The Grandeur That Was Rome

I have known this phrase since I was young but I couldn’t remember anymore how I learned about it. I know it followed the phrase, “the glory that was Greece”. It must be when I had the English American Literature course in college that I came across the poem of Edgar Allan Poe. Somehow it struck me a vivid picture of Rome and how grand it could be. After that the dream of seeing Rome was conceived in my mind.

I’ve always wanted to visit Rome and since I’m here in Europe I thought it would then be easier for me to realise my dream. When my husband plans a trip I’d sometimes suggest we’d go to Rome but he’s always quick to say that the city’s crowded. Then I got my chance when I told him that I wanted to celebrate my birthday in Rome. He agreed.

Once there, my husband decided to visit the Vatican Museums first since it was just a walking distance from the hotel. Before we left for Rome he pre-ordered our tickets online so we didn’t have to stand in queue which turned out to be a good idea, knowing that Rome is one of the most visited cities in the world. And tourists will surely never miss the Vatican Museums.

The Vatican Museums was probably the most exhausting of all the places we’ve visited there. It wasn’t easy to find some place to sit when we got tired and when we finally headed towards the exit we were compelled to go down a wide spiral stairs because the elevator was for the disabled visitors only.

This is the only picture we have of the Sistine Chapel. There was a short mass when we got in and taking pictures was not allowed. A guard would shout if he saw anyone doing it. But I must admit the ceiling paintings (the Michael Angelo) were absolutely magnificent!

We called it a day after a tiresome tour of the Vatican Museums. The next day we hailed a taxi to see the Fontana di Trevi, also one of the most favorite places to see in Rome. As usual, it was crowded and it was quite hard to get any pictures without the crowd in it. We left the place with a feeling of satisfaction of just having been there.

Other famous landmarks of Rome that we’ve been to were the Collosseum, the Spanish Steps and the St. Peter’s Square. Of these three, the Collosseum must be the most instagrammed structure, perhaps, because of its enormity and distinction.

Rome seemed to be the oldest of all the cities we’ve seen in Italy. I am now convinced of the veracity of the phrase, “the grandeur that was Rome” and I thank my husband for taking me there to fulfill my dream despite his reluctance to see the city.