NextStop #1 - Traveling through Rome, it truly wasn't built in a day

I first traveled to Rome in 2012, since then I'm fascinated with the city whose cultural history shaped Europe in so many ways. Here are some of my experiences that I had on my first visit to the city.

The Trevi Fountain at night

Getting into the city

Rome has two airports. One is the Leonardo da Vinci airport (called Fiumicino) and the other one being Ciampino airport which is used by many budget Airlines. I always try to fly to the Fiumicino, since it has an easy train connection with the city center. The train, called "Leonardo Express" drives every 30 minutes to the main station in Rome. From there you can take the metro - which is limited because half of ancient Rome is underground, bus or get a cab. Driving through Rome in a cab can be quite a breathtaking experience, probably only beaten by eating soup on a roller coaster (not that I have ever tried).

The Colosseum - a must visit

The Arch of Constantine - build in AD 315![rome (18).jpg]

Traffic in Rome, or, in other words, can cars smell your fear?

Because Rome is such an ancient city, the best way to describe the road system is a plate of Spaghetti. Wide open streets suddenly turn into a narrow nightmare. Cars, scooters and people, all compete for an opportunity to get from A to B. For a true roman this is not a problem and part of the daily life, but for someone who is entirely new to the city, this chaos can be something you first need to get used to. Once you have, discovering Rome by foot is a great way to get to know the city!

Walking, is a perfect way to discover the city

Sightseeing in Rome

Rome’s history spans more than 2500 years and if you are interested in cultural endeavors then Rome is the perfect city for you. The cultural offering is matched by no other city in my opinion and can be found at almost every street corner. As a matter of fact, there is so much to see, that you must be careful not to become indifferent to the many things the city has to offer.

The Pantheon

Not much is left of the Circus Maximus - I still found this place fascinating, imagining all the things that happened here

There are the typical sightseeing places which you should visit like the Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon and of course the Vatican. The Vatican Museum on its own, has so much to see, including of course the Sistine chapel which next to the museum, that you can easily spend two days there to truly appreciate everything. If you don't want to stand in line, you can buy tickets online http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html

The Altare della Patria - Monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, first king of a unified Italy

St. Peter's Basilica

Obelisk on St. Peter's Square

The Vatican Museum

Food

Yes, you are in Italy and of course, the first thing you can eat is a Pizza. However, Pizza is not the most typical Roman dish. What I really recommend is Roman pasta. Once you have eaten pasta in Rome, you will probably never eat it again somewhere else, especially the world-famous "Spaghetti alla Carbonara" or “Bucatini all’Amatriciana”. I also highly recommend Bruschetta which is garlic bread with olive oil and toppings such as cheese, meat and tomato. They remind me a little bit of the Spanish Tapas. To satisfy your sweet tooth, there is no better place than "Pompi". Famous for making the best Tiramisu in Rome, it opens from 7 in the evening until 1:30 at night. If you must wait in line, believe me, it’s worth it!
http://www.barpompi.it/

This little fella probably does not care a great deal about Pasta

The Torre Argentina, is the home of hundreds of cats that live there in ancient Roman ruins.

Rome a city you should visit more than once!

Rome has so much to see and to offer. Seeing the city for the first time can be quite overwhelming as there is so much to discover. The history, the food, the people – who are like many Italians anything but introverted. Whether you want to go to Rome for just one weekend or maybe even longer, the city is always worth a visit or as Italian Painter and Architect Giotto di Bondone put it best - Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.