The Eternal City

Rome. The Eternal City. The city of love, art and beauty. The city that captured my heart and soul.

Of all the cities that I have visited, and all the sights that I have seen, it is Rome that I will undeniably be pulled back to. A city frozen in time, it is one of the most stunning places on this planet. I lost myself in sheer wonder of its pretty streets, narrow and cobbled, graced with trees that filtered the ever-present sunlight to glow a warm green and with mopeds standing proudly at their ends, home to cute coffee shops that hung lanterns in their windows and vintage bookshops that lure in the avid reader. I would drink in the Italian restaurants with balconies draped with beautiful flowers, wrapping themselves in a tantalising aroma of garlic and herbs, like a crazy alcoholic. I walked, mesmerised, along the designer streets that line the capital whilst window-shopping the shoes and handbags that flowed through shops such as Valentino, Dior and Hugo Boss. I was entranced by the €6000 wedding dresses that stunned the eye and the models that boasted high-end designer fashion. I was in Shopper's Paradise.

I succumbed to the aches and pains that came with sight-seeing Rome's finest monuments in 40 degree heat. I simply sat outside the Colosseum, watching the thrum of tourists queue to go in and exit in a daze, because just looking at that grand sight fills you with a sense of beauty and peace. I learnt its history and peeked inside the amphitheatre that was once home to Roman gladiators and beasts. I wandered about the souvenir stands overflowing with postcards and magnets and "I <3 Roma" t-shirts. I toured Vatican City, venturing inside the Sistine Chapel and marvelling at the art of Michaelangelo, strolling about the Vatican museums, and sitting in the cool shade of St Peter's Basilica; each deep-rooted in their respective history that it is difficult to not get drawn in and imagine life thousands of thousands of years ago. I climbed Palatine Hill for the stunning view of Rome with its centre-piece being the Colosseum, and I visited the Pantheon, the temple which is a sight to behold in itself...these last remnants of the Roman Empire that remain majestic in their architecture, testimony to the history that flows through the streets of Rome.

And Rome by night is just magical. Words can't describe how it feels to roam the streets of Italy at dusk, with the setting sun basking the stone and marble buildings in its glow, walking past the young lads blasting music from their boombox as they immerse themselves in their street art. Their street art - ohmygod it is unreal. Their sheer ability to create pieces of art from spray paint in a matter of minutes is unbelievable, and their gorgeous watercolour paintings are to die for. Strolling by the Colosseum and the Piazza Venezia as they lit up whilst the stone architecture that characterises Rome exploded in flames with a hologram dictating the story of Rome burning, fills the evening with a sense of magic and being enticed by rows and rows of gelaterias surrounding the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps will make you feel like you've been deprived of ice cream your whole life. Seriously, you have not tasted ice cream until you've been to Italy and experienced their gelato. And it's true, it's true, it's true, Italy have the best pizza ever. Unparalleled.

Oh, Rome. You're beautiful beyond measure. And if any of my lucky readers get the chance to go, keep these words in mind: