[Fall Italy Vacation] Day 09/10: Exploring the City of Rome - Colosseum + Spanish Steps ; Back to Milan

My last day in Rome, and we made our way to the most spectacular spot in ancient Rome's history, the Colosseum. It was about 15-20 mins from our hotel.

The Colosseum is one of the most famous sights in Europe, and it’s incredibly impressive and packed with history.

We took a guided tour which was also the 'Skip the line' tour of the Colosseum. The tour guide could peak fluent English and showed us around in order to give us lots of historical knowledge. I simply couldn't help but be mesmerized with the overall architecture, however, information on the under arena was missing. It was just grass, hence it was a slight let-down that there was no public access allowed there unless you came with the tour. 

We really had a great time there, all thanks to our tour guide. It's highly recommended for first time visitors to be able to make sense of the structures and sprawling areas.

After finishing up on our tour of the Colosseum, we made our way by street bus to our next destination, as Baby booked a Michelin 2-star restaurant in the heart of Rome for our lunch.

We settled our luncheon at Il Pagliaccio which is named after a famous opera starring a clown in Italy ; Paillasse, and it offers one of the best Italian tables in town. 

The setting was elegant but the whole atmosphere didn't really give me a sense of welcome. To be honest, I felt a bit stifled, as the vibe was pretty formal. The doors to the restaurant were locked throughout the whole dining service.

The fusion cuisine served at this restaurant tells the story of the chef’s life, blending influences from his experiences and travels around the world. The menu successfully incorporates a combination of Mediterranean flavors with hints of the Orient which are pretty uncommon in Italy.

The breadsticks and the bread were extremely well-made!

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I love the masterful skills of the chef and the showcase of the plating was splendid too. It was worth the visit for a Michelin 2-star restaurant. If the atmosphere was more relaxed, I would say that this would be a perfect to go to restaurant The service rendered was overly professional and it gave me an inflexible experience. The price was kind of on the high side, but like the saying goes, quality comes with a price tag.

After lunch, we went for some last-minute shopping in Rome. Prior to returning to our hotel, we made a stop to the Spanish Steps - Rome's famous scalinata (monumental staircase). This attraction is the centerpiece of Piazza di Spagna which was built in the early 1700s!

The next day, we took the train back to Milan from Rome which was about 3-hours+. We shared a slice of rectangle pizza before boarding the train. 

Upon reaching Milan, we headed straight to our hotel with our luggage to check into the INTOMILAN Aparthotel which was located a few steps away from the Duomo.

After leaving our belongings in the room, we walked to the Trevi Fountain area, and settled at one of restaurants located nearby for dinner.

We took the high-speed train from Milano Cadorna Station back to the Malpensa (MXP) Airport. We had our Italian lunch at the airport before boarding.

I have come to the last and final post of my Italy holiday. Thanks so much for reading up on my experiences during my Italy trip. Time really flies, as it has been almost 4 months since I returned from Italy, but I still find myself missing it very much. Till we meet again, Italy!