick lunch and then went off to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We decided to go in without a guide, but it was still fairly easy to navigate. We started off in the Colosseum and then walked all around the forum. I've been at old sites before, but none this old. Being at a place that was active some two thousand years ago is something I cannot easily describe in words. All I can say is that it was difficult to comprehend sometimes that I was standing in a spot where the Roman emperors used to walk.

As the sun began to set, I headed back to the hotel in preparation for another big destination - Venice.