The Eternal City

As part of our upcoming cruise on the Thomson Majesty, we will be visiting Rome.

I am really looking forward to visiting Rome, the Eternal city, as I am fascinated by the Italian culture and way of life.

In Rome, classical ruins and early Christian places of worship stand next to – or lie beneath – Renaissance palazzos and Baroque fountains. But there are also great neighbourhood trattorias, quirky shops and a buzzing aperitivo scene. (Aperitivo means “opening your stomach for the feast that`s about to take place”).

I cannot wait to see all the fantastic sights, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Vatican. These are all places I have read about and heard about, but I will now actually get to visit them in the flesh.

Any trip to Rome would be incomplete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain. Nicola Salvi’s awe-inspiring Baroque masterpiece features a marble statue of Neptune at the center, surrounded by tritons. Legend has it that anyone who throws a coin in the fountain will return to Rome.

For those feeling energetic, a must do is to climb the Spanish Steps,  leading to the Trinita dei Monti church.

The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. Construction was started in 70AD, and opened 10 years later.

The Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome, , is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s home to the Pope and a trove of iconic art and architecture. Its Vatican Museums house ancient Roman sculptures, and also a must see, the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling.

I will give a full account of our time in this wonderful city when I get back.

As they say “When in rome…….”

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