R O M E !

Dear blogger,

Here I am again, back in Belgium. Last week I went to Rome with my schoolmates. It was a great experience and interesting to see the city except for a lot of stone and old buildings but you have to love it I guess. In this blog I’ll explain you what we’ve done and seen in one of the oldest cities in the world.

This year we went by plane for the first time. It was also my very first time so it was very exciting. Monday afternoon we travelled to Bologna where our hotel was located. Rather it was a bed and breakfast and it was called Roma Scout center. In my opinion the bed AND the breakfast were alright! ;) 

As the inhabitants of Rome usually do we also took the metro to travel around the city. In Rome there are 2 lines with a train central station in Termini.Monday we visited the Trevifontein and Piazza di Spagna where the Spanish stairs and Fontana della Barcaccia are located. The square is called Piazza di Spagna because of the Spanish embassy which is also located there. When you climb the stairs you can see the Obelisk of Sallustius. 

Day 2 we had to leave early to visit the Colosseum. This amphitheater is the most impressive building in Rome. After we walked to the Palatine, one of the 7 hills on which Rome is built. On this hill we can also find a lot of sights for example the Forum Romanum. Here we saw a lot of ruins, temples and triumphal arches. The holy stairs were later in the program. When we wanted to climb the stairs a priest told us we were not allowed to because our skirts were too short and our shoulders weren’t covered. Upstairs we could see the holiest place on earth. In a little room where the relics of Christ were kept in a little altar.

Wednesday it was time for a little city game. By playing the game we visited the Pantheon. It’s a temple built between 118 and 125 AD. We also saw the impressive square Piazza Navona. Originally this square was an athletics track and that’s why it has this round shape. Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls was also in the program. This is one of the largest basilicas in Rome.

Of course we could not skip Vatican City while we were in Rome. We did a guided tour though the Sistine Chapel, the St. Peter’s Basilica and the many museums in Vatican City. It was very impressive to see the paintings of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and especially ‘the creation of Adam’.

Finally I’d like to tell you something about the Italian food. Pasta, pizza, anti-pasti, ice cream, all sorts of coffee… You can find it all in Rome. A lot of little restaurant are located on the Trastevere, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Rome.

If you want to see all this impressive sights yourself, do not miss a visit to Rome!