Touch down in Rome!

Rome. Touch down!
We took the express train that leads us to the town central. Something you really need to take note. Somehow, at the ticket counter, they only have one staff attending to the long queue of passengers. Why can't they employ more?

Anyway, it was our lucky day. We touch down on the first day of the Cultural week! The Cultural Week lasts for nine days from 16 April to 25 April. During this period, major museums and monuments are open to the public without admission charges. We don't need to pay the admission fees for most of  the museums in Italy! Think Lady Luck is smiling upon us.

First stop! The coliseum. Gladiators used to fight to death in this magnificant stadium to entertain the Romans. Sometimes they fought with beasts such as lions and tigers. Sounds like the Ancestors of  WWE.

Then we walk over to the Forum. Free admission again! It shows the ancient Rome town with pillars and ruins. We ventured to the Julius Casear tomb. Not sure whether his body is still there but can still see flowers on his tomb. Surprised that people nowadays still remember him.

From the Forum, we moved on to the Capitoline Hill. The majestic Victor Emmanuel II Memorial memorial is to commerate the first King who unified Italy.

The whole area around Capitoline Hill is designed by Michelangelo. And the Piazza Nuovo now houses several museums while the parade square shows a pattern designed by the great artist himself, Michelangelo. To reach the square, go up the Cordonata Stairs. Then tour Palazzo dei Conservatori, Epigraphic gallery and Tabularium.
 

Next stop, Tiber Island. The island is connected to the main island by two bridges. Check out the Temple of Aesculapius on the island. You see one of the bridges in the above photo.

Then we took a long walk to Saint Peter's Basilica. It is the largest Church in the world. It is also beautifully decorated with statues and sculptures. Standing in the center of the Saint Peter's Square really makes one feel very small. Definitely worth going there! Excellent place for taking photo!

After taking numerous photos, we headed for the Vatican Museum. The highlight of the Rome trip is the Sistine Chapel inside the museum. No free admission here! In fact, it is 15 euro each. What the heck. A bit expensive but Michelangelo's masterpieces are in there.

You have to take a long walk to reach the Sistine Chapel. And please expect crowds. There are a lot of paintings, tapestries, sculptures and statues in the museum. But for me, the main target is still Sistine Chapel. Wasted no time in heading there.

In the Sistine Chapel, you can see why Michelangelo is considered one of the greatest artists at that time. He painted the ceiling using special platforms and it is beautiful! If it is possible, bring along a binoculars to gaze upon the painting on the ceiling. Don't miss out on the Last Judgement on the altar wall too. It is said that Michelangelo painted his hated enemy as the devil.

The entire trip took us at least 6 hours including the tours. Boy, am I exhausted from the walking. We wanted to head for Trellis fountain but we were running short of time. Maybe next time.

Actually in Rome, you really need more than 1 day to tour all attractions. There are too many places that you can go. To save time, you can hop on their tour bus specially for touring Rome. You can alight or board at major tourist attractions in a day.

Recommendation : Coliseum, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel (Must Go!) Trellis Fountain.