When in Rome

Anastasiya Sanko 

It is said that all roads lead to Rome, and for my family that turned out to be true: we went on a three-day trip to that amazing city at the beginning of May. Let me share my experience with you.  

Before our voyage, I did a lot of preparations. I created a list of places I’d like to visit. There were landmarks, museums, restaurants, cafes, viewpoints, and other interesting places. Moreover, most of us researched some materials about Rome and shared our knowledge with others, so we didn’t need a tour guide for each place. 

During our journey, we had to handle a few minor incidents; however, they did not ruin anything. After all, we were in Rome, and the city doesn’t leave any chances for a bad mood. After riposo, people greet strangers with smiles as warm as the afternoon sun. 

The first item on our list was Piazza del Popolo, but there are so many beautiful places in Rome that it was very difficult for us to follow a pre-planned route. As soon as we started, we strayed to see the Fountain of the Caryatids and the Church of Saint Joachim in Prati. The latter was especially memorable because of its 14 chapels, each dedicated to a Catholic nation.  

Once we reached the Piazza,  we admired one of eight ancient Egyptian obelisks in Rome. They date back to the time of the pharaohs and were transported to Rome mostly during the reigns of emperors Augustus and Domitian. 

In addition to the obelisk, the square also features the Porta del Popolo, through which pilgrims once entered Rome via the Flaminian Way. Three roads begin at this gate, fanning out from the square. Hot weather and an ice cream cafe made us choose which of them to pick. 

I advise everybody to visit the café Limone. The name of the place suits their specialty. We have tried lemonade and gelato there. They served ice cream in large lemons. It was delicious! 

We didn’t forget to go and see the Trevi Fountain. There is an enormous crowd there every day and that day wasn’t an exception. We took photos from the side and went ahead. 

Another attraction on my brother’s list was the imposing columns of a temple dedicated to emperor Hadrian. They were originally built at ground level, but over the centuries, they gradually sank below the current street level by about two meters, illustrating how the surface of the city — and our planet — has changed over time. 

Afterward, we wanted to have a look at awesome Caravaggio art, but the Church of Saint Louis of the French was closed. My older sibling was quite frustrated. It was one of the main points of his list and there were no other chances to see it. 

Without losing our fighting spirit, we headed to the Pantheon where we were lucky to skip the line. The Pantheon amazed me with its grandeur and size. After all, it was made in the first century AD, when technology was very much unlike that of today. Many other nations wanted to know the secret of the dome's construction, which shows how good the Romans were at architecture. 

By the time we got off the Pantheon, we were famished and went to a restaurant for some delicious pasta. It would be a mistake to not taste it in Italy. 

Then, we went back to our apartment through the Navona Piazza. It seemed marvellous and mysterious at night. Having grabbed some tiramisu along the way we didn’t feel the heat of the day walking through the gorgeous narrow streets. By that time, it had already subsided anyway. The walk was accompanied only by a light breeze from the Tiber and the glow of the moon. I couldn't remember when the last time we walked like this and talked about literally anything had been. Sometimes you need to get out of your usual routine and leave your city. 

The next day we planned a six-hour tour of the Vatican, but ultimately, we spent ten hours there. It turned out to be a great decision as exploring the city without a tour guide would have been far less informative and engaging. 

What I saw in this country, even in just one city, is beyond words. The Vatican Museums are a true treasure trove of masterpieces. Each work of art on display has its own story, and every detail took an immense amount of time and effort to create. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time for a thorough examination, as our guide focused mainly on the most famous works. If she had stopped to explain each masterpiece in detail, I believe even a whole day wouldn’t have been enough. 

What impressed me most were the rooms painted by Raphael. The amount of work and time he put into those frescoes is astonishing. To quote my brother, “When you’re painting simple café signs, you realize just how brilliant and gifted artists like Raphael truly were.” And it’s true. Standing before the masterpieces displayed in the Vatican Museums, you begin to understand how extraordinary their creators were. 

Even more breathtaking was St. Peter’s Basilica. Many popes are buried beneath the church, and each of them wanted to leave behind something meaningful and memorable. That’s why when you look at the monumental statues dedicated to them, whose marble seems as light as a feather, you truly grasp their greatness. Maybe it’s because I’ve read too much fantasy, but while observing these statues, only one thought kept coming to mind: What if they came to life? It may sound absurd, but the statues are so realistic and dynamic, that you almost expect Pope Alexander VII to finish his prayer while the skeletal figure beneath lifts the bronze drapery completely, tucks the hourglass under his arm, and drags you into the afterlife. Strange thoughts — but why not? 

Our guide also told us where the materials for the basilica’s construction came from. Enormous amounts of marble and other valuable stones were taken from ancient buildings — one of them being the Colosseum. Until that day, I believed the Colosseum had been ruined solely by wars and earthquakes. But it turns out that one of the reasons it didn’t survive intact was that it was used as a quarry after the fall of the Roman Empire. 

I learned many more fascinating facts from our guide that day. It was a truly unforgettable experience. She also suggested a place where we could get delicious pizza. We listened to her advice and returned to our lodgings to take a nap since we hadn’t slept much the night before. I planned to explore Rome early in the morning and found someone to come with me, so we called it a night early. I wanted to visit the Trevi Fountain early in the morning, before going to the Colosseum, hoping there would be fewer people than in the afternoon.  

We woke up at 6 a.m., had something energizing to drink, and headed to our destination. The sun pierced the sleepy sky with its rays. Most of the establishments were closed. This contrast between tourist-filled Rome and its morning waking version amazed me. Despite the early hours, there were already tourists near the fountain, but they were considerably fewer in numbers. It allowed us to take pictures closer to the Trevi Fountain. After that, we went to buy tickets to Rome's calling card.  

We bought tickets to the Colosseum in advance through the Internet. Unfortunately, the day before our visit, the site declined our purchase. They returned the money; however, we weren’t sure if we would be able to get to the landmark, and so we had to buy the tickets at the last moment. A piece of advice: buy tickets a week before your visit and only from a trusted source. The tickets at the box office turned out to be three times cheaper than online, but to get them we had to stand in a two-hour line. 

Ultimately the rest of the family joined up with us and we went to the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. If you want to visit those three places, it's best to take a guided tour or be learn about these attractions beforehand. Otherwise, you're more likely to end up wandering in the scorching sun, bored and eager to leave just to find something cooling. That was my case, made even worse by the lack of sleep. I was exhausted and had a nap on a bench in the gorgeous Farnese Gardens where in 753 BC a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus. My family kindly waited for me to recover.  

Then, we continued on our journey and visited some places from my list. There were Piazza Venezia and Cat Sanctuary. We tasted Rome’s street food on the steps of the Pantheon. For dessert we took maritozzi which unfortunately wasn’t as good as we expected, and then we enjoyed a late evening walk with long heartfelt conversations. It was the best possible ending of our voyage to Rome and we finished it in front of St. Peter's Basilica as it was lit by streetlights. Despite the late hour, the square was full of journalists and workers who made preparations for the Pope's election.  

Our trip in one word? Unbelievable.  

I had read about this city, about its culture and history, but there were just too many historical attractions per square kilometre for us to visit. Besides, for me, a person who grew up in an environment where traveling to such a place used to be nothing by a dream and a plan with no real chance of success, this was something mind-blowing. When someone from my circle of friends was telling me “While you were in Rome, I …”, I was discouraged by the thought that I was actually there.  

If I need to describe the disappointments of our journey, there was only one: I hadn’t started to prepare for it before I purchased plane tickets. There is this most bizarre, iconic, and largest Sunday flea market in Rome, but I wasn’t able to visit it and still arrive at the airport in time for our plane. If I had known this before buying tickets, it would have been possible to book a later flight. On the other hand, this could even serve as a reason for a return visit to Rome.  

In conclusion, if you're traveling to a historic city like this with less than a week to explore, it's essential to prepare an itinerary in advance — including the places you want to visit, tours, and tickets — ideally even before booking your flight.  

If you're curious to learn more about our voyage to this appealing city, feel free to watch my vlog, which you can access via the QR code.