Rome
- Waqar Katib
- Jun 11, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 13, 2019
The first time I visited Europe, I arrived to the Rome Fiumicino airport, quite a massive airport 45 minutes outside the city. Once you take the shuttles to the city, you are bound to arrive at the Termini, the central train station.
“Rome is not like any other city. It’s a big museum, a living room that shall be crossed on one’s toes.” – Alberto Sordi.
Now this statement is by far the best description of the city. It is a big museum spread across the city and must be traversed on foot to take in all its glory. I have been to Rome 5 times and each time seems to offer something new both historically and culturally.
My first stop in Rome is always the Colosseum. The building is a 10-min walk from the Termini and is a round amphitheatre also known as the home of the gladiators. It is the start of a long stretch of monuments that can be covered on foot. The Colosseum is at its best at all times in the day, the imposing structure being a hub for tourists, tour guides and pickpockets.
The Colosseum is right next to the Palantine hill which are the ancient ruins of the Roman palaces.
The tour guides quickly point out the structure of the palaces with its huge terrazzas and piazzas, roman columns and baths. One of the best fight sequences from John Wick:Chapter 2 shows the underground tunnels and baths of these ruins where the Roman emperors were rumoured to have their lavish banquets and parties. The same area holds the roman temples, arches and foundation structures of the palace ruins.
Walking along the Via dei Fori Imperiali, one arrives at the Piazza Venezia. The piazza and its view from the top are rather majestic in nature; the hundreds of stairs and wide-view structure imposing about the buildings close by, the Colosseum, the ancient ruins of the Palantie hill and the Pantheon in near distance view.
I choose to head northwards towards the Piazza di Spagna, and pass the Teatro Dell'Opera on its way. It has been home to drama, dance and opera for over 100 years and sits in the middle of the metropolis. Unfortunately, I could not catch a show at the Opera, but I moved on towards the other attractions of the city.
Arriving at the Piazza Di Spagna, one can wonder why there is such a commotion. It can be credited to the numerous tourists, performers and vendors in the piazza.
The piazza is home to the luxury fashion houses and their exquisite boutiques that make Italy famous, a flight of stairs that lead to the Villa Borghese, another viewpoint. I do manage to climb them, but unfortunately couldn't capture any blur-free images from the top. The fountain in Piazza di Spagna, like the hundreds of fountains around Rome is said to have drinking water flowing through them continuously. Getting touristy, I grab my bottle and fill out a bottle of water from the fountain. Surprisingly cold and satisfying given the long walk. I complete the day by heading towards the St. Peter's Basilica, inside the Vatican City and the holiest site for christians around the world.
The Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's plaza) is enormous with the Basilica on one side, surrounded by the columned structures housing the Sistine Chapel, home of the Pope and other monasteries and the street leading to the River Tiber on the other side.
I start the next day in a huge queue outside the Vatican Museum, the tour which takes us inside the Vatican grounds, Vatican museum, atop the St. Peter's Basilica and even inside the Sistine Chapel.
One inside, the first visit is to the museum. Now since I am moving constantly with our tor group and thousands of others, the quality of the next pictures were compromised. After all, the tour guides while explaining the place and its mysteries try to cover as much ground. Nevertheless, the Vatican museums contain several arts and artefacts from thousands of years from all across the world. It is interesting to note that the artefacts are not just pertaining to Christianity but to both ancient and modern civilisations itself.
The grounds inside the Vatican lined with ornate arches, art figures, lush green lawns and characteristic fountains.
One of the 16 Sfera con Sfera (Sphere Within Sphere) sculptures across the world by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro can be found in the Vatican Museums.
Once inside the museums and hallways of the Vatican, one can see ornate paintings all across the walls and arched ceilings by famous painters such as Michelangelo, Rafael and Piotto.
On the terrace of the St. Peter's Basilica, are water fountains and a good viewpoint into the inside of the Vatican.
The tour proceeds in such a way that the last sightseeing within the Vatican is the Sistine Chapel, the centre of papal activity and widely considered as one of the holiest sites.
The tour of the Vatican takes an entire day and then I head towards the Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple in the middle of the city. The Pantheon is a wonderful example of the Corinthian columns that are significant in ancient Roman architecture.
What good is visiting Rome if you do not visit the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin into it while making a wish. Personally, I feel this is a very crowded spot and one can get overwhelmed. It is always a good idea to grab a nice Gelato right next to the Trevi.
I captured this picture at sunrise at the Colosseum (a keen eye would notice that there are no people around for that reason) and it is an absolute breathtaking view from the wall across.
One can just sit and wonder about the long and adventurous history that this monument and this city has seen over the years.
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