Rome in general

You don't so much come home from Rome, as survive to tell the tale, at least that's how I feel. That's not to say the spending five days there was unpleasant, but on balance I'm not making any immediate plans to go back. It soon becomes plain that this is a city of contrasting 'ations'; that's exhilaration, consternation, fascination and frustration. Just about the only 'ation' it's guaranteed NOT to give you is 'constip'! It was school half term last week, and so with both of us involved in education to one degree or another, the spring half term seemed an ideal opportunity to take a break ... more

Rome was never a place I was dying to go to. However, when looking at holidays for this year, Rome was cheap for when my boyfriend and I wanted to go and was easy to get to from East Midlands Airport as I live in Nottingham. My boyfriend really wanted to go there so I was more than happy to go, everywhere new is an adventure to me. Getting there and first impressions From East Midlands Airport, flying with Ryanair cost us roughly £50 each for return tickets. Although Ryanair don’t have the best reputation, they have been fine each time I have flown with them and their airfares are extremely ... more

As I sit at my desk back in London, my Rome trip seems like a lifetime ago and a million miles away... *****Day 1***** I flew out to Rome on Friday, about lunchtime, for a trip I had booked over a month ago through Expedia - which my boyfriend said I could have got much cheaper, but since I don't like sleeping in doorways, I thought it was worth the extra money to get a flight at a reasonable time and a decent hotel. I booked the Hotel Aris Garden, a 4-star hotel on the outskirts of Rome (bf said that it was closer to London than Rome, moaning git) - it boasted of a swimming pool, gym, sauna ... more

~ ~ My first visit to the most famous capital of the ancient world was on the occasion of my marriage in 1987. It was to be the start of a love affair with this wonderful city that continues to this day. ~ ~ As neither myself or my wife were in the “first flush of youth” when we married, we decided to opt for a private rather than a family ceremony, and arranged to be married in the chapel of the Irish College (where the Irish priests stay when visiting and training) in Rome. In a way, this was a double celebration for me, as I had only become a Roman catholic in 1985, a year after ... more

My one, and indeed, only, trip to Rome so far was spent over Valentine's Day this year. My darling girlfriend had arranged it as a Valentine surprise, and even paid for most of it!! So it was already a top holiday before we stepped on the plane!! Now, I'm not the average tourist to Rome - I studied Classical Civilisation at GCSE, A-Level and even Degree level, so I kind of knew what to expect.....but nothing can completely prepare yourself for Rome, and its many wonders. Based on my years of study, the part of Rome we chose to visit was the 'ancient' part, close to the ruins that I have read ... more