When in Rome you should just keep saying “When in Rome” because people really like that and don’t find it irritating at all…
Oh and you should also make sure you research the location of your hotel properly before booking, because unfortunately we ended up in the arsehole of Rome with sod all around us apart from run-down garages and dodgy looking men. When we did eventually break free from the dive that was our hotel we ventured into Rome Termini by Metro and went to explore the city.
Colosseum, Rome
The Colosseum is, without doubt, the most iconic attraction in Rome and when you visit it you will see why. In a city full of ruins the Colosseum is the best-preserved monument from ancient Rome. On our trip to the Colosseum, the queue was ridiculously long and the weather was a toasty 32 degrees, so the hour and a half queue into the place was a bit testing, especially as we had pre-booked tickets.
I have to admit that when we eventually got inside the Colosseum it was impressive, and sort of worth the wait but I would recommend buying the Skip The Queue tickets from the irritating people outside the Colosseum as it will save you time. Or, if you don’t want to pay more than the standard ticket then perhaps visit as early as possible because it gets stupidly busy and you can’t see the ruins through the people.
The Vatican
When you walk towards the Vatican you pass an immense number of Pope themed souvenirs and homeless people. Most of the buildings in the Vatican city are out of bounds for us dirty sinners, but the ones that are free to enter are pure luxury. Shame they couldn’t help those homeless people out before lining their toilet roll with gold. Anyway…
As you queue up to enter St Peter’s Basilica there’s a big sign showing what is appropriate and inappropriate dress. No short shorts, vest tops, swimwear or revealing clothes. However, when you step into the church you are presented with an abundance of naked statues, jabbers and willies everywhere. It’s almost as if the Catholic church is hypocritical or has a sense of humour…
Trevi Fountain
This beautiful fountain is very beautiful, very grand and very busy. So once you’ve taken some pictures and a million selfies move along yeah? I first saw the Trevi fountain in Las Vegas before I even knew what it was. Obviously, its twin in Rome is far more magnificent and older (over 300 years older); if you like a fountain, this one is like the Big Mac of all fountains.
Gay Old Rome
Just around the corner from the Colosseum is San Giovanni street, it’s our street ladies (and gents and everyone else). It’s the gay street where nearly every cafe and bar has a rainbow flag hanging outside and there’s a good 20 gay men to 1 lesbian woman… Much like the gay scene in London then…
All dem ruins though
Architecture is everywhere in Rome and some of it is bloody lovely, some of it however, is not. I first traveled to Rome at the end of my first long solo trip and by the time I got to Rome I was so lonely and fed up that I didn’t really enjoy the city. The second time I went it was after going to Lake Como and Venice, places that are so beautiful they kind of make Rome just look “okay”. While I enjoyed it the second time when I went with my girlfriend it still didn’t have the magic that Florence has…
To conclude, Rome is good to visit (maybe consider going twice) but there are much nicer parts of Italy. And the ruins get a bit old…
3 comments
Hello, thank You so much! I’m reader from Poland and also lesbian. I saw that You were on the Western Poland (PoznaÅ„ and WrocÅ‚aw), but if You decide to come back, please also visit Krakow, Zakopane, GdaÅ„sk and our capital city – Warsaw. I wish You wide road, as we say in my country (it means that I wish You good time during the travel).
Hey Zizi! Thanks so much for your comment and visiting my blog. I loved Poland and would love to visit Krakow, Gdansk and Warsaw, what are the good things to see and do there? 🙂 Jenna
Krakow is the former capital city of Poland and it is much more cheaper than Gdansk or Warsaw. Maybe I’m not objective because I live there, but:
1. Medieval Wawel Castle.
2. Old Jewish district.
3. Old Town.
4. Socrealist district Nowa Huta (if You want to see pure communist architecture, it is the best place)
it all is worth to visit. Here is also plenty of good places to eat something.