After taking the water taxi back to the train station in Venice, we rode about 4 hours to Rome and checked into Hotel Marcantonio, an easy 5 minute walk from Rome’s train station. Our room was on the fifth floor and its elevator was just as tiny as the others, taking two trips for us to get upstairs with our luggage.
There is LOTS to see in Rome, so we spent the first evening walking about a 5 mile loop, exploring various popular areas. As we were walking, we’d see random ruins in the middle of modern buildings. It was a very strange vibe. Here are some of the random ruins and sights as we walked around.
The Mamertinum Prison is traditionally thought to be the prison where Paul and Peter were held before their martyrdom. If so, this is where Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, reflecting on his impending death. The chapel is above the prison.
Vittoriano. We just happened upon this while walking and were impressed by how large it was!
We followed the “Heart of Rome” walking tour by Rick Steves to see the rest of these sights. He did a good job of guiding us and pointing out interesting things along the way. The Piazza Navona was a large square that had several impressive fountains. There were a few street artists and restaurants, too, which gave a fun atmosphere.
The Pantheon was closed when we were there, but the exterior was still impressive. Look at how huge that door is!
The Trevi Fountain is definitely one of those places that pictures can’t do justice. It’s so huge and pretty! I’m glad we took the time to walk to it!
I wondered at first why the Spanish Steps was such a popular tourist attraction, but maybe it was because we had been walking for a couple of hours and I couldn’t appreciate so many steps, haha. It was probably prettier without so many people on them, too. Anyway, after we got to the top using the nearby metro elevator and I saw the gorgeous sunset over the city views, I appreciated the area a lot more!
We took the metro back to near the hotel, which saved us about 15 minutes of walking, since we were tired.
Day 20: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Aventine Hill, Trastevere (Rome)
0 Comments