Countries Visited

    Australia
    Austria
    Bahamas
    Belgium
    Belize
    Bermuda
    Cambodia
    Canada
    Cayman Islands
    Costa Rica
    Czech Republic
    England
    Greece
    Guatemala
    Italy
    Japan
    Laos
    Malaysia
    Mexico
    The Netherlands
    Norway
    Singapore
    Spain
    Thailand
    United States
    The Holy See
    Vietnam

    Travel Goals

    1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
    2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
    3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
    4. Visit every continent.
    5. See the Galapagos Islands.
    6. Sail down the Amazon River.
    7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
    8. Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
    9. Go into space.
    10. Throw tomatos at La Tomintina in Spain.
    11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
    12. Try to figure out the Buddhist messages at Borobudor in Indonesia.
    13. Visit the Pyramids
    14. Safari in East Africa for 3 months.
    15. Go to the World Cup!
    16. See Macchu Picchu.
    17. Join the Century Club. (100 countries visited)
    18. Join the Mile High Club. (Hey why not?)
    19. Do development work in a 3rd world country.
    20. See Petra Jordan.
    21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
    22. Go back to Alaska and see the Northern Lights.
    23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
    24. Greek Island hop.
    25. Cycle Tuscany.
    26. Visit India.
    27. Lounge forever in the Seychelles.
    28. See Morocco.
    29. Oktoberfest!
    30. Caravan across the Sahara.
    31. Visit Tibet.
    32. Go to the Cannes Film Festival.
    33. Go to the Sundance Film Festival.
    34. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
    35. Pacific Island hop.
    36. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel in Sweden.
    37. Go to Israel.
    38. Carnival!!!!
    39. and it's slightly less cool cousin, Mardi Gras!
    40. See Glacier National Park before the glaciers melt.
    41. Fly first class on some long international flight!
    No Service Fees! Promo Code: NOFEE

The Weekly Photo

August 7, 2008

Manarola Cinque Terre

Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy

Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under Weekly Photo | 12 Comments 

The Saturday City: Rome

June 7, 2008

Ahhh Rome. The cradle of the west. The center of power for centuries. Birthplace of Caesar. Home to Catholic Church. A city steeped in three thousand years of history. All around the world, everyone knows Rome. Saying the name conjures up images of the old, the new, religion, food, romance, and Tom Hanks trying to crack the Da Vinci code.

I was excited to go to Rome. My visit was supposed to be three days but turned into a solid week. I feel in love with Rome. It was easy to see why everyone loves the city. Despite all the tourists and tour groups that roam the city, the ungodly crowds, and the congestion, nothing could take away from the beauty of Rome. Rome is Rome…it doesn’t need to be anything else. The name alone conveys everything.

Nothing I could write about Rome could do it justice. It’s beauty and elegance has been described by far better writers and poets than I ever could. So rather than talk about the beauty of Rome, I’m going to show it to you.

A Walking Tour of Rome

I started downtown where most of the ruins were located. There you can explore the ancient ruins built by Julius and Augustus Caesar as they expanded the Roman empire..

Cross the street and wander through the ancient Roman Forum, the seat of Roman power. There are a ton of ruins there and sitting down amongst them was a humbling experience. Someone thousands of years ago sat in this exact spot watching Senators and Caesars go past.

and then head to Palatine hill, where the kings, caesars, and aristocrats of Rome lived…

Then cross the street and gaze at the Colosseum. It was an unbelievable site to behold. Massive and beautiful.

Head west, through the Circus Maximus, and across the river Tiber. There you can wander through Trastevere, a local area that sees few tourists. It was my favorite section of the city, small cobble lined streets, tiny squares, great restaurants, and few tourists.

From there head north to the Vatican, the center of the Catholic Church. There you can check out the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the tomb of the popes.

From there head back east, across the river, for more exploration.

Walk through the Piazza Navarro and to the Spanish steps, for some good relaxation and people watching…

Continue south, past the Parthenon, to Trevi Fountain. Make your way through the crowds and follow tradition by turning around and throwing a coin in for good luck.

Then finish at this monument, built in the Roman style, to honor Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a united Italy. It’s big and gaudy but it’s still beautiful.

Rome is an amazing city. It wasn’t built in a day and there’s more to do there than my little blog post can handle (Heck, they have whole guidebooks on the city!). There’s more to do there than you can fit in during your trip. It would take years to see the whole city…but I’m to the challenge, are you?

Related Posts:
Matt’s Italy photos

Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under Saturday City | 14 Comments