The Eternal city

History, culture, art, architecture, landmarks, religion, clubs, restaurants, shopping, romance, chaos... there aren't many places in the world where you can find all of these things. But one city not only has them all, but the superlative of each. An ancient capital with all the amenities of today. The centre of the catholic world, with some of the naughtiest night clubs. A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. The city is of course the capital of Italy, Rome. It is rare that I go back to city. But recently i visited Rome for the 3rd time. Not much had changed. Not much needs to. It's certainly not perfect, but has something for everyone from the novice tourist to the most hardened traveller.

Having been there before, not exactly a place known for being "off the beaten track", I only planned one full day for Rome. Which is more than enough to skim over the highlights. Most hostels are near the Roma Termini train station. being close enough to the sights, without paying through the nose, it was a good place to base myself. The first place i re-checked out, and the first place many tourist start their visit, is the iconic Colosseum (title picture). Centre of entertainment for the nearly 2,000 years, my last visit to Rome saw me watch a free Elton John concert here. Quite frankly, i don't really see much point paying to go inside, other than to see it. It's funny to see all the tourists who shelled out the 12 (or so) Euro, only to hang out on the balconies looking outwards. None the less, it is the Colosseum. From there, it's only a short walk to one of my favourite places, Trevi Fountain. Off the street, it's unusually quiet. And it's a great for people watching. Shockingly, pizza and snacks and such are too overpriced around the fountain, so sit for a while.

Just around the corner from Trevi, in yet another fairly quiet Piazza, is another of Rome's highlights. Built a few years before Christ, the Pantheon (not to be confused with the Parthenon) is a mammoth of a building. Originally built for the Gods of ancient Rome, it had to be big. actually it remains the largest reinforced concrete dome in the world, complete with skylight. But since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been a Roman Catholic Church, with the name "St. Mary and the Martyrs". The rotunda now holds the remains of several notable Italian. These include the first two kings of Italy, note the KINGS not the Emperors. But most people will recognise the tomb of Raphael. I'm pretty sure it's the painter, and not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Nearby, piazza Narvano is another cool square to check out. It is one of the most active with little rides, vendors and snack kiosks. Throw in a couple cute fountains and a few performers and you're only a tiger away from a full blown circus!
Crossing the river Tiber is anything from a chore with the beautiful Angels Bridge. And across the river is where you'll find another country. Although only given "permanent observer" status by the U.N., the Holy See (better known as the Vatican City) is a state within a state. Home to the Pope, and indeed the political heart of Christianity, this place is always crowded. But for the religiously devout, it is a sacred place. Free of charge, the only "hassle" is a security half-assed check. I'm pretty sure everyone in the line I was in made the metal detector buzz, but no one was stopped. The nearby Vatican Museum is worth checking out. While the general collection is ordinary, it is home to the world famous Sistine Chapel.
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This is just the tip of the iceberg of things to see and do in Rome, but they are some of my favourites. If short on time, the Trambus Open, and many others like it, can zip you around the sights for 20 Euro (hop-on, hop-off). But it really is by foot that Rome should be explored. Every piazza, every fountain, every statue, every everything are worth a stop, look and photo.