Rome!

We had a great weekend in Rome! It is such a gorgeous city, but it has way too much to see in just two days. Despite being short on time, we really enjoyed the city and cannot wait to go back. We are starting to contemplate a trip back to Europe after the bar exam in July and, if we return, I am certain that a lot of our time will be spent in Rome.

We had an early morning flight out of Madrid, which went very smoothly despite the fact that Steve and I are avowedly NOT morning-people. We arrived to our hotel in Rome by 11am, loaded up on espresso and cappuccino, and went on our way. We walked to the Trevi Fountain:



and the Spanish Steps, before stopping for lunch. After lunch we took the subway across town to the Vatican.

We had tickets for 3pm, and spent the afternoon exploring the Vatican Museums and the Sistene Chapel. I had no idea the extent of the Vatican Museums. They were amazing! In hindsight, we were foolish to book tickets for 3pm, since that did not give us anywhere near enough time to see everything. The Sistene Chapel was also incredible to see, but is only one of so many amazing things at the Vatican.


After our visit in the museums, it was dark outside but we went to St. Peter's Basilica anyway. Amazing! Steve said he thinks this was his favorite site in Europe. It really was incredible, and was absolutely gorgeous at night. I would love to return and see the basilica and the square during the day, but it certainly was gorgeous.


We packed a lot into our first day in Rome, and finished the evening off with some tasty food at a cute restaurant near our hotel: Spaghetti with Clams and Veal Saltimboca for me; Gnocchi and Beef with Peppers for Steve. Delicious!

On Sunday we wanted to see ancient Rome. We went to the Coliseum, and joined up with a guided tour there. We explored the Coliseum, which was really cool! Obviously, it is really old, and it is so impressive to finally see in person.



The tour also took us through the Forum, which was incredible. I was really happy to have a guide for this part of the city, since I would have no idea what most of the ruins were without instruction. We learned some neat facts about the development of the city, and the Forum itself. A very cool morning!


After touring the ancient ruins, we stopped for a great pizza lunch. Margherita Pizza for Steve, and Grilled Vegetable Pizza for me. Plus vino. I love pizza in Italy!

In the afternoon, we did more walking: Piazza Venezia, Temple Adrian, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. We saw so much in our two days in Rome, but we really have so much more to see. I cannot wait to return! Rome is definitely a must-see city.