Rome, Italy's capital city, is as famous for its centuries old architecture as it is for its cuisine. It is one of the world's most popular shopping destinations and tourist attractions, situated on the river Tiber, between the Apennine mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

History lessons
My daughter Rasha was studying about Rome in school so it was great when we managed to squeeze it into our itinerary. We went to Istanbul, followed by Rome and Tenerife in Spain. I love places with an interesting history and cultural heritage and was fascinated by Julius Caeser's city.

I was most excited, among the four of us - husband Anil Thadani, daughter Rasha and son Ranbirvardhan - to see the Colosseum, which I had seen only in films before. Today we can't make a building without leakages and these monuments are standing tall for thousands of years. The Colosseum is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre and situated right in the centre of the city. It is the largest amphitheatre ever built and could hold upto 80,000 spectators at a time.

My kids were sick of me talking to them about Roman history all day. But having watched films like Julius Caesar, I could identify with the place totally.


Tombs and the Temple of God
The most beautiful part of the trip was a visit to the Mausoleum of Augustus by night. It was beautifully lit up and they had a music and dance show in the course of which you learn about its history with lots of trivia thrown in. In the belief that this place was the holiest of all, it holds the tombs of their most illustrious. Rome's first emperor, Augustus, was buried here, in a tomb built in 28 BC. Another must-visit for every tourist is the Pantheon, also known as the Temple of God. It's a 2000-year-old temple, now a church with a beautiful dome. A fascinating piece of information is that its diameter is exactly equal to the Pantheon's interior height of 43.4 metres.

There's also the Temple of Caesar, built by Augustus on the spot where Julius Caesar was cremated. As Emperor, Augustus began a tradition of turning the mortal man into a God, the first being Caesar. The Temple of Caesar is in fact a temple to a God and not merely a temple of a mortal man.


Shopping for memories
We did a whole tour of the Vatican. The two popular attractions within the Vatican City are the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica. I picked up a lot of stuff from the Vatican. Some of my staff members are Catholic, so I bought rosaries blessed by the Pope for them. I also picked up pieces of art made on chips of tiles. I don't shop for random souvenirs. When in Istanbul, I bought a beautiful Turkish carpet. I like buying just one quality memento from a place.

On my platter
Luckily in Rome everyone understands basic English. It's known for its wine and wafer-thin pizzas. Even the salads and breads are a must have. Besides the fine-dining places, Anil and I loved the little cafes in the marketplaces. They have a different way of presenting food.