Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

Aside from its historical significance, Rome is without a doubt a social icon and landmark. It has made its way into movie classics such as La Dolce Vita and the memorable Roman Holiday starring the irreverent Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Its monuments have amazed and awestruck us; it has become a part of everyday lingo "all roads lead to Rome", "When in Rome" and the classic "Rome wasn't built in a day". True Rome wasn't build in a day but can is it possible to be seen in a day?

Scholars and educated men and women have discussed this very issue for hundreds of years and have come to the same conclusion...No. But I, my friends, must contradict this statement, in fact I have proved it wrong completely. Sure it is impossible to see every inch of Roma, hit every cafe, enjoy a scoop or two in every Gellateria and pray in every church but for the Roma rookie you can see the hot spots of the Eternal City.

I did this several times during my stay in Roma but I repeated it in the summer of 2007 with my family. Don't get me wrong it was grueling to keep my parents going and my then 14 year old sister away from the shops; but we fought the lines, burning sun and urge to spend and banged out the main sights in 1 day. Wondering how? Well let me give you a brief run through.


Wake up Early!
This is important because most tourists forget that even though they are on vacation, to beat the lines you must wake up early. Unfortunately I suck at this so we didn't leave our hotel until 11 a.m. haha, what can ya do?

Piazza del Popolo
I recommend a very linear approach to start and hit one of the most gorgeous piazzas. You can walk through the Porta del Popolo the northern entrance way on the Aurelian wall that is gorgeous and remarkably still intact. In this piazza you will see the gorgeous fountains and obelisk as well as visit the infamous "Twin Churches" the Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. After taking pictures in the piazza where beheadings took place until the mid 1800s walk in between the Twin Churches down the most famous road in Rome...

Via del Corso
Once a road used for chariot races and renovated in the 1700s to the Baroque style you now see, this roughly 1.5 kilometer long street is now filled with shops and cafes. It is a beautiful road to window shop have a bite to eat and see many street artists. Take a short side street to end up at the...

Spanish Steps
This beautiful staircase is very commonly filled with natives and tourists enjoying the gorgeous piazza. Enjoy the ritzy hotels and shops that frankly I could never and will never afford...plain and simple they are expensive and yes that is a real store in Rome. Now slide through some very elegantly old school side streets and all of a sudden see a massive opening where you come upon...

The Trevi Fountain
Probably the most gorgeous (and well hidden) fountains in Rome you will constantly see people tossing coins over their shoulders to ensure they will return to see the fountain again. On a food related note, one of the best Gellaterias is located next to the Trevi Fountain. Now hop back onto Via del Corso (just a side street away) and finish your walk down to Piazza Venezia most famous for...

The Vittoriano
Also known as "Zuppa Inglese", "the wedding cake", "the false teeth" and "the typewriter", the Vittoriano is a contraversial monument in Rome. Inaugurated in 1911, this gigantic building was created to honor Victor Emmanuele II, the first King of unified Italy as well as holds a tomb and an eternal flame for the "Unknown Soldier" a tomb designed to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers whose bodies were never recovered. Many dislike it due the fact that it does not fit with the Medieval feel of the neighborhood, the fact that it is covering a large portion of the ancient Roman Forum and mainly because Benito Mussolini used it as his podium while delivering speeches in WWII. Swing around the Vittoriano to..

The Roman Forum
Much of the forum is excavated including the infamous senate building and monument to Julius Caesar where his remains were buried. This is one of the most amazing places to visit, it has been restored so that you can walk the paths that many great Romans walked and to see inside the Senate building, well it is just remarkable. Now walk down the Sacra Via, where Roman armies would march after a victory at war down to the man, the myth, the legend...

The Colosseum!
Not much needs to be said about this infamous monument. It was the focus point of Rome for centuries and still is today. Once a place where gladiators fought and sadly where Christians were persecuted, it is now a historical "must see" and is very rarely used as a venue for concerts. Commonly surrounded by tourists and men in Gladiator costumes for you to take pictures with, it has not lost is power because every time I went to see it I was taken aback; it truly is amazing. When the Colosseum fell and Christianity took over Rome much of the travertine that coated the exterior was used to build churches all over Rome, a big F U to the past.

So there it is Rome in one long exhausting day and technically The Vatican is it's own country so it isn't part of Rome haha. And sure you did not see everything and there is still much more you can see but hey, that's why you tossed the coin into the Trevi Fountain right?

Natale nel Vaticano

Seeing as how it is that time of the year, I thought I would share with you all a small article I read about the Christmas tree in Piazza di San Pietro in Vatican City:

"Vatican's Christmas tree lit

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican's tallest Christmas tree is twinkling in St. Peter's Square. The Vatican says the 109-foot (33-meter) red spruce from Austria's Piesting Valley is the tallest since Pope John Paul II started the tradition of setting up a tree in the square in 1982. Hundreds of pilgrims from Austria sang carols in the pouring rain Saturday as the tree was officially unveiled.

It is decorated with 2,000 gold and silver balls, white lights and a shining star. It stands next to a larger-than-life-sized Nativity scene which will be unveiled Christmas Eve. Pope Benedict XVI met with the Austrian pilgrims Friday to thank them for the tree, saying it would give him joy to see it from his apartment window."

I also found an article that I found to be really interesting and cool. The Vatican will be recycling their tree this year and making wooden toys out of it to donate to children. I wonder what they do with the one in Rockefeller Center?

"Big Vatican Christmas tree to be recycled into toys

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The largest Christmas tree ever to be placed in St Peter's Square in Rome was lit on Saturday and Vatican officials said its wood will be recycled to make toys for needy children.
The 33-meter-high tree, which came from the forests of southern Austria, was lit at an afternoon ceremony as rain that has brought the nearby Tiber River to one of its highest levels in decades started again after a one-day break. The Vatican said all the wood from the 120-year-old tree will be recycled to make toys for needy children and garden furniture such as benches for schools.

The decision to recycle the wood from the tree was the Vatican's latest effort to go green. Last month it activated a large system of solar panels on the roof of its audience hall and announced an ambitious plan that could one day make it an alternative energy exporter. "