Rome in a Day, Pt. 2

And so continued our long, long day in Rome.

Piazza Navona

As we left the Pantheon, we made our way towards the next point of interest: Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona is one of the city’s main squares, which also means tourist traps galore. Rome as a whole is a haven for tourist trappers, but Piazza Navona seems to be the where they all culminate. I’m talking about overpriced cafés, overly friendly street performers, and overly similar street ‘artists.’ All that aside, it is a beautiful piazza nonetheless with plenty of nice fountains and buildings, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

From there, we made our way west towards Vatican City, with a few detours on the way.

Let me get this out of the way–there is a lot to see in Vatican City. If possible, it is definitely best to spend an entire day there, but we only had a day to see all of Rome, so time management was key. Regardless, a good portion of the day was spent at the Vatican, and it’s a holy place, a tiny place, and a beautiful place. Highlights include St. Peter’s Square, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and of course, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

St. Peter’s Square

Vatican Museums

Sistine Chapel

Vatican City & Rome, as seen from the top of St. Peter’s Basilica

Now, I know what you guys are wondering: ‘Where’s the gelato?!’ Fret not, friends, for Vatican City is also home to Old Bridge Gelateria, some of the best gelato known to man as far as I know. Cheap, creamy, and delicious; it’s no wonder the line almost always goes out the door and down the block, and it’s more than worth it.

Our last stop in Rome was the Spanish Steps at the Piazza di Spagna, just in time for the late sunset. It’s also another popular tourist area, and an even more popular tourist trapper area (do not grab the roses!). Nevertheless, it remains a beautiful place to sit, drink, eat, etc. The climb to the top of the steps treats you to a decent view of Rome’s skyline and a chance to visit the Trinità dei Monti church.

Spanish Steps

Trinità dei Monti

But our trip to Italy wasn’t finished yet… Next stop: Firenze!