Monday, September 24, 2007

Savoring The Pleasures Of Rome, The Eternal City

Rome is also known as the Eternal City and with very good reason, for this city has a history that is almost as old as civilization itself. This is the seat of the great Empire which once stretched from Scotland to the Nile and many of the historical buildings and massive structures the Romans were so fond of can still be experienced to this very day. There is so much to see in Rome that you could easily take a year just to view the highlights, although a considerable number of the more world-renowned and astonishing attractions are located at very short distances from each other, making discovering the wonders of Ancient and Modern Rome fairly easy and trouble free. The Trajan's Forum, Roma Antica, the Palazzo Venezia and the Coliseum can all be enjoyed within a fifteen minute walk, and what an amazing walk it is!

One of the most famous and iconic views of Rome has to be the Vatican, which is an independent state within a city. In this awe inspiring location, tourists can explore the remarkable promenade of Via Della Conciliazione that leads to St. Peter's Square and the Basilica which is perhaps the most distinguished and beautiful church in the world. The Vatican Museums can be found nearby in the Medici Apartments and there visitors can view the largest and most varied collection of jewelry, treasures and art in the world. There is so much greatness there that after a while it all begins to blur together and all the jewel and diamond encrusted two foot tall crowns begin to lose their distinctiveness. It is only when you realize that any one of these artistic and craftsman masterpieces could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars that you begin to snap out of your haze.

If your idea of a great buy is something that you can take home for a few Euros and not hundreds of millions, you can go seek your own treasures to take home at the huge flea market of Porta Portese, a collection of fine antiques, superb vintage furniture, marvelous curiosities and sheer ripoffs which has well outgrown its original site and now has spread to encompass several surrounding streets and piazzas.

With nightfall the City on Seven Hills takes on a very special nocturnal vigor and the activities to be enjoyed expand into the Roman night. These night time pleasures include visiting the many bars and cafes of Via Veneto, joining other fun seekers enjoying the pleasant evenings at the Piazza Di Spagna (Spanish Steps) or even adding your coin and wish to the many others that have been tossed into the Trevi Fountain. Rome at night may be even more activity-filled than in the day, since you can experience seeing the masterful works of art of Michelangelo, going for a passeggiata around Piazza Navona, stopping by a gelato shop for a lemon granita or an icy zabaglione gelato, or sipping an espresso at the Pantheon, all in the middle of the night!

No trip to the Eternal City would be complete without joining the bohemians at a thousand different small and romantic wine bars and trattories in the vicinity of Trastevere to drink hearty red wine, dig into savory Roman specialties such as Ossobuco (veal shank) or Trippa (tripe) Alla Romana, and sing traditional Roman songs until dawn. Rome truly is the Eternal City of fun and pleasure.

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