Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) was my favorite spot in Rome. There was just something magical about this place. I went there on the first night in Rome, then on a few other occasions. In fact, I went there so early one day that the fountain was off and people were still cleaning it. It was so quiet and free of people though that I didn't mind the fountain not operating.

And of course, I threw in a coin to secure my chance of visiting Rome again in the future.

Altare della Patria, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona

Altare della Patria, also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II or "Il Vittoriano," holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame.

I love how a horse carriage can share the road with cars in Rome.





The Pantheon -- quite grand on the outside.





The interior of the Pantheon was even more impressive:



Raphael was buried in the Pantheon. The inscription read: "Here lies that famous Raphael by whom Nature feared to be conquered while he lived, and when he was dying, feared herself to die." It's so elegantly written.

Piazza Navona was supposed to be one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome, but it was just ok to me. There were too many street vendors selling reproduction of the same paintings to tourists. Snooze.



The sides of the piazza were filled with cafes.

Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill - Part 2

Continuing from Part 1 ...

After visiting the Colosseum, we walked over to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.


The impressive entrance






Palatine Hill was a whole lot of ancient ruins ...


The view from Palatine Hill as amazing though!


Roman Forum

Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill - Part 1

In Rome, we stayed at Hotel Colonna Palace. It was located opposite to the Parliament building in Piazza di Montecitorio, so we were constantly surrounded by police and protesters. It was your standard hotel; nothing special about it.

We started our vacation with a visit to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. The history behind the Colosseum and the Roman Forum was fascinating. It was unbelievable that structures that old would still be standing today.The Patatine Hill was interesting, but it was all uphill (as the name suggested).

You can purchase a Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill combination ticket online that is valid for two days. You do have to pay a fee to buy the tickets online, but it's worth not having to wait in line.


Colosseum


Inside the Colosseum






Can you imagine being a gladiator?




Colosseum at night


The Arch of Constantine was under maintenance ...

More pictures to come!

Yay! New Blog!

Someone convinced me to start a blog documenting my super awesome trip to Europe. So, here it goes!

The hubster and I went to Rome, Paris, and Barcelona for two weeks in March 2014. Being a city girl at heart and a museum-lover, Europe is my ideal vacation destination. I took about a gazillion pictures, so it'll take a while to go through all of them. Here are a few to start:


Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy


Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City


Eiffel Tower in Paris, France


Casa Batlló in Barcalona, Spain

Stay tuned for more pictures and details of our trip!