Three days in Rome on my first ever solo trip was fascinating and fulfilling. I am left with a feeling that ancient Roman Empire was significantly about Power and Politics. The stories of Romulus, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Nero, the Trojan war, the history of the Vatican all contributing to this impression. The architecture is wonderful, the need for luxury is evident. The story of the gladiators and the entire slavery and social class divisions, women being the second rated citizens in general was kind of a logic, power, glamour, riches personified with a soul missing. Of course history is created by what is narrated but I heard the same from three different guides and felt it through their stories.
Apart from the history, Rome as a city is beautiful. The food is great, people are extremely friendly and Gelato makes a great dessert for sure. The roads are broad with large pavements giving the impression of the great expanse of the Romans. All buildings seem to have equal number of floors as if the entire city is a well planned, intricately crafted mock up.
Some unexpected moments of the tour include the accidental Thai massage, my wallet soaked in water with my water bottle leaking in my bag, GPS signal failing when I had 10 mins to reach the meeting point for my guided tour and a complete loss of address for another tour, another minute of delay meant I could no longer see the Domus aurea tour. I narrowly escaped losing on one of the better parts of my trip.I discovered John Keats, romanticism as a genre and grotesque as an art form.
All in all, A beautiful time for myself in a gorgeous place! I found the energy in being by myself discovering a new world, with no one around to share with immediately helps to soak all of it yourself.
Today when Italy is so badly hit with the Corona pandemic , I feel extra privileged experiencing a slice of its beauty, the history and its unique charm.
