Rome was the last stop in my 2018 trip to Italy, and I was excited to explore this ancient city. There are few places in the world with the enduring legacy and timeless beauty of Rome.

Day 1 in Rome was packed with exploring the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. These locations are all within walking distance of each other, so it was simple to navigate to each of them. Between Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, Palatine Hill was much more peaceful and less crowded.

Palatine Hill:

Colosseum:

On Day 2, we went to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and Piazza di Spagna/Spanish Steps. There was no talking allowed inside the Pantheon and there was a skylight that cast beautiful light throughout the space.

I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain and am curious how much money they collect when they clean it out. This was also a very popular spot.

Then we climbed up the Spanish Steps!

Gelato from Giolitti (melted so fast, which apparently is an indicator of quality!):

After that, we still somehow had the energy to explore the Villa Borghese gardens. There were some interesting trees there.

Day 3 was a museum day. We visited the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Vatican Museum is amazing. So many extraordinary works of art! My neck was tired from staring at the ornate ceilings. The blue ceiling with gold stars was one of my favorites, along with the Gallery of maps (perfect for any fellow cartography fans). Lots of design inspiration from those inset maps and compass roses.

Really enjoyed all these figures that surround the Vatican.

For lunch we had pizza from Pizzarium. They had a diverse array of pizzas to choose from, including one with potato on top (the yellow pieces that look like pineapple) which I’d never seen before. The other pizza I got had nuts on it which was also unusual.

Dinner was at La Botticella, a restaurant in a lovely neighborhood. However, a bird pooped on my shoulder in that area. I like to think it gave me good luck though.