I mean, having watched movies like "Gladiator" and "Angels and Demons", of which the latter was one I watched again and again, it was like a dream come true to finally set foot in this beautiful city which boasts a two-and-a-half-thousand-year history.
Even though we only had a day which was totally inadequate. But you see, there's honestly too much to see in this world and yet too little time (and money), so it's still better to have been there and seen that than not to have had the chance at all.
Yes, I'm lucky, I know.
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We looked through the list of excursions that MSC Fantasia provided in Rome and in wanting to make the best of time, we decided to fork out the extra cash and embarked on an excursion called The Grand Tour of Rome, the Eternal City.
It combined two of the most important aspects of Rome: Antiquity and Christianity.
Considering that it took a 1.5-hour bus ride to get from the port of Civitavecchia to Rome itself, leaving us merely less than 5 hours for visiting, it was an achievement that we visited some of the most famous attractions here including The Colosseum, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and of course the not to be missed Vatican City.
We were indeed thankful to have the chance to enter the Colosseum and admire the ruined but nonetheless impressive sight of this monumental structure. Well, that's one of the 7 wonders checked off the list for now.
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Standing at 26 metres high and 20 metres wide, the Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most beautiful fountains in the world. This impressive monument dominates the small Trevi square located in the Quirinale district.
The central figure of the fountain is Neptune, God of the Sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm while the other one is restless, symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea.
Some myths also say that throwing two coins will lead to a new romance and three coins will ensure either a marriage or a divorce. Well, I'm hoping we don't need any of these two ever but to come back to the Eternal City, why not try my luck with one coin?
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The Pantheon is a circular building which was commissioned as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome. Almost two thousand years after it was built, its dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.
At the top of the dome is a large opening, called the oculus, which remains as its source of light. With its thick brick walls and large marble columns, the Pantheon makes an deep impression on visitors. It is one of the best preserved of all Roman buildings and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church.
The Pantheon borders the Piazza della Rotonda, a rectangular square with a central fountain, Fontana del Pantheon, surmounted by a Egyptian obelisk.
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Piazza Navona is also one of Rome's liveliest squares and is always bustling with visitors in its many outdoor cafes, shops, estaurants and night clubs in the neighborhood.
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Home to just over 800 residents, the Vatican City, or often called "The Holy See", is not just the smallest independent state by area, but by population size as well. That said, you have probably seen and can imagine how thousands of people gather in St. Peter's Square to hear blessings from the Pope or to participate in religious events. Inside the square, which is actually more of a circle, visitors are surrounded by two huge colonnades, with 284 columns arranged in 4 rows, atop which stands 140 saints.
In the center of the square stands a prominent 25.5 meters tall Egyptian obelisk made of red granite supported on bronze lions. Matching magnificent fountains are situated on either side of the obelisk.
In Roman Catholic tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles. Tradition and some historical evidence points that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica.
On our way out, we saw some of the famous Swiss guards. They have been the guards of the Vatican and the pope in particular. All entrants to the army must be Swiss, catholic and they must take the oath of loyalty to the pope.
All in all, Rome and the Vatican left us in awe and we were glad that we could at least spend a day in this awesome, historical and truly beautiful city.
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Have you wondered why Rome was called Rome, or rather Roma in Latin? Well, people say that this is also a city of love because the word for love in Latin is Amor, and when you spell it backwards, what do you get?
I'm definitely loving the Eternal City and who knows, maybe one day when the hubby and I are all wrinkled and old, we might fly back here to spend Valentine's Day and feel the love in the air once more.