What Took You So Long?
Well, we finally made it!
We left Broome at 2:00 pm on Tuesday and arrived at our accommodation in Rome at around 11:00 pm on Wednesday (Broome time). It was a very long couple of days, and by the end of it we were definitely ready for a shower and a bed.
The real adventure started when we landed in Rome. The lines and confusion at the airport were something else! There seemed to be queues everywhere, but nobody knew what they were queuing for. We just followed the crowd and hoped for the best. It ended up taking us almost two and a half hours to get out of the airport, which was a little frustrating!
Thankfully, once we arrived at our little apartment in Monti, things improved quickly. It's a lovely spot and we're right on the doorstep of Rome's historic centre. After all those hours of travelling, it was pretty exciting to finally step outside and realise we were actually in Rome!
Ancient Rome (The Archaeological Zone)
This is the oldest part of Rome and where, according to legend, the city was founded in 753 BC. Walking through this area feels a bit like stepping back in time. It's home to many of the grand monuments of the Roman Republic and Empire and is packed with history around every corner.
More exploring to come!
Day 1 in Rome
We started the day with a bit of a wander to get our bearings, followed by breakfast at a little café around the corner. Stavros, as usual, was navigating like a local while I am struggling to find our apartment in the building (and no, I'm not exaggerating).
One of us had read somewhere that many of Rome's basilicas are open to the public and well worth a visit, so we decided to pop into our local one and pay our respects. It was absolutely magnificent, completely over the top in the best possible way. The artwork, sculptures, gold leaf and soaring ceilings were glorious, extravagant, and just a little bit insane. I loved every minute of it.
After breakfast, we made our way down to the Colosseum. Surprisingly, it felt a bit like walking into Optus Stadium or the MCG. Same vibes more lions. The crowds weren't too bad early in the morning, although it was still busy. Seeing it in person was incredible. We were completely blown away by the scale of it and the engineering involved in building something so monumental.
From there, we wandered through the Roman Forum, taking in the ruins and some spectacular views across the ancient city. The history was spectacular and the people watching was also stellar. I like to try and guess people's nationality based on their fashion. It means I have to stalk them to hear their accents. It's not creepy.
Eventually, we made the long walk back to our neighbourhood in the blazing midday sun and rewarded ourselves with some much-needed victuals and a bevie at a little local restaurant. It is common in Italy to have a glass of wine with lunch, which I am going to work on embedding as a daily habit. The pasta was sensational too—one Carbonara and one Bolognaise, we definitely replaced every calorie burnt.
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