Ciao Italy ??

Back in July of 2018, I had the pleasure of visitng Rome, Italy. I went on my first cruise. It was definitely a great experience and I recommend everyone to at least do one cruise in their lifetime. Even if it is just a weekend cruise to a nearby country or island. I was fortunate enough to be able to go on a European cruise.

My cruise departed from Barcelona, Spain to Naples, Rome, and Livorno (Florance), Italy; Cannes, France, and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Every city I was able to experience the many different cultures that Europe has to offer. I was able to learn the basics of Italian, French and intermediate of Spanish. Europe did not disappoint when it came to the local fashion, cuisine, or historical sites.

Traveling to Rome

One of the first places in Rome that my friends and I visit was St. Peter’s Square to hopefully get a glimpse of Pope Francis. The Vatican did not fail to meet our expectations of architecture beauty.

My friends & I had tickets for Sistine Chapel & the Colosseum with a little time to explore the rest of Rome before having to go back to the ship. (I recommend getting your tickets at least 2-3 months in advance for these sites especially if you go in the high peak of tourist season aka the Summer.

Colosseum & Sistine Chapel

I would highly recommend buying advance tickets for the Colosseum because you will be able to skip the super long line. Here’s a link to buy tickets.

Word of advice, stay hydrated when visiting in the summertime. The heat was super draining and then to the climb the stairs to the top was exhausting but the view was worth it. Locals were selling cold water when you enter and exit the Colosseum for about 3 Euros. The view is absolutely amazing and lives to the hype of the incredible view and Instagram worthy.

The Sistine Chapel (pictured in the feature image for this post) was another great place to visit. The paintings were amazing wherever you turned. The detail and effort that is displayed in each painting, especially the ceiling. A memory that will last forever of pure beauty and sense of tranquility. Purchase Sistine Chapel & Vatican Muesum tickets:

Italians were super nice and helpful to my friends and I when looking for taxi’s or to get back to the train station. They were super happy when we said Museum Italian words such as Grazie (thank you). Locals also taught us simple phrase to help us get around. Rome was such a great culture shock and I would gladly go back to visit other historical sites; I was unable to see this trip.