A Family Weekend in Rome.

Last weekend the family and I headed to Italy for my mum’s big 5-0. She had always wanted to go to Rome, so off we went to celebrate and have a weekend of culture and gelato! On our first day there on the Friday we decided to go and see The Colosseum, and save the Vatican for the weekend. We managed to do Palatine, The Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain all in one day, and as we were staying near Vatican City, it meant a full-on day of walking around the city for around six hours!
Altara della Patria Rome Italy

 

It was very overcast and pouring with rain on Friday which made taking photos annoyingly difficult, due to the bright white clouds in-between rain showers, however it turned out to benefit us as it meant the queue for The Colosseum halved during a huge downpour! We stuck it out and we got in within an hour, soaking wet, but triumphant.

So let me take you on a little (ha!) photo tour of our first day in Roma…
We started off by walking past the King’s Monument; Altare della Patria, which was built in memorial of the first King of Rome, Victor Emmanuel. It’s a huge white building just in front of Palatine. We walked around the back of the monument and up some steps towards a big church, searching for Palatine Hill, which is where Rome was founded in 1000BC!
Statue in Rome Italy

 

Nuns walking through a Piazza in Rome in front of a church

Behold, Palatine Hill. This is not only the location of the foundings of Rome, but also the site where it’s said that Romulus and Remus were found in a cave by the she-wolf who kept them alive until they were found by a shepherd and his wife. Rome got it’s name from Romulus and Remus, when they decided to build a city on the banks of the River Tiber.

Palatine Hill Rome Italy

 

Palatine Hill Rome Italy

 

Palatine Rome Italy

There are churches everywhere you turn in Rome, all beautiful in their own way and so huge and awe-inspiring!

Church in Rome, Italy

 

Church in Rome Italy

On our way to The Colosseum we decided we needed a coffee/gelato stop before we joined the huge queue, so we wandered down the back streets and stumbled across a small piazza with some cute cafes, with jasmine growing all over the walls of them.

Old Building in Rome Italy

 

Colourful old street in Rome Italy

 

Piazza in Rome Italy

 

Jasmine flower in Italy

 

Jasmine in Rome Italy

The gelato was ah-mazing, in fact I didn’t have a bad gelato the whole time we were in Italy! It really is the stuff dreams are made of. I had pistachio and chocolate, it was delicious.

Pistachio and Chocolate Gelato in Rome Italy
Finally we glimpsed the 2000 year old amphitheatre, and oh….it’s covered in scaffolding. Hm. Yep, ah well, it just meant we had to take strategic photos so as not to get the scaffolding in….
The Colosseum in Rome Italy

 

The Colosseum in Rome Italy
The Colosseum in Rome Italy

 

After an hour of queuing we finally got in. Word of advice: definitely book online in advance! Also make sure you go to the toilet before you queue, as when you do eventually get through, there’s then a massive queue for the toilets actually in The Colosseum!
It was incredible to see The Colosseum up close, for years I’ve seen it in photos and pictures and all of a sudden I was there in person. It was a shame about the scaffolding, as it really did ruin the effect of the building, but it was still impressive and absolutely magnificent. Just to stand there and think that thousands of years ago others were sitting there watching the entertainment held there just like we do at Wembley Stadium today. And what really amazed me was that patches of the original marble flooring are dotted around the place…
Marble floor of The Colosseum in Rome Italy
Inside of The Colosseum in Rome Italy

 

The Colosseum in Rome Italy

 

The Colosseum in Rome Italy

 

Detail of an original column at The Colosseum in Rome Italy
Wet street in Rome after the rain

After visiting the largest amphitheater in the world, we then had lunch at the most amazing pizza place down a little backstreet, where I had the best pizza of my whole entire life. The base was so thin and just delicious.

Pizza in Rome Italy

Feeling very full and happy, we then walked to The Pantheon, where the crowds were insane! Just LOOK how many people there were!

The Pantheon in Rome Italy

 

Crowds at The Pantheon in Rome Italy

It didn’t take too long to get in, but it was very packed inside, and it was just breathtaking to think how old this place is. Nearly 2000 years old! It’s just incredible, it blew my mind to just look at the design and construction and imagine what it would have been like thousands of years ago. The Pantheon was originally built as a temple to the Gods of Ancient Rome, however it’s been used as a Roman Catholic church since the 7th century. After The Pantheon we then headed over to the famous Trevi Fountain, which was even busier!

Trevi Fountain in Rome Italy

 

Trevi Fountain in Rome Italy
I managed to get a coupla pics without any people in them, but it was a real struggle. The problem with Rome is there are just tourists and tour groups everywhere, it’s the busiest city I’ve ever visited, and it actually made me feel really claustrophobic and stressed out. Anyway, that’s all for today, but I still have a few posts left from Rome so stay tuned for tomorrow’s one!
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Catherine Lux
Catherine Lux

Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.

Find me on: Web | Instagram

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6 Comments

  1. Unknown
    May 7, 2014 / 10:58 pm

    Your trip to Rome looks incredible. I've always wanted to visit Italy, even if it is to try the infamous gelato 🙂 xo

    PolkaDotLemon

    • Catherine Lux
      May 12, 2014 / 7:18 pm

      The gelato was ah-mazing! Definitely worth going just for that haha!

      C x

  2. LucyAndTheSky
    May 8, 2014 / 11:27 am

    I love this post, I'm going to Rome with my family in a few weeks and I can't wait! The pantheon is easily my favourite building in the city. Can't wait to see what else you got up to and happy birthday to your Mum! xxx
    La Lingua : Food, Life, Love, Travel, Friends, Italy

    • Catherine Lux
      May 12, 2014 / 7:18 pm

      Aw you'll have a fab time! It is a really incredible building, Rome is a beautiful city!

      C x

  3. char
    May 8, 2014 / 4:19 pm

    Rome is definitely somewhere I'd like to go one day – lovely photos!

    • Catherine Lux
      May 12, 2014 / 7:19 pm

      Yeh, it's a great place to visit, even just the once. I found the crowds too big to deal with though so wouldn't go back just because of that – it's the most touristy city I've ever been to!

      C x

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