Honeymoon destination #1 - Rome

I've blogged briefly about our honeymoon and shocked you all with the volume of food I ate, but I thought I'd share some more thoughts and photos from the three beautiful locations we visited on our visit to Italy.

It was liberating to be able to escape to such an exciting and diverse country after such a hectic year of wedding planning (and house buying). Neither of us had ever visited Italy before... we'll definitely be visiting again!

Our first stop was Rome, the capital city of Italy. We stayed in Hotel Capo d'Africa which was recommended to us by an Italian friend, and we couldn't have been happier with our beautiful hotel suite. We had a huge private terrace with a view of the Colosseum, a super modern and gleaming bathroom, a massive bed and a complimentary fruit bowl and bottle of Prosecco. The hotel staff were helpful and efficient from the outset and spoke perfect English, and they gave us lots of advice on the best places to visit and how to get around Rome in the most efficient way. The hotel was minutes away from the Colosseum - a great central location. Eleven out of ten!

View from our private terrace

Outside the hotel

Dressing gown and slippers!

The Colosseum quickly became my favourite Roman landmark, which isn't surprising as we could see it from our hotel room and we walked past it every day. It truly is one of the most breathtaking spectacles I've ever seen, and I thought a lot about the battles that must have taken place inside its walls. They don't build arenas like this any more! We went on a walking tour of the inside of Colosseum as well as walking around the outside several times. The walking tour was great value for money and the inside is just as impressive as the outside. The stone is metres thick and there are tons and tons and tons of it. It's been beautifully preserved through the centuries and I'm totally in love with this particular landmark.

After fully exploring the Colosseum, we also ventured into the Roman Forum. Yet another amazing place, steeped in history like everything else in this corner of Rome. I can't even describe how many historical places of significance we saw while wandering around the Roman Forum. It was absolutely scorching while we were exploring the Forum, probably exacerbated by the fact that we kept going around in circles as we couldn't find the way out! It wouldn't be a good holiday without some funny stories about getting lost, and it's not every day you can say that you've been lost in the Roman Forum.

The Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica were high on our Rome hit list so we dedicated a whole day to exploring this legendary place in detail. We decided to walk there from our hotel which took an hour or so. However, the walk was totally worth it as it took us along the river and overhanging trees, away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It became immediately obvious as soon as we entered the Vatican... crowds swarmed around St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican City in general, and the architecture of the whole place is just spectacular. We couldn't face the 3 hour wait to get in to St Peter's Basilica as we wanted to make the most of our time in the area, but we spent a long time soaking up the atmosphere. This area of Rome absolutely has to be on your must-see list!

Moving on to a different landmark, the Pantheon was possibly my favourite sight in Rome after the Colosseum. We accidentally stumbled upon the Pantheon on our first day when we were attempting to familiarise ourselves with the city. It's a massively impressive and solid structure which just looks as if it's been there for ever and will continue to be there for ever. Although the Pantheon was packed with hundreds of tourists, there was still a respectful and hushed aura inside the temple. The architecture inside was just as striking as the outside, and I thought it was a truly awe-inspiring building.

I was very excited about seeing the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, but unfortunately these were the only disappointing aspects of our time in Rome. Both areas were undergoing maintenance work so they were covered with scaffolding and advertising hoardings. I know maintenance has to be carried out occasionally but I thought it was very inconsiderate of the powers-that-be to tarnish two famous landmarks while I was there!

Rome is such an amazing city and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to everyone I know. We'd been told that crime was rife in Rome and that we should be very careful, but we never felt unsafe there. Everyone we met was kind and welcoming, and we certainly didn't feel threatened at any point. I've felt much more unsafe in Cardiff city centre on a Saturday night, if I'm honest. People are correct when they tell you that drivers are crazy in Rome, but you soon get used to this. We were strolling across the road in between cars like the locals by the end of our stay!

We were surrounded by beautiful sights and buildings wherever we ventured... my camera was very busy! I loved imagining what had taken place in all these locations thousands of years ago and marvelling at the way it's all been preserved so flawlessly.  

So that was the first leg of our honeymoon... Malcesine had a lot to live up to after such an amazing few days in Rome. Check back on the blog in a few days to find out if it lived up to our expectations!