Monumental white classical building with quadriga statues on top against bright blue sky in Rome.

Rome — A Gift Journey

My mother's birthday was approaching, and my brother and I were thinking about what kind of surprise she would really appreciate. We wanted it to be an experience rather than a material gift. My mum is a huge fan of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and she'd always wanted to see the Vatican, so Rome seemed like the obvious choice.
Yes, this would be the perfect gift — a whirlwind trip to the Italian capital for a few days.

I had looked into accommodations and plane tickets, but in the meantime, it turned out that my brother wouldn't be able to join us. I was sorry to hear that, but I hoped it would still be an unforgettable experience for the two of us. The gift was a big surprise and everyone was happy. We started planning what we could fit in the time and what was worth seeing.

"So let's get started and soak up history and art."
Picturesque Italian street view with ochre buildings and church tower visible between buildings.
Cafe terrace with purple bougainvillea cascading down ochre building wall in Rome.

DAY ONE

first impressions

After an early morning flight, we landed in Rome and our airport transfer dropped us off almost in the centre of the city. We were immediately fascinated by the window displays filled with pastries, giant porchetta sandwiches and mortadella piadinas. Luckily, the weather was great, as a storm had broken out the night before, according to the phone weather forecast.

The first thing we came across was the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. A beautiful building from the outside, but there was a huge queue to get in and a security check at the entrance, so we decided to see the inside another day.

Ornate Baroque church facade with grand columns and statues decorating the entrance steps.
Tall Roman column stands prominently in a bustling Italian city square with historic buildings and parked cars.
Silhouette of a monument column against bright blue sky with dramatic backlighting.
Ornate mosaic of Madonna and child within a circular frame mounted on a historic stone building wall with decorative lamp.
Narrow Italian street with warm-colored buildings and a church dome visible in the distance against bright blue sky.
Narrow cobblestone street in Rome with ochre buildings leading to historic church facade.

We wandered through the narrow cobbled streets without much of a plan. There was so much to see that we simply let our feet take us wherever they wanted and let Rome reveal itself to us. The next attraction was Piazza Venezia, one of Rome's busiest squares, so busy that we even ran into a protest. Instead we settled in for a pizza and a dessert ice cream. The tomato sauce on the pizza was amazing and the amarena cherries in the ice cream seemed like a great choice.

Ornate neoclassical building with sculptures on top against bright blue sky.
View of Vittorio Emanuele II Monument through narrow Roman alley filled with parked scooters.

After lunch we were re-energized and our legs took us to the Pantheon. Huge queue, but luckily it was quick and we definitely wanted to see the inside of this amazing building. It was originally built in 27 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and rebuilt around AD 126 under the Emperor Hadrian. It's amazing to think that they managed to build a dome like this with the technology available at the time.

Front view of the Pantheon in Rome with its famous classical columns and pediment inscription.

On stable feet for over two thousand years

Sunlight streams through Pantheon's oculus as visitors gather in the historic rotunda.

Luckily, we arrived in the early afternoon, so the light coming through was at a great angle

Dark interior view of the Pantheon's coffered dome ceiling in Rome showing dramatic geometric patterns.

It is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. How did they built that?

Golden statue illuminated in an ornate church alcove with visitors gathered below.

Check-in wasn't until 3pm, so we set off to unpack and explore the area. On the way we realised that we had passed the Trevi Fountain, but there were so many tourists that we didn't get a chance to take a closer look. We'll come back this way on the way back and see if we have better luck.

After a short rest, we saw the evening face of Rome and were able to sneak up to the Trevi Fountain. Rome is beautiful and you can feel the history around every corner. The work of the old masters is incredible. Everywhere you look, there are wonderful works of art. After a 20km walk on the first day we went to bed early to concentrate on the second day.

Majestic Trevi Fountain in Rome with its baroque architecture and cascading water features.
Side view of the Trevi Fountain showing intricate baroque sculptures and turquoise water.

Throwing two coins into the water might help you find love.

 

Throwing one coin into the fountain is supposed to guarantee that you'll return to Rome. But legend says that if two coins are thrown behind you (strictly back to back, right hand over left shoulder), you can find eternal love.

It's worth a shot... according to the upgraded Trevi-baboon, throwing three coins leads straight to marriage. (I found love and got married and Rome was enough for a few days visit, so sorry no coins from me. :)

DAY two

Spanish Steps, Angel Castle and the Vatican

After getting up late, we were a bit tired but prepared for day two. During our return to the accommodation last night, we passed a store with a sign reading "Salumi e Formaggi." We had a late breakfast there, and after sampling a few things, we were ready for our daily calorie intake. I might even say that the greatest culinary experience we had in Rome was at that location. (By the way, almost everywhere we passed, restaurant staff tried to pull us inside, which was pretty unpleasant. And if you refused, they responded with grunts in Italian.)

Italian delicatessen storefront with neon 'Salumi e Formaggi' sign and cured meats on display.
Traditional Italian food shop with neon 'Bottega Tre' sign and hanging cured meats.

Caution sin cave

Rustic table setting with artisanal beer bottle and sandwich at an Italian eatery.

An IPA and an Italian cold cuts sandwich is always a good idea

Fresh Italian sandwiches stacked on display at a local deli counter.

A huge crowd was waiting for us at the Spanish Steps, so we just walked past and the Castel Sant'Angelo was our next destination. We walked around the huge building, read the must-knows and headed for the Vatican, the main destination for the day.
There was another large crowd, but it's expected at most attractions except the Vatican Museum. What awaited us there is something you can't be prepared for. Online booking is possible for most attractions, and after seeing the queues, I can definitely recommend it. Unfortunately, even that wasn't always an option — there were so many tourists that we couldn't get tickets for several places even a week before our departure.

Castel Sant'Angelo and bridge over Tiber River in Rome against cloudy sky.
Bridge in front of Castel Sant'Angelo. Can you recognise it from the movie Angels and Demons?

the vatican city

St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro) is absolutely grand. I'd seen it in so many films, but actually standing there in person was something else. What we found inside was something you simply can't prepare yourself for.
Beautiful, stunning spaces — truly breathtaking. Seeing it in person is worth a trip to Rome. As we continued inside, it became more and more incredible to witness. It's difficult to understand the sheer amount of labor and artistry that was implemented here.

Vatican obelisk stands tall against blue sky with Saint Peter's Square colonnade and basilica in background.
Interior view of Saint Peter's Basilica showing ornate coffered ceiling and sunbeams streaming through windows in Vatican City.
Silhouettes of statues line up against bright blue sky atop a historic Roman building.
Ornate dome ceiling with religious frescoes and gilded decorations inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

I don't want to turn this into a history lesson, but just to give you an idea of the scale: the basilica is enormous. Everywhere you look there are incredible details, sculptures, paintings and architectural elements. It's difficult to understand how much work and artistry went into creating a place like this.

The basilica can accommodate around 60,000 people and its dome reaches 132 metres. According to tradition, it was built over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle.
It is adorned with masterpieces by artists such as Bernini, Bolgi, Mocchi, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

Sunlight streams through Saint Peter's Basilica's grand interior with tourists admiring the ornate architecture.

The top of the dome is 132 metres from the ground.

Golden decorated dome ceiling with religious medallions and Latin inscriptions in Saint Peter's Basilica.

The dome is covered with gold

Dramatic black and white photograph of an angel statue among organ pipes in Saint Peter's Basilica.

Statue of Saint Peter of Alcantara

Ornate dome with golden decorations and religious artwork radiating from central oculus in Saint Peter's Basilica.

Imagine what it must have been like to paint these frescoes more than 130 metres off the ground. Yes, there was no lift and the artists were not in their 20s.

Panoramic view of Saint Peter's Square with obelisk and colonnades under bright blue sky.
Saint Peter's Basilica facade and dome with Egyptian obelisk in foreground against vivid blue sky.
View of Saint Peter's Square colonnade with tall obelisk and Mediterranean pine trees.
Ornate baroque ceiling and architectural details inside a historic Italian church or palace with detailed sculptures.
"It was beautiful and worth a visit. Now let's go and see what else wants Rome to show us"

DAY three

National Gallery and the Colosseum

We'd walked another 20 km the day before so we started the third day in a bit of a hurry because my mother eagerly wanted to visit all the sights. As luck would have it, we stumbled upon the National Gallery and Museum. We spent at least 2–3 hours here, taking our time and enjoying the Italian art.

Our next destination was the Colosseum. On the way we savored a top-quality ice cream. It was a gigantic scoop — let's call it an iceberg — balanced on top of a cone.

Dramatic upward view of the Colosseum's arched facade against a cloudy blue sky in Rome.
Ancient Roman Colosseum exterior view with blue sky and white clouds in Rome, Italy.

As soon as we arrived, it was obvious there would be crowds here too. Tourist buses were everywhere, and it was almost impossible to walk. We attempted to walk around the Colosseum before determining that we decided that seeing it from the outside was enough.

For the rest of the day, we mainly watched the everyday life of the Romans. While I appreciated the fascinating culture in Rome and felt it was worth a multi-day visit, I didn't particularly enjoy the local mentality or some aspects of everyday life in Rome. "To visit Rome is to adore it," as the popular saying goes. Or "All roads lead to Rome" (which is true, but only once for me :).

 

DAY Four

Vatican Museums & Cacio e pepe

We did our best to make the most of these few days — 50+ km of walking, one ruined shoe and still so much to see and do.
Unfortunately, we only had half a day left for the Vatican Museums. We hoped to arrive early and get in easily, but the queue stretched several streets ahead of us. We decided to wait it out, and after 3.5 hours, we finally got inside. My biggest regret from our Rome trip was not having more time for this museum. If we could start our few days over again, this would be our first destination (but buying our tickets weeks in advance), along with St. Peter's Basilica. I could easily spend not just 2-3 hours but 2-3 days here with so much to see.

Large spherical bronze sculpture with intricate cutout designs in a courtyard setting.

It look like something from a sci-fi movie but it's a Sphere within a Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro

Crowds of tourists gathering outside St. Peter's Basilica dome in Vatican City on a sunny day.
Green courtyard surrounded by Vatican museum buildings with tourists walking around.

The Vatican Gardens start here, unfortunately we did not have time to visit

 

Classical stone sculpture of a face with curly hair in black and white.
Ancient Roman mosaic floor depicting mythological creatures and geometric patterns in vibrant colors.
Scale model of the Colosseum surrounded by tourists viewing the architectural display.
Model version of the Vatican
Aerial view of a spiral staircase in black and white with ornate railing at the Vatican Museums.
Dramatic spiral staircase with ornate railings and visitors walking down the steps.

My mum is tiny but looks happy in the photo. I hope you had a wonderful birthday surprise. I look forward to travelling with you again soon. I love you.

 

As for my brother, consider yourself lucky — you were spared the endless walking and the less-than-welcoming Italian hospitality. Haha.

View of fluffy white clouds through an airplane window porthole against a blue sky.

bye rome,

ciao eternal city

 

Your art and history are unbeatable but next time, show us your more polite side.