Rome

"Omnium Rerum Principia Parva Sunt" means "The beginnings of all things are small". Rome started small too. A little village along the Tiber River before it became the largest and most powerful city in the world. Many people have written about the magnificence of this city and I am about to join this group, even though in a more amateurish, but expressive way.

What started as a sister's trip became one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had so far. The first day we went for a walk in the colorful city of Trastevere. This bohemian area is always bulging with tourists as well as locals. There are also amazing authentic italian restaurants to try if you're a food lover. I would definitely suggest Tonarello's because honestly, best cacio e pepe I've ever tried in my 19 years of life.

Later that day we went to Vatican by bus. As soon as we arrived I was amazed by the intertwining of several architectural styles, such as Roman, Baroque and Gothic. The Papal Palace is a monumental and majestic building that doesn't need much explanation. I also can't give any interior details as the line to get in was huge so we left relatively quickly. If I had one regret about this trip, that would be not visiting St. Peter's Basilica. I'd read so much about it and at that point I was more than ready to see it in person, but hopefully next time.

It is hard to describe the feeling I got when I first saw the Colosseum. I almost felt my pupils dilating (jk). Obviously I had seen it before in pictures, but it's a whole different feeling when you get to actually see the big oval amphitheatre right in the city centre. I kept telling my sisters how I wish I could see a trailer of all the history that it bears. Each and every angle of the Colosseum is breathtaking and it doesn't matter how many times you've seen it, you'll always be amazed by it.

I can't help but talk about the most unforgettable part of this trip, Villa D'Este. It was a long ride as it is a bit out of the city, but I got to enjoy it because of the resemblance to my home country, particulary the mediterranean flora and the buildings. The town of Tivoli is really small but filled with ruins of Roman aqueducts, medieval castles, and several interesting churches. People there were so joyful and the town seemed very lively. After about 15 minutes of checking out the area, we immediately went down the amazing antique road that takes you to the Villa. Bought the tickets and ran to the courtyard as I was too excited.

We took a couple of pictures in the highly decorated hallway and then continued to admire the apartments of the Cardinal. Each and every one of the walls were decorated with frescoes of mixture of classical and Christian symbolism. As luxurious and magnificent as everything looked inside we were in awe of the garden view.

The garden was HUGE. It was almost impossible to explore but we managed to see every part of it. It has an extraordinary system of very aesthetically pleasing fountains. The Oval Fountain and The Fountain of the Organ are impossible to forget and a must see for art lovers. A spectacular show of water. Directly below the Fountain of the Organ, and receiving the water from the upper fountain, is the Fountain of Neptune (the one that you can see in the picture above).

I stood there for about 10 minutes alone, completely calm, without thinking, my mind went blank. Almost like a catharsis moment. Just as I thought this couldn't get more perfect it started raining. Only a little bit though. Then it got chilly and we decided to go back to the big city.

Our last night in Rome was made of a lot of gelato, carbs and wandering around the streets, going from deep conversations to foolish jokes.

I feel like what this trip did for me, was a lot more personal than visiting a new country/place/etc. It was a re-discovery of my love for Life, a stronger bond between sisters and the start of an inspiring era. All while being constantly astonished by the beauty of my surroundings.