All roads lead to Rome.

I don't think I need to say what this is!!

It is said that all roads lead to Rome, this most ancient of cities, once centre of the world.

I have been to Rome before, it was my first taste of Italy and I loved it then and I loved it just as much this time around, maybe even more, when our road led us to Rome.

We arrived there last Wednesday by train from Florence; we had found a cool little studio to stay in over the river Tiber in the Trastevere district, mere minutes from the ruins of ancient Rome.

Enroute to our new abode I had a little accident. Now I am known for being a little unsteady underfoot so this will come a no surprise to those of you used to seeing me on the floor, there I was lugging my stupidly overfull and very heavy bag along Rome’s cobbles when my bag got caught in a hole of a missing cobble and due to the sheer weight of my non-capsule wardrobe the bag pulled me back and under it!!! Leaving me sprawled on the floor with my bag on top of me!!! Not very fa la bella figura is it???? A lesson learnt, travel lighter in future!!!!

Anyway, our apartment was great, albeit surrounded by hundreds of bars (we had been warned by the very nice owner at time of booking, I like that kind of honesty) but it had double glazing and I do not travel anywhere without earplugs so all was fine, apart from my grazed and bleeding elbow!!!

We spent three nights in Rome, we visited all the sights as we had before (though didn’t bother queuing hours to get in this time especially as it was near on 40 bloody degrees!!!) and words cannot describe what an magnificent city it is, it is just a constant feast for the senses, the ruins are incredible, so much so you can just imagine what it must have been like in the days of the ancient romans, the buildings that are still intact such as the Pantheon and the Colosseum are just awe inspiring and it sounds so cheesy but you can just feel the history, and the fact that all this still remains for us mere mortals to still see is just unbelievable. Add into that a mighty portion of great shopping, cool bars, fabulous restaurants and it just does not get any better.

Rome is an enormous city and it was madly busy with tourists, much more so than when I had visited before, and we were also experiencing hotter than normal temperatures (obviously as we were there) but we found that you can still escape the madding crowds and find quiet shady spots, stumble upon quiet piazza’s with beautiful buildings, come across parts of hidden ruins and just sit and watch the world go by as it has for centuries over (much more reasonably priced) a coffee, just to be there and be part of such an amazing place makes you feel very lucky.

Although we thought we had done all the main tourist sights last time we were there we found that we had only just scratched the surface and come across so much more, even in the places we thought we had already looked. It is another one of those places that you just kind of have to get lost and let the city guide through. Down shaded passageways littered with traces of the cities rich past, along imposing avenues dominated by centuries old formidable architecture, up stairwells leading to hilltop palaces with vista’s spanning the city old and new, the winding streets leading to the splendour of the Vatican City in all of its glory. Ahhh ‘tis a beautiful place.

The romans may well have been a cruel and violent force to be reckoned with at the height of their power but by god did they know how to build the most perfect city and their descendants continue to make this one of my most favourite places in the world.

the mighty Pantheon

ancient rome

castle angelo surrounded by Bernini's angels

Piazza Venezia

Trevi fountain

I just know I will be back again and again.