A few weeks ago in the lovely month of May I was lucky enough to take a European holiday. Eight days of pure vacation bliss. Our trip consisted of three legs, the first stop being Rome, Italy, then off to Nice, France and finally rounding out the journey in Barcelona, Spain. Never traveling anywhere in my short (or long, depending on who you ask) 28 years other than throughout the continental United States, I was unsure of what to expect, but enthusiastically anxious to find out.
Upon my return, the first question that everyone seemed to ask was, “which country did you enjoy visiting most?” a difficult question to answer – each so beautiful and unique in their own special ways – so that is why I have decided to dedicate a blog to each of these incredible countries. Hopefully through my little adventure I can either convince you to visit these destinations, if you haven’t already, or if you have, then at the very least open your eyes to an aspect of the country you never explored or noticed before.
The first thing I will say is long flights are not my friend. Any hopes of catching some Z’s during our eight-hour flight from Philadelphia to Rome were quickly dispelled. A lack of leg room mixed with an endless selection of free premium movie’s right at my finger tips and the group of drunk and rowdy tourists sitting directly behind me was a recipe for sleepless disaster. Regardless, the day ahead of us surely made up for it. Touching down at 9am in one country, we were in another within 2 hours flat. That’s right, our first stop was straight to the Vatican, the world’s smallest country, and home to the Pope. I was completely in awe of everything that I saw, from the ancient structures to cracking mosaics and seemingly frozen in time paintings. Standing underneath the Sistine Chapel was a sight I thought I might never witness in person. To say what Michelangelo painted left me breathless would be an understatement. The detail, the precision, the sheer magnitude of the work is remarkable. Although photos are “forbidden” I was able to snap a quick shot J
From the Vatican, it was off to the Colosseum for a tour of the arena a dusk. Being a huge fan of the movie Gladiator growing up, or in actuality of Russell Crowe, this tour was one that I most looked forward to, and trust me it did not disappoint. While the structure is only bits and pieces of what it used to be in its heyday, standing in the Colosseum where the Roman’s once gathered for special events to cheer on the warrior of choice while these gladiators and exotic animals from across the world battled to the death was quite a sight to see. Especially being able to witness the intricate architecture and network of underground rooms, training facilities and cages by candlelight made it even all that more eerily beautiful.
Day two in Rome has to be one of my favorites though. We traveled with another couple, best friends of my boyfriend who have been dating for three years. Well needless to say after that introduction it probably should come as no surprise that an engagement took place. Standing in front of the famous Trevi Fountain was where the question was popped and it was pure perfection. Instead of the crowd of hundreds throwing their pennies into the water or snapping photos for social media, everyone was fixated on the newly engaged couple. And of course she said yes! From there the day was filled with champagne and exploration of the sites and back streets of this beautiful cobblestone city underneath a perfectly blue sky. From the Pantheon to the Spanish Steps and finally ending in the Piazza Navona for a beautiful meal filled with an intricate, and entirely too big, cheese platter.
Long story short, Rome was absolutely stunning. Every step you took, every street you turned down, every seemingly random church you happened upon was magnificently old and unique in its own way. You couldn’t help but ask yourself what stories these walls could tell if they could? How many centuries had they seen? The tour guides affectionately referred to it this city as Lasagna, a city of layers, and that it was.
The Colosseum at night
The Pantheon
The Trevi Fountain
Meat & Cheese Platter in the Piazza Novana
The Sistine Chapel
The Piazza Novana
