Going to Rome was the perfect opportunity to channel my inner Lizzie McGuire, and although I didn’t fall for a gorgeous Italian man or perform at some European Music Awards, I did manage to experience all of what Rome had to offer. Myself and two other friends planned this trip a few days after our exam and ultimately our last day of university, and it was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past three years and celebrate our achievements. We all shared similar ‘must-do’ lists, that included the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, The Forum, The Spanish Steps, The Pantheon and Vatican City, which made the trip very easy and surprisingly relaxing despite the amount of walking we did.
We booked an incredible place through Air B&B that was only a stones throw away from the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican City, a perfect location that allowed us to explore these usually crowed places during the evening. We were also five minutes away from a cosy yet lively side street that was filled with little restaurants, bars and the best gelato place in Rome!
On our first full day we all went on an open bus tour around the city which allowed us to see all the typical touristy attractions with ease. It sounds cliche but it was so surreal seeing the Trevi Fountain and the Coliseum, and its fair to say that I probably took too many photos of both of them! There wasn’t much structure to the trip except a to-do list but things changed when it came to finding tickets to go in the Coliseum, that queue is huge! Luck was somehow on our side and we managed to find a really cheap tour for both the Coliseum and the Forum with one of the nicest and sweetest tour guides in Rome.
After seeing the chaos of queuing outside the Coliseum, we tried planning our trip to the Vatican Museums but everything was super expensive so we deiced to get up early and queue without a tour and only needed up queuing for 40 mins. The chaos, however, was found inside, among the sea people that overwhelmed the endless corridors and exhibits making it difficult to truly appreciate the history of everything. Notre Dame will forever be my favourite Cathedral in the world but St Peters Basilica is a close second. Words can’t describe the grandness and the sensation that overcomes you after entering through its towering doors, if you plan on visiting Rome in the future make sure this is on you to-do list as it truly is breathtaking.
After consuming my body weight in pizza and taking far too many pictures we had to say goodbye to Rome and make our way back to the UK with bags packed with Italian biscuits and memories I know will last a lifetime.
A Fangirl's Opinion 