Roam in Rome

If you’re a fan of history or maybe just a fan of Audrey, then Rome is the place for you. We embraced all of the cliches as we explore the eternal city and let our minds boggle over all of the really, really old stuff.

Often I’m reminded of how much of a baby Australia is compared to the European countries and if Australia is the baby of the family then Rome is the great, great, great grandparent. It is amazing to think that this city existed before Christ and that you can still experience evidence of this.

I’m not going to give a history lesson, ain’t nobody got time for that, but I would like to explore some of the cliches and movie references of Rome.

When in Rome

We tried to use this as much as possible to justify every decision we made. Whether it be another gelato or perhaps a purchase the phrase became very handy.

Roman Holiday

Big fans of Audrey Hepburn would know that the Roman Holiday is her movie when she is a Princess escaping her royal duties and being shown around Rome by an American journalist. The journalist was planning to exploit her but after a day together in Rome the fall in love, of course.

Throughout the movie they visit many historic and iconic places. The Mouth of Truth, the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps. We were eager to reenact the famous scene when Audrey demolishes a gelato on the Spanish Steps. We had our highly rated gelato and took a few snaps on the steps. But beware that it’s not permitted to eat on on the steps so make sure you do it fast!

To have your Audrey moment get your gelati from Noccoli (get lavender flavour) and don’t get caught.

What dreams are made of

“Hey now, hey now, this is what dreams are made of!”

-Lizzie McGuire-

Is it Lizzie, is it really? If you grew up watching Lizzie McGuire and saw the Lizzie McGuire movie then you will know exactly what I am referencing. Lizzie is on a school trip to Rome to learn about Roman history and eat spaghetti. There is a scene where she throws a coin into the Trivi Fountain and then gets mistaken for a pop star and whisked away by an Italian on a Vespa in an exciting adventure.

That sounded pretty good to me, only I could not even get close enough to the Trivi fountain to throw in my coin to start my adventure. Oh well, the Italian does turn out to be a douche bag anyway (sorry if I spoiled it for anyone). At least there’s always spaghetti.

So if you want to have your Lizzie McGuire moment then go early!

Gladiator

I think I saw the movie Gladiator, I’m not sure if I saw it all. However, I’m not sure if you can use that as a guide to the Colosseum. It seems that new information is surfacing about the details of who fought in the Colosseum. One thing is for sure; it would have been epic.

The Colosseum is huge and seated thousands. There were all kinds of pulleys and trap door systems they used to use to access the arena. They also used to decorate the stage in different themes. Whether you agree with their choices or not there is no denying that the Roman’s knew how to put on a show.

To visit the Colosseum buy your ticket online or at Palestine Hill. Then expect a line regardless. But don’t worry, it moves pretty fast.

The Vatican

I can’t talk about Rome and not mention The Vatican. It’s amazing and completely worthwhile. Of course the Sistine Chapel is a show stopper, but the rest of the Vatican Museum are incredible in their own right.

Unless your willing to pay big bucks for a private tour early in the morning before the crowds you have to accept the fact that it’s going to be crowded. However, the Variation museums do open late on Friday nights during the high season and this is a good option to be able to have a more enjoyable experience.