Having seen films like Roman Holiday featuring Audrey Hepburn I set out to see Rome with great expectations.
Hotel
A cab ride from the airport to the Hotel Lunetta in Campo Dei Fiori found the perfect central location to explore all of the sights by foot in the aptly named “Piazza Paradiso”.
The rooms were very luxurious and a pleasure to return to at the end of a long day tramping the streets.
The roof top terrace was a serene place to enjoy pre-dinner drinks.
I later found the hotel to be steeped in history:-
“It is remembered as the first hotel in the Eternal City by Paduan architect Francesco da Carrara. Francesco also a guest here – designed its fireplace during the hotel’s inaugural year. With the presence of a half-moon on its facade, the hotel was referred to as “La Lunetta” beginning in 1782.”
It also contains sections of the Antico Teatro di Pompeo dating 55 B.C.E, where Julius Caesar met his demise.
Sights
No trip to Rome is complete without seeing the Colosseum!
Piazza Navona saw a mix of tourists and locals, the locals were easy to spot. They formed relaxed groups sat on the monuments chatting in to the warm night.
Vatican City
I’d seen photos from this location before and stumbled across it on the first day. The view made me all the more curious about the Vatican itself.
On the rooftop of St Peter’s.
Climbing the Cupola is an experience in itself, the climb first starts off with the option of a leisurely lift ride. The lift does not go very far! The rest is a series of climbs through small passageways that twist you sideways, make you stoop and climb hard in the heat. Once on top, the view is breathtaking!
I captured this shot whilst winding my way through the queue barriers to St. Peter’s Basilica.
I was relatively new to DSLRs at the time I took this trip, I can’t wait to return to Rome and use the knowledge I have learnt since!