Our second day was all about seeing the sights, tasting the delights, and taking in the beauty of Rome – whilst also learning to navigate the craziness of crossing roads! Terrifying! It didn’t seem like there were any rules to crossing the road, and cars never slowed down to let you cross. It’s quite common to have several near misses in just one street crossing! Using our brains, we came up with a great solution. We waited till a local started to cross the road and quickly tailed close behind them. After all, they’re the professionals!
We spent the morning wandering the cobblestone streets, and then went in search of the statue of Romulus and Remus on our way to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument. The story of Romulus and Remus is about two abandoned twin bothers that were raised by a she-wolf in a cave under Palentine Hill (in the Roman Forum). The brothers wanted to build a city, but argued about where it would be located. Eventually this led to Romulus killing Remus, and founding Rome at the Roman Forum, on top of Palentine Hill. It’s a very interesting myth, and worth reading, especially if you’re visiting Rome! The statue of the two bothers is a lot smaller than I expected, but still worth checking out.
The statue of Romulus and Remus.
The Vittorio Emanuele Monument
Around the corner from the statue is the Vittorio Emmanuele Monument. It is a beautiful building to see, and you can catch a changing of the guard ceremony here (but we weren’t able to find the schedule when we were there). The building has a large panoramic view terrace on the top, and I definitely recommend going up to have a look. The elevator is at the back of the monument, and when you reach the top you are met with a stunning 360 degree view of the beautiful ancient city. It has a great view of The Colosseum and the Forum. I bet it would be stunning at sunset too!
Changing of the guard ceremony at Vittorio Emmanuele Monument.
View from the panoramic view terrace.
Vatican City
The afternoon saw us head to Vatican City. We joined another tour (from the same company) to gain fast entry to the Vatican Museum but once there we realised it had been a total waste of money. There were no lines and we could have gotten in straight away. Apparently the lines are a lot shorter very late in the afternoon, as was the case for us. We were visiting just outside of the peak season too, so there were less tourists around than normal.
River God (Arno).
Laocoön.
Venus Felix.
Belvedere Apollo.
There is so much, almost too much, to see in the Vatican Museums. We had little time, so we left the tour behind and passed quite quickly through the haze of ornate gold frames, stunning ceilings, and beautiful artworks and sculptures, making our way to the much-anticipated Sistine Chapel. We were packed like sardines into the chapel, but it was amazing to lay our eyes on the artwork surrounding us. The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo, was particularly spectacular. It’s the one where God and Adam reach their fingertips towards one another. It forms part of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling that Michelangelo painted between 1508 and 1512. (Unfortunately you can’t take photos in the Sistine Chapel.)
Marvelling at the beautiful ceiling art.
The amazing gold ceilings.
A beautiful way to exit The Vatican.
St Peter’s Basilica
We stopped by St Peters Basilica after leaving the Vatican Museums. It’s a truly stunning building, with large marble columns, sculptures, and artwork adorning the walls. We were too late to climb to the top of the dome, but it’s on our list for when we return!
The sun was setting whilst we were at St Peter’s and it cast a very picturesque light across the forecourt. With evening fast approaching, we walked back to our Airbnb to freshen up. Next stop: dinner!
The road to St Peter’s Basilica.
St Peter’s Basilica.
The view from the front of St Peter’s.
The beautiful sunset at St Peter’s.
Italian Food and The Trevi Fountain
Our evening was simply magical; we finally had our first authentic Italian pasta (and wine!) in a lovely little restaurant – followed by tiramisu of course! Unfortunately I can’t find the name of it anywhere but it was delicious nonetheless! I had Fettuccine al Fungi and Jori had a spaghetti dish with meatballs. Both paired with the most perfect red wine!
After dinner we wandered down to the breathtakingly beautiful Trevi Fountain. WOW! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I had seen pictures, but the beauty of the Trevi Fountain in real life exceeded my expectations ten-fold. It’s still one of my favourite places I’ve visited. I highly recommend seeing it at night. We tossed a coin and made a wish, and finished our second day of adventures!
So happy with my pasta and wine!
The restaurant interior.
Italian wine!
Pasta!
Tiramisu!
The magical Trevi Fountain.
You can read about what we got up to on our last day here: Our Last Day in Rome, Ciao for Now.
Or you can read about our first day in Rome here: Oh Rome, You Bustling Beauty!
Our second day was all about seeing the sights, tasting the delights, and taking in the beauty of Rome – whilst also learning to navigate the craziness of crossing roads! Terrifying! It didn’t seem like there were any rules to crossing the road, and cars never slowed down to let you cross. It’s quite common to have several near misses in just one street crossing! Using our brains, we came up with a great solution. We waited till a local started to cross the road and quickly tailed close behind them. After all, they’re the professionals!
We spent the morning wandering the cobblestone streets, and then went in search of the statue of Romulus and Remus on our way to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument. The story of Romulus and Remus is about two abandoned twin bothers that were raised by a she-wolf in a cave under Palentine Hill (in the Roman Forum). The brothers wanted to build a city, but argued about where it would be located. Eventually this led to Romulus killing Remus, and founding Rome at the Roman Forum, on top of Palentine Hill. It’s a very interesting myth, and worth reading, especially if you’re visiting Rome! The statue of the two bothers is a lot smaller than I expected, but still worth checking out.
The statue of Romulus and Remus.
The Vittorio Emanuele Monument
Around the corner from the statue is the Vittorio Emmanuele Monument. It is a beautiful building to see, and you can catch a changing of the guard ceremony here (but we weren’t able to find the schedule when we were there). The building has a large panoramic view terrace on the top, and I definitely recommend going up to have a look. The elevator is at the back of the monument, and when you reach the top you are met with a stunning 360 degree view of the beautiful ancient city. It has a great view of The Colosseum and the Forum. I bet it would be stunning at sunset too!
Changing of the guard ceremony at Vittorio Emmanuele Monument.
View from the panoramic view terrace.
Vatican City
The afternoon saw us head to Vatican City. We joined another tour (from the same company) to gain fast entry to the Vatican Museum but once there we realised it had been a total waste of money. There were no lines and we could have gotten in straight away. Apparently the lines are a lot shorter very late in the afternoon, as was the case for us. We were visiting just outside of the peak season too, so there were less tourists around than normal.
River God (Arno).
(Tap the image for more photos)
There is so much, almost too much, to see in the Vatican Museums. We had little time, so we left the tour behind and passed quite quickly through the haze of ornate gold frames, stunning ceilings, and beautiful artworks and sculptures, making our way to the much-anticipated Sistine Chapel. We were packed like sardines into the chapel, but it was amazing to lay our eyes on the artwork surrounding us. The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo, was particularly spectacular. It’s the one where God and Adam reach their fingertips towards one another. It forms part of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling that Michelangelo painted between 1508 and 1512. (Unfortunately you can’t take photos in the Sistine Chapel.)
Marvelling at the beautiful ceiling art.
(Tap the image for more photos)
St Peter’s Basilica
We stopped by St Peters Basillica after leaving the Vatican Museums. It’s a truly stunning building, with large marble columns, sculptures, and artwork adorning the walls. We were too late to climb to the top of the dome, but it’s on our list for when we return!
The sun was setting whilst we were at St Peter’s and it cast a very picturesque light across the forecourt. With evening fast approaching, we walked back to our Airbnb to freshen up. Next stop: dinner!
The road to St Peter’s Basilica.
(Tap the image for more photos)
Italian Food and The Trevi Fountain
Our evening was simply magical; we finally had our first authentic Italian pasta (and wine!) in a lovely little restaurant – followed by tiramisu of course! Unfortunately I can’t find the name of it anywhere but it was delicious nonetheless! I had Fettuccine al Fungi and Jori had a spaghetti dish with meatballs. Both paired with the most perfect red wine!
So happy with my pasta and wine!
(Tap the image for more photos)
After dinner we wandered down to the breathtakingly beautiful Trevi Fountain. WOW! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I had seen pictures, but the beauty of the Trevi Fountain in real life exceeded my expectations ten-fold. It’s still one of my favourite places I’ve visited. I highly recommend seeing it at night. We tossed a coin and made a wish, and finished our second day of adventures!
The magical Trevi Fountain.
You can read about what we got up to on our last day here: Our Last Day in Rome, Ciao for Now.
Or you can read about our first day in Rome here: Oh Rome, You Bustling Beauty!
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