One Day in Rome – Part I

December 12, 2015December 12, 2015 by Julia In Travel 1 Comment

Rome – one of my most favorite cities

I knew Rome before, since I was there three times already. But my boyfriend wasn´t and so I was really excited to show him the city, or at least a part of the city. One day isn´t enough for this historical place after all!

For me, roman history was always the most exciting and I can´t even explain why. I mean, when you go to school in Germany, most of your history lessons are about World War II. This is justified to a certain extent but after a while, you want to learn something else…Maybe this is why roman history was a welcome change.

But there is another reason as well. Rome is fascinating, because it is unbelievable what people created 2000 years ago, without machinery or electricity. No matter where you go, you always see historical buildings right in front of you. Just amazing…

From Civitavecchia to Rome

Our cruise ship landed in Civitavecchia, a small town near Rome, where the port for cruise ships is located. Our cruise line offered a bus to Rome but it was expensive, about €60 per person. For my boyfriend and me it would have cost 120 Euro just to get to the city – no, thanks!

Therefore, we took the train to Rome, which was a good decision. It took us about 60 minutes to get to the city and with the BIRG ticket, it was both cheaper and faster than taking the bus. The ticket costs €12 and covers not only travel to and from Rome, but also unlimited use of buses, metro, and trams (streetcars) for the entire day in the city.

Of course, this is on your own risk and when you miss the departure of the cruise ship, it is your own problem. Just wanted to mention it…

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica was our first place of interest. As I mentioned before, I already knew Rome very well and all of its sights. Still, when I stand in front of this church, I can’t help it – I´m impressed. And I´m not even catholic…

However, my highlight was climbing to the top of St Peter’s Basilica, which I never did before. We took the elevator to the roof but then had to climb about 230 more steps to the top of the cupola. It was a nice morning workout, followed by a stunning view!

Castel Sant’Angelo

After leaving St. Peter’s Basilica, we passed Castel Sant’Angelo. Unfortunately there wasn´t enough time to go inside but I definitely recommend to do so. The interior is not as decorated or magnificent as in other buildings, but the solid walls are impressive and the view from the top is beautiful. And in the end it is what it was supposed to be; a massive fortress.

Piazza Navona

To be honest, I don´t really know how I feel about this place. It is definitely one of the most famous places in Rome, however, it is NOT, never was, and probably never will be one of my favorites. Why – I cannot even tell. Maybe because the Piazza Navona is always crowded, but so are all other sights. Thus, this cannot be the reason, but it is the only reason I have. I guess sometimes it just doesn´t feel right. Still, it is a beautiful place with historical buildings and famous fountains. And to be honest, a place that isn´t one of my favorites in Rome, is still one of my favorites in the world.

Time for lunch

How do you decide for a piece of chocolate in a room full of chocolate? Okay, I probably wouldn´t choose – I would eat them all, but you get the point…

To decide for a restaurant in Rome is difficult because they all look good. I made some restrictions – I wanted to sit outside, drink an Aperol Spritz and eat a pizza. You can imagine, that didn´t help…nearly all restaurants offer that. After comparing five exactly similar looking restaurant with each other, we just sat down at the earliest opportunity. That´s how you make a decision…