I have been blessed to travel to Italy twice. My first trip was part of my high school spring break trip which we went to Florence & Rome. The scone time to Italy was with my sister in May 2009. This was the first ever trip my sister and I went on together as “adults.” I planned the entire trip and we both had a blast! We spent 10 days in Italy – 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Florence, and 3 nights in Milan. Today’s #ThrowBackTravel is Rome!
Once we arrived we checked into our hotel – which was a bed & breakfast walking distance from the Colosseum. Day 1 Itinerary included walking the Roman Forum, visiting the Colosseum, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I should add that we happen to have family in Rome and they spent the day with us and took us to all these lovely local places. It was a lovely first day in Rome!
Day 2 began at The Vatican. We went on Sunday and happened to stumble upon Sunday Mass. My sister went to a Catholic high school therefore she really enjoyed the experience After mass we climbed the Cupola (Dome) to get the best view of St. Peter’s Square. After the Vatican we hopped on the metro and went to the Spanish Steps. We bought some sandwiches from a local deli and had lunch on the steps and participated in people watching. Afterward we headed to Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.
For day 3 we booked a day tour to Capri. The tour was a great option since we had a limited amount of time and wanted to see Capri in a day. The bus left from Rome to Naples, then in Naples we got on a ferry to get to Capri. Once we got to Capri we immediately hopped on another boat to go to the Blue Grotto. Being able to visit Blue Grotto is unpredictable because it all depends on the tide, weather, and if it is safe or not. The Blue Grotto was such an experience! It was scary and exhilarating at the same time. I’m glad I didn’t think about it and just did it because in retrospect it was highly unsafe since I didn’t have a life jacket on and I really can’t swim – oops! After the Blue Grotto we spent the day in Capri and explored the island. In the evening we took the ferry back to Naples and took the bus back to Rome.
On the morning of our departure from Rome we went back to The Vatican to visit the Sistine Chapel since we weren’t able to do so on Sunday. As my sister said, “I’m not leaving Rome without seeing the Sistine Chapel!” Even though I have seen it before it still took my breath away. I’m a big art history nerd and honestly I spend half an hour just staring at the Sistine Chapel. It’s just remarkable.
After the Sistine Chapel we hopped on a bullet train and headed toward Florence.
Tune in next week for #ThrowBackTravel to Florence!
p.s. Make sure to enter the Jamberry Nails Giveaway here.
Giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET. Winner will be announced on Monday November 10!
Leave a Reply