Rome

Rome is one of the most magical cities on earth - a city that should be on every person’s list of must see places. There’s so much to see here and, unlike many cities, every one of the main tourist attractions is incredible. This is one of those rare cities where you can follow the well worn tourist track and not be disappointed. A few of my favourite tourist spots in Rome are:

The Coliseum

Even more extraordinary than you expect it to be The Coliseum feels almost unreal - it’s that hard to take on board the age, story and place in history it has. The fact that it’s still so in tact is what makes it mesmerizing. It’s a good idea to have a guide with you, as there’s so much detail you’ll otherwise miss.

The Forum

Just across the road from The Coliseum, The Forum always takes me back to classical studies and Latin class at school (caecelius est in horto, melissa est in atrium). It’s a ruin so once again it is a good idea to have a guide to help you decode it a little but even without that it’s pretty magical. I always liked the ancient sign post which marked all the roads out of Rome and is what the phrase, “All roads lead to Rome” refers to. After visiting Rome I can recommend having a home film festival of all the great ancient Roman films: Cleopatra, Ben Hur, Spartacus, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Gladiator.

The Pantheon

The most extraordinary of the ancient Roman tourist spots is The Pantheon. It’s 2000 years old but there’s no need for imagination to get an idea of what this was like when it was first built because it’s still in perfect condition. Apart from the magic of being in such a perfectly preserved building The Pantheon is also extraordinary as a feat of engineering and architecture. The top half of the building is a perfect half sphere and the lower half mirrors the height of the top half so a giant sphere would fit perfectly into the space.

The Trevi Fountain

On the first day of my first trip to Rome we wandered out of our little back street hotel and found ourselves looking smack bang at the Trevi Fountain. I felt like I was in some 50’s Hollywood romantic comedy. The fountain really is very pretty and it is a great spot to rest and enjoy a gelato.

The Spanish Steps

Just a few minutes walk from the Trevi are The Spanish Steps. Again, it’s very postcardy but is still charming. The cafes and shops around this area are also excellent. It’s definitely a part of Rome you can easily hang out in just watching the crowd.

The Vatican

You have to allow at least a full day for The Vatican and quite easily two days. The Vatican is even more extraordinary than you imagine it to be. If you’re Catholic, it’ll confirm that you’re on the right team and if you’re not, you’ll want to sign up. It’s one of the most beautiful and astounding places on earth. The highlights for me are the Swiss Guards who look like they’re in fancy dress and the senior priests getting out of chauffeur driven town cars wearing priest’s cassocks and carrying brief cases. In my last Vatican visit I most enjoyed seeing a young police officer lying on the bonnet and windscreen of his police car, snoozing behind his aviators with his machine gun resting across his belly; and eavesdropping on two young security guards in the pope’s treasury chatting up a couple of cute young Japanese girls, offering them a private tour of the museum after hours. Only in Italy.