I’ve been to Rome before but never hit the tourist spots – this time, I went all out.
1. The Sistine Chapel
Twice, I’ve whisked past the Holy City on the back of my cousin’s Vespa and decided not to join the queues to go inside. This time, I beat the crowds by booking a Vatican Express early-morning tour with darkrome.com. At about $110, this wasn’t cheap, but it sure was worth it. The Ginger and I met our group at 7.15am, getting inside before the hordes and the heat. Michelangelo’s famous ceiling is a jaw-dropper, as is his wall painting behind the altar. But the galleries on the way to the chapel are also breathtaking. This tour was very well organised and I’d recommend it in a heartbeat.
Heavenly heights: The magnificent domed basilica is truly a sight to behold.
2. St Peter’s Basilica
After the Sistine Chapel, you’re left with 20 minutes or so to explore the grand, gorgeous insides of the domed basilica. It probably is the most beautiful church in the world and I’ve seen a few. Leave some energy, though, to get to the top of that dome. Pay $3 extra and take the elevator, not the first 320 steps, to the viewing platform inside the dome, where you can look down into the church. But there’s another 300 steps (claustrophobics need not apply) to the top, where the views over the Vatican City and Rome will knock your socks off. Afterwards, send your mum a postcard and rosary beads from the Vatican’s post office.
3. Trevi Fountain
Yes, you have to see it, but I implore you to do so early in the morning unless you love throngs of slow-moving, over-heated selfie-stick holders. My Ginger came up with several suggestions for what to do with said sticks and none of them involved taking photos. Actually, the Vatican is a different place at 6am too, plus you get to cross the River Tiber and see the Eternal City at rest. Or there are all sorts of night tours you can do in Rome, but we were there in August, when a lot of things don’t happen because the Romans are on holiday. I can see why – it’s hot as.
Rome if you want to … or beat the crowds as I did by taking the “Vatican Express”.
4. The Colosseum
OK, for the third time I didn’t go inside this. However, I did get sensational views of it from the Palatine Hill – one of the most ancient parts of the city, which looks down on the Roman Forum and across at the famous amphitheatre. Strolling around the ruins from the Palatine vantage point and looking at its neighbours, you get a sense of what ancient Rome must have been like. It also has a lot of established trees, so there’s shade and, maybe because it involves a bit of walking, it wasn’t crowded.
Towering 70 metres above the city, Palatine Hill offers up amazing views.
5 Mangiare!
Good food is hard to come by near the big attractions, but we managed a refreshing aperitivo and a caprese salad at the cheesy That’s Amore near the Trevi Fountain. Emma Pizzeria near the Pantheon appears rustic and small from outside, but there’s a huge modern room inside and the pizzas are great. Right across the road, we also discovered a great locals’ bar. Go there first for a prosecco. But if you can, get out to one of Rome’s lesser-visited neighbourhoods. Take a stroll around the Pigneto district with its Cuba Street vibe and plethora of unfussy hipster bars. Or head to San Giovanni (where my cousin lives) for yummy food at Tramonti e Muffati. Away from the famous Spanish Steps, the food improves a hundredfold – and so do the prices!
