The birthday was approaching, and my brother and I were thinking about what kind of surprise a mother would really like. We wanted it to be an experience rather than a material gift. My mom is a huge fan of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code series, and she had always wanted to see the Vatican, so Rome came as a possibility.

Yes, this would be the perfect gift-a whirlwind visit to the Italian capital for a few days. 


I had looked into accommodations and plane tickets, but in the meantime it turned out that my brother wouldn't be able to join us. I was sorry to hear that, but I hoped it would be an unforgettable experience for both of us even without him. The gift was a big surprise and everyone was happy. We started planning what we could fit in the time and what was worth seeing.

"So let's get started and soak up history and art."
Picturesque Italian street view with ochre buildings and church tower visible between buildings.
Cafe terrace with purple bougainvillea cascading down ochre building wall in Rome.

DAY ONE


first impressions


After an early morning departure, we landed in Rome and the airport transfer dropped us off almost in the center of the city. We were immediately amazed by the window displays of pastries and giant porchetta sandwiches and mortadella piadanas. Luckily, the weather was great, as a storm had broken out the night before, according to the phone weather forecast.


The first thing we came across was the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Beautiful building from the outside, but there was a huge queue to get in with an entrance gate to check it, so we decided to see the inside another day. 



Ornate Baroque church facade with grand columns and statues decorating the entrance steps.
Silhouette of a monument column against bright blue sky with dramatic backlighting.
Narrow Italian street with warm-colored buildings and a church dome visible in the distance against bright blue sky.
Tall Roman column stands prominently in a bustling Italian city square with historic buildings and parked cars.
Ornate mosaic of Madonna and child within a circular frame mounted on a historic stone building wall with decorative lamp.
Narrow cobblestone street in Rome with ochre buildings leading to historic church facade.

Walking through the narrow cobbled streets we left ourselves to our luck, as there was so much to see we let our feet take us forward and let Rome show itself to us instead. The next attraction was Piazza Veneniza, Rome's busiest square, so busy that we even ran into a protest. Instead we settled in for a pizza and a dessert ice cream. The tomatoe sauce on the pizza was amazing and the amarena cherries in the ice cream seemed like a great choice. 

Ornate neoclassical building with sculptures on top against bright blue sky.
View of Vittorio Emanuele II Monument through narrow Roman alley filled with parked scooters.

After lunch we were re-energized and our legs took us to the Pantheon. Huge queue, but luckily it was quick and we definitely wanted to see the inside of this amazing building. It was built in 27 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and rebuilt almost from the ground up around 126 BC by the Emperor Hadrian. It is amazing how they were able to build this dome with the technology of the time.

Front view of the Pantheon in Rome with its famous classical columns and pediment inscription.

On stable feet for over two thousand years

Sunlight streams through Pantheon's oculus as visitors gather in the historic rotunda.

Luckily, we arrived in the early afternoon, so the light coming through was at a great angle

Dark interior view of the Pantheon's coffered dome ceiling in Rome showing dramatic geometric patterns.

It is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, how did they built that?

Golden statue illuminated in an ornate church alcove with visitors gathered below.

Accommodation was available from 3pm, so we set off to unpack and explore the area. On the way we realised that we had passed the Trevi Fountain, but there were so many tourists that we didn't get a chance to take a closer look. We'll come back this way on the way back and see if we have better luck.


After a short rest, we saw the evening face of Rome and were able to sneak up to the Trevi Fountain. Rome is beautiful and you can feel the history around every corner. The works of the old artists are amazing wonderful works of art were created. After a 20km walk on the first day we went to bed early to concentrate on the second day.

Majestic Trevi Fountain in Rome with its baroque architecture and cascading water features.
Side view of the Trevi Fountain showing intricate baroque sculptures and turquoise water.

Throwing two coins into the water might help you find love.


Tossing just one coin into the well will guarantee that you'll return to town. But legend says that if two coins are thrown behind you (strictly back to back, right hand over left shoulder), you can find eternal love.

It's worth a shot... according to the upgraded Trevi-baboon, throwing three coins leads straight to marriage. (I found love and got married and Rome was enough for a few days visit, so sorry no coins from me. Haha.)

DAY two


Spanish Steps, Angel Castle and the Vatican


After getting up late, we were a bit tired but prepared for day two. During our return to the accommodation last night, we passed a store with a sign reading "Salumi e Formaggi." We had a late breakfast there, and after a sampling demonstration, we were ready for our daily calorie intake. I might even say that the greatest culinary experience we had in Rome was at that location. (By the way passing by the restaurants, they tried to forcefully invite you in almost everywhere, which was very unpleasant. And if you refused their invitation they responded with grunts in Italian.)

Italian delicatessen storefront with neon 'Salumi e Formaggi' sign and cured meats on display.
Traditional Italian food shop with neon 'Bottega Tre' sign and hanging cured meats.

Caution sin cave

Rustic table setting with artisanal beer bottle and sandwich at an Italian eatery.

An IPA and an Italian cold cuts sandwich is always a good idea

Fresh Italian sandwiches stacked on display at a local deli counter.

There was a huge crowd waiting for us at the Spanish Steps, so we just walked past and the Angel Castle was our next destination. We walked around the huge building, read the must-knows and headed for the Vatican, the main destination for the day. 

There was another large crowd, but it's expected at most attractions except the Vatican Museum. What awaited us there is something you can't be prepared for. Online booking is possible for most places, unless there is still online booking, because there were so many tourists everywhere that we couldn't buy tickets for many places a week before our departure.

Castel Sant'Angelo and bridge over Tiber River in Rome against cloudy sky.

Bridge in front of Castle Sant Angelo. Can you recognise it from the movie Angels and Demons?

the vatican city

The Vatican square (Piazza San Pietro) is grandiose. I've seen it in many movies, but it's also nice to walk through it in person (we even found the signs from the movie). St. Peter's Basilica is the main church of the Roman Catholic faith and we were not ready for what we found inside. 

Beautiful, stunning spaces that are truly breathtaking. Seeing it in person is worth a trip to Rome. As we continued inside, it became more and more incredible to witness. It's difficult to understand the sheer amount of labor and artistry that was implemented here.

Vatican obelisk stands tall against blue sky with Saint Peter's Square colonnade and basilica in background.
Interior view of Saint Peter's Basilica showing ornate coffered ceiling and sunbeams streaming through windows in Vatican City.
Silhouettes of statues line up against bright blue sky atop a historic Roman building.
Ornate dome ceiling with religious frescoes and gilded decorations inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

I don't want to make this boring, but to give you an idea of its size. The basilica has three parts in a Latin cross design. The central part is divided from the sides by ten corinthian columns, four of which are facing the apse. Also, the ceiling has a dome vault that was covered with gold panels in the late 1700s by Pope Pius VI. Near the main altar, there is a semicircular area that is protected by a balustrade. Within this area, there is a niche that contains the tomb of St. Peter. Above the niche is the main altar, where only the Pope may conduct mass.


The basilica is capable of accommodating approximately 60,000 people, and its height is 132 meters. According to tradition, it was built on the tomb of St Peter the Apostle. 

It is adorned with masterpieces by artists such as Bernini, Bolgi, Mocchi, Rafaello, and Michelangelo.

Sunlight streams through Saint Peter's Basilica's grand interior with tourists admiring the ornate architecture.

The top of the dome is 132 metres from the ground.

Golden decorated dome ceiling with religious medallions and Latin inscriptions in Saint Peter's Basilica.

The dome is covered with gold

Dramatic black and white photograph of an angel statue among organ pipes in Saint Peter's Basilica.

Statue of Saint Peter of Alcantara

Ornate dome with golden decorations and religious artwork radiating from central oculus in Saint Peter's Basilica.

Imagine what it must have been like to paint these frescoes more than 130 metres off the ground. Yes, there was no lift and the artists were not in their 20s.

Panoramic view of Saint Peter's Square with obelisk and colonnades under bright blue sky.
Saint Peter's Basilica facade and dome with Egyptian obelisk in foreground against vivid blue sky.
View of Saint Peter's Square colonnade with tall obelisk and Mediterranean pine trees.
Ornate baroque ceiling and architectural details inside a historic Italian church or palace with detailed sculptures.
"It was beautiful and worth a visit. Now let's go and see what else wants Rome to show us"

DAY three


National Gallery and the Colosseum


We completed another 20km walk yesterday and began the third day in a hurry because my mother eagerly wanted to visit all the sights. As luck would have it, we stumbled upon the National Gallery and Museum. We took our time here for at least 2-3 hours, enjoying the Italian art. 


Our next destination was the Colosseum. On the way we savored a top-quality ice cream. It was a gigantic scoop (let’s call it iceberg) placed in a cone.

Dramatic upward view of the Colosseum's arched facade against a cloudy blue sky in Rome.
Ancient Roman Colosseum exterior view with blue sky and white clouds in Rome, Italy.

On arrival, we could see that there would be crowds here again, there were tourist buses everywhere and it was almost impossible to walk. We attempted to walk around the Colosseum before determining that viewing it from the outside sufficed.

For the rest of the day, we mainly watched the everyday life of the Romans. While I appreciated the fascinating culture in Rome and felt it was worth a multi-day visit, I did not particularly enjoy the local way of life or mentality. "To visit Rome is to adore it," as the popular saying goes. Or "All roads lead to Rome" (which is true, but only once for me, haha).


DAY Four


Vatican Museums & Cacio e pepe


We did our best to make the most of these few days. 50+km of walking with a ruined shoe and so much to see and do.

Unfortunately, we only had half a day on our last visit, but we're eager to return to the Vatican museum. We hoped to arrive early and get in easily, but the queue was several streets ahead of us. We decided to wait it out, and after 3.5 hours, we finally got in. My biggest regret from our Rome trip was not having more time for this museum. If we could start our few days over again, this would be our first destination (but buying our tickets weeks in advance), along with St. Peter's Basilica. I could easily spend not just 2-3 hours but 2-3 days here with so much to see.

Large spherical bronze sculpture with intricate cutout designs in a courtyard setting.

It look like something from a sci-fi movie but it's a Sphere within a Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro

Crowds of tourists gathering outside St. Peter's Basilica dome in Vatican City on a sunny day.
Green courtyard surrounded by Vatican museum buildings with tourists walking around.

The Vatican Gardens start here, unfortunately we did not have time to visit


Classical stone sculpture of a face with curly hair in black and white.
Ancient Roman mosaic floor depicting mythological creatures and geometric patterns in vibrant colors.
Scale model of the Colosseum surrounded by tourists viewing the architectural display.

Model version of the Vatican

Aerial view of a spiral staircase in black and white with ornate railing at the Vatican Museums.
Dramatic spiral staircase with ornate railings and visitors walking down the steps.

My mother is tiny but looks happy in the photo. I hope you had a wonderful birthday surprise. I look forward to traveling with you again soon. I love you.


As for my brother, you're fortunate to have been saved from the long distance walkings and the unwelcoming Italian hospitality, haha. 

View of fluffy white clouds through an airplane window porthole against a blue sky.

bye rome,

ciao eternal city


Your art and history is unbeatable but next time, show us your more polite side.