I’m not sure if they got the idea to lasagna from Romes history or vice verse but a good metaphor it is. From ancient and really old to modern via ordinary old Rome has grown and the result is an maze of small streets, cozy squares with fountains and street artist. You see top modern buildings in a mix with ancient buildings and everything is built in layers, just like the lasagna.
To walk around the Colosseum and Roma forum and letting your fantasy wandering of is amazing and you can really hear the crows cheering, at least until our guide told us that we have been fooled by Hollywood. It wasn’t big, extremely fit gladiators who fought here. Instead it was rather short Europeans and if you think about their diet they were probably more fat than fit. So, the Gladiator movie should have Danny DeVito instead of Russel Crowe as the protagonist, it would be more accurate but if it would sell? I doubt it.
The Vatican state has done what all religions and leaders have done over time, they collected art and wealth from all around the world. Since the Vatican state is really tiny area for an state it almost gets ridiculous about how much art there are but you should go there, look at the statues, the paintings, feel the atmosphere and become breathless of the Sistine Chapel, I cant describe with words how beautiful the roof painting was. However, if you want to see everything, be prepared to spend a week or two because the popes has been good collectors.
The most important thing in Rome though is the street life. Go out on the streets, have a cup of coffee or a beer, smoke a cigarette and do like the romans, talk to your neighbor and enjoy life. If you are lucky you will get invited up to one of all rooftops with incredible view over the city. You might also be called barbaric monster by an Italian beauty but to my defense, we discussed pizza toppings and she was from Sicily (well known for their temper).
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