Rome

Rome is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! And I have seen tons of beautiful places. From the Coliseum to the Vatican, one can feel the historical energy vibes that only you can get in Rome

Let me start with my visit to one of the seven wonders of the world: The Coliseum. When I first stepped foot on the Coliseum, I couldn’t believe my eyes! The Coliseum is the largest Roman ancient structure that was ever built. After almost two thousand years, it is still somehow standing. The Coliseum was for amusement for the Kings and Queens. Gladiators and lions fought to entertain them. Today, the inside of it is set-up to look like a museum. They have old stones from the walls that fell over time on display. Have you ever wondered why part of the Coliseum is broken? The answer is, due to a series of natural disasters like earthquakes, forced part of the coliseum to collapse. In my opinion, the missing part of the structure gives the Coliseum a unique character.

The Vatican tour also was an amazing experience. But it was too crowded with so many tourists. I got to see so many historical paintings such as the Last Judgment, The Creation of Adam and of course one of Michelangelo’s most famous works of art, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling! There is a common myth that said, he painted the ceiling while lying on his back in his bed. The truth is, Michelangelo worked while standing on a ladder that he built himself. Regardless, this magnificent painting took him 4 years to complete, and it is mesmerizing to look through the details. Of course, l could not help myself and kept taking pictures of the whole thing that I was worried I would run out of space on my phone. I also learned the history of Vatican City. Did you know that Vatican City isn’t really a city and is the smallest country in the world?! I like to think of it as “a country in a country” 😊

I never thought that I had a family connection in Italy. But I do! My mom’s aunt, Zia Ababa, lives in Vatican City and my dad’s cousin, Nadia, lives in Rome. I had such a great time meeting them. Zia even made me injera, my favorite food! Nadia was really nice and gave Zak and I a gift!

But those weren’t the only thing we got to do in Rome. Oh, no, no, no! We did a lot of walking around in 90+ degrees heat. We had amazing meals, enjoyed some ice cream at the Plaza, walked up The Spanish steps, and had a refreshing cool water to drink from the Fontana Della Barcaccia. We also took a cooking class. We made our own pasta and tiramisu from scratch. Of course, at the end, we indulged the meal we created. If felt rewarding. 😊