3 Days in Rome

Historians and archeologists can't exactly nail down the date the Pantheon in Rome was built, but the internet tells me it was built by Agrippa between 25 and 27 BC. Yet I make it a priority to see it whenever I visit the Eternal City, and it never gets old.

I would just love to be in there when it rains. To see the water come through its famous hole in the top (The eye of the Pantheon, or oculus) and watch it disappear down the imperceptibly sloped-marble floor.

Inside you will get the idea within five minutes, and want to leave. But it's still an experience to stare up in awe at that majestic unsupported dome, unmolested by time, wars, natural disasters. Etc.

Unlike the Coliseum, which will take you the best part of a morning to ingest properly. We booked a tour through Viator, roughly £85 a person. It also takes you through the Forums, which is like a walk through time. Don't forget that Rome is just new buildings on old buildings. They just built on top of everything. There is one building across the forums, south-side of the Piazza del Campidoglio, that has all its history on show. It's completely exposed. From its founding pillars, to the arches, to the new modern additions.

Where to stay in Rome

If you want to be close to the action you can stay in the Hotel Romano. I won't bother informing you of prices, because it's all reflective on seasons. But the staff are nice (although the guy on the desk had never heard of James Bond), beds are clean, and it's a 5 minute walk from the Coliseum. It's a hotel that doesn't do breakfast. In fact, it's tough to find a good breakfast in Rome that doesn't involve Pistachio Croissants. What the hell are those things anyway?

Where to eat in Rome

For restaurants we visited these and can recommend them all.

●  Iari The Vino Via Frangipane, 27 00184

●  Osteria Fernanda Via Crescenzo del Monte

●  Quandoo Reservation at MARE NOSTRUM Seafood

Don't

I would actually say don't bother with the hop on- hop off. Typically I would recommend that as a way to get around a city. But Rome is so walkable, and the Hop on Hop Off I found quite frustrating as the information was quite stodgy, like reading Wikipedia. And they have long pauses at stations trying to snare other passersby to join the tours.

Don't expect to just turn up to the Vatican and expect to get in. The queues looked brutal when we went. We had a tour booked through Viator again, and got the early morning skip the line tour. If you don't book then you'll end up queuing for hours in the sun with no shade. People in that queue looked cooked and pissed.

The Trevi Fountain is exhausting with all the tourists getting their perfect photos. We have reached critical mass here. Something needs to be done with the photo taking on phones. God knows what. Either we limit people to just one photo a day, or we have to answer a multiple choice question about what it is they're taking a photo of. This would drastically reduce the amount of women who want their photos taken next to classic cars.

If you have any further recommendations for Rome get in touch as I'm always looking for new things to do in this beautiful city. Just remember the SPF 50, and even take an umbrella. When it's not beating down sun, it's prone to showers.

Photos by Chris Czermak on Unsplash