Remembering Rome

The dome ceiling of the Pantheon

I was a little anxious heading towards Rome because I had heard from multiple people that it wasn't much more than a big, dirty city. Considering my country roots and love for fresh air, this wasn't exactly a description that had me on the edge of my seat. Needless to say, they were wrong. Rome is amazing, with more surviving historical landmarks than any other city I can think of and a nightlife that rivaled both London and Paris.

The Pantheon

After a seven hour bus ride from Venice, we arrived at our hotel ready for a big dinner and some much loved Italian vino. Alexa, Justine and I decided to skip the guided tour of Rome and do our own exploring instead. We ambled past the Spanish steps and unintentionally stumbled upon the Pantheon. The massive, dome shaped temple demands admiration and once inside, people are silenced by it's strong presence and smooth marble floors. A huge hole in the ceiling that allows a silhouette of the sun or moon to be cast on the walls brings to mind the ancient use of the Pantheon as a center for Pagan worship.

Piazza Navona

We continued wandering west until we entered the Piazza Navona, a square filled with outdoor cafes and vendors as well as a massive fountain of the oceanic god, Neptune. The square was once used as a track for Chariot races in ancient Rome. Here we stopped for an Italian pasta dinner.  We decided to keep exploring for dessert and headed further west to follow the Tiber River during sunset. We turned back into the heart of the city where we were rewarded with my favorite kind of setting, crowded brick alley ways absolutely filled with outdoor seating, buskers, and cafes. It was going to turn Alexa's birthday at midnight so we stopped at a small cafe for dessert and drinks. After enjoying my very rich chocolate mousse we met up with the rest of our group, finished with their tour, in front of the Trevi Fountain. The fountain consists of the large central figure of Neptune the Sea God, riding a seashell chariot pulled by two sea horses. The huge fountain was exceptionally beautiful at night and hundreds of people were gathered around it, drinking wine and enjoying the beautiful summer night. 

The Trevi Fountain

The warm air and friendly atmosphere convinced us to head to some local bars for a taste of the Roman night life. After smoking Hookah and drinking Moscow Mules (my all time favorite cocktail) Alexa, Justine, Brenda and I decided that the night was still young. We walked a few blocks and found a club called "Moody" which seemed fun enough so we descended the stairs to the sound of house music. Despite the very expensive, very weak drinks they were serving, the club was a lot of fun. We spent a few hours dancing and perfected the art of making a tight circle of girls, impenetrable to guys who didn't seem to understand the meaning of "No, I don't want to dance with you." The club closed at 4:30 but we still hadn't experienced enough of Rome and, we realized with a shock, we still hadn't seen the Colosseum. We ended the night by taking a taxi to the Colosseum where we arrived just in time to see it with a backdrop of the morning stars and the black sky just starting to turn a lighter, misty blue. This led to, as I'm sure you can imagine, a pretty awesome first impression of Rome's most magnificent structure.

The Colosseum at 5:30 a.m.