I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble - Augustus :

ROMAN HOLIDAY

Lakmin Wickramasuriya

“When the moon hits your eyes like a big pizza pie that’s Amor.” Dean Martin did say it best as he talked about love or Amor in Italian. And what better way to celebrate Amor in life than in the eternal city itself, ROMA! That was Amor spelt backwards. My semester exams were done with.

Winter was pretty much in bloom all over Norway. My friends had gone home to spend Christmas with their families and drink eggnog and spread the seasons cheer. After freezing in the chilly December weather it was decided. Rome it will be.

I finally arrived at Leonardo Da Vinci Airport. It felt awe inspiring to be in the land of the greats, such as Da Vinci and Michealangelo. The journey by air was short and fairly pleasant. The weather was only mildly cold in that a jacket was sufficient. I had to take the direct high speed train from the airport to the city centre which took me another hour. The city was very dry and devoid of the main ruckus that had encompassed the north of Italy due to the flash floods that had occurred.

I walked around the main city for a while before getting on the train that would take me to the Plaza Inn which was approximately fifteen minutes from the centre. I encountered the typically annoyed and exuberant Italian drivers on the way. I finally arrived and decided to relax for the rest of the day, walking around the inn, a substantial property in itself. It was built on a rocky hill and hence provided a marvellous panoramic view of souther Rome.

The next day I decided to begin my journey with the Spanish steps which led to the main museum. Indeed it offered at the top a perfect view of the main fashion street of Rome, not that I could afford the clothes. I felt suitably happy to have my portrait drawn by an Italian artist and subsequently gratified with the result.

The next stop for me was Bocca Della Verita alias the ‘Mouth of Truth’. As I put my hand inside, I was reminded of the scene where Audrey Hepburn was completely terrified when she thought that Gregory Peck had lost his hand in the Roman Holiday.

As I did not lose my hand in the ‘Mouth of Truth’, I decided to continue, towards the Coliseum which was quite a distance. Nevertheless as the weather was amazing and the country side picturesque I had no qualms about walking. The Coliseum as expected was intimidating and grand as I approached it from the outside where it was flanked by other lesser known ruins and a park full of trees on both sides.

As I entered one of the great wonders of the world I could feel the roars that must have emanated from the amphitheatre during the great gladiator fights. After I had finished marvelling at the beauty I made a beeline towards Trevi fountain where I wanted to toss a coin into the famed spring. It is said that if you toss a coin into the fountain you would visit Rome again or fall in love. As I did not mind either scenario my action was typical.

The famed cobblestone paths and the scooters that I had seen in Three Coins in the Fountain appeared to be intact, which I suppose has always been the beauty of Rome. Its timelessness.

After the enthralling day spent in Rome I decided I had to see the city of the arts and statues. Florence. It was a three and a half hour ride on Treni Italia through the majestic Tuscany country side. Although I do not drink, the beautiful vineyards that flanked the train from both sides glistening in the sun was tempting.

Florence was a city where you could pretty much walk everywhere without the need of the subway unlike Rome. I walked through the Gothic architectural landscape and visited the Da Vinci museum of science as well as many of the Gothic-style sky-high cathedrals, making my way through the cobblestoned pathways until I arrived at the statue of David.

Michealangelo’s magnum opus. It was technically and aesthetically brilliant as many connoisseurs and laymen have admitted over the years. The statue was also placed right on the top of a hill, that provided an exhilarating, panoramic view of the city. After having completed the Florence tour, the next day I decided to visit the smallest nation in the world. The Vatican. As I approached the city the centre was crowded with faithful followers, being the day before Christmas. The pope was addressing them in five different languages.

It was a humbling moment for me as I walked through the ancient hallways and saw the beautiful paintings and sculptures that adorned the walls before lighting a candle inside the famous Saint Peters cathedral. I ended the journey knowing without a shadow of a doubt that the visit to Italy was one I would treasure throughout my life.