Welcome To Rome!
It’s a city filled with ancient history all around – where you can spend days stumbling onto ruins – and running into massive crowds as well!
Last summer, my wife and I spent two days in Rome and saw so many cool sites – but realized we were NOT going to be the only ones there!
Still, it’s worth it to come across things like this:
Watch Your Fingers!
A bearded face carved into a giant marble disc, the Bocca della Verità is one of Rome’s most popular curiosities. Legend has it that if you put your hand in the mouth and tell a lie, the bocca (mouth) will slam shut and bite it off.
Well, we apparently told the truth so now it’s time to head to Rome’s most famous attraction.
Let’s head inside the Colosseum!
You will see lots of small flags held up in the air – one of the dozens and dozens of tour guides taking groups inside the massive stadium…it’s really the only way to get inside without a massive wait in line.
You can walk all around it and on some areas below as well…it’s cool to see but a bit hard to imagine how crowded it would have been at the time…
FYI, the second-largest colosseum in Europe is in Orange, France in Provence…you can actually sit in that one – here’s what the inside looks like:
So of course we did! That was then and this is now:
Here is a short video I made while we were inside:
You get lots of historical points as you wander the periphery of the building interior, than get to see the stadium floor itself:
It’s not easy to get a shot without people in it, but still a terrific visit!
For those who have complained about the crowds in Rome, it’s true – here is some video I shot at Trevi fountain:
But that’s OK, it’s the way Rome is now! And I promise you all the walking will pay off with a great meal like this:
We ate “caccio e Pepe” at a famous Roman restaurant – click here to see the meal up close!
This was all part of our Italian adventure last summer, which included staying in the real “Under The Tuscan Sun” house where the movie was filmed!
Yes, Diane Lane filmed all of her scenes inside and out – because they bought an abandoned villa and restored it as they filmed the movie!
You can see inside the house and enjoy some videos from the amazing property here:
Speaking of movie locations, I shared our adventure in Sicily, when we stayed in the hotel used to film season two of “The White Lotus!”
Click here to see inside the San Domenico Palace in Taormina!
Sicily is filled with amazing sights to tour, like the original locations used for “The Godfather!”
One of the locations was up a steep road, so we took a small motorized cart and what a ride!
Check it out:
There were so many other cool locations, including us sitting in the exact same spot as Al Pacino!
See our tour by clicking here:
And we were also in Sardinia – at the location for a James Bond movie!
Click here to find out which one – and see some great video as well!
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Art, Exotic Travel, Food, Italy, Memoirs, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Memories! I went to Italy during my college years, and it is proably my favorite place in the whole world. Plus, I’m a pasta fiend, so maybe I was an Italian in another life! 😉
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HA! Yes, incredibly delicious – we love everything we ate in Rome! Thanks for commenting!
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Wow! To be right there, touching ancient history, is mind boggling.
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It really is!
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I imagine everything there is so stunning, all of the originals, the history, the magnitude of it all. Would love to spend a few days there
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It’s so cool to round a corner and step into an area built in the year ONE! It’s a crowded chaotic city that is also joyful and alive!
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In 2002, I was about to turn 50 years old, and Julie bought me a trip to Rome for my birthday present. One of the best places I have ever visited, (even in March the weather was great) and it exceeded every single one of my expectations. We always said we would go again one day, as 4 days/3 nights wasn’t really enough.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes Pete it is such a great city…we even walked out of the central part of the city, crossed the river and found an acclaimed “locals” place and loved it – so much great food and we loved walking through a quite neighborhood as well!
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