31 hours in Rome
It may seem decadent to fly to Rome for a night, but we decided to do it after rejecting the alternative: not spending time in the Eternal City with friends from Cape Town who were on holiday there. Also, decadence and Rome seem a good match, at least in my head. Leaving London early on Saturday morning had a sense of magic about it. We saw foxes, a squirrel, crows and a rabbit (all alive and apparently well) on our journey (by road) to Stansted Airport. Seven years on, London is still full of surprises!

The self-confidence of the Romans, ancient and modern, is evident everywhere. I think you would have to have a heart of stone not to have your breath taken away when you turn a corner and stumble upon an ancient treasure. There are so many that a day touring could easily become a heavy breathing affair. Walk a block or two and you are fast forwarded a few thousand years to a world where window dressing is loud and proud, to say the least. We didn't have time to shop but we were often drawn to the shop windows. I was surprised at first, thinking the Italians would have been more sedate but then I thought of Dolce and Gabbana. There is a certain unexpected harmony between the very old and the new in Rome; it seems one is walking through time with the ages on view in their many layers. There seemed to be no old people though. We threw money into the Trevi Fountain hoping like hell we would get back to this mesmerising city. We were amazed by the many ancient sites and were delighted by the beautiful churches. With so little time in the city we had decided to be relaxed about not seeing every site so we walked around and just enjoyed what we came upon. On Sunday morning we went to the Vatican and, as we arrived, the Pope was starting his midday address/mass from a window in his apartment (it is broadcast in St Peter's Square, which his window overlooks). We understood none of the words (Latin) but really felt the power. St Peter's Basilica is
jam-packed with enormous and spectacular works of art and I could imagine spending quite a few hours there. Unfortunately it was closed on the afternoon we were there; it was foolish of us not to check opening hours at the start of the weekend. (I think it is one Sunday afternoon a month that it is closed to the public). Anyway that left us time for more walking (Rome is definitely a walking city) and a couple of hours at the Coliseum. We joined a tour group, which was worthwhile in terms of getting us around quickly and cramming in information.

It must have been a dream: the ancient history, a night in Rome with friends from Cape Town, the art, the churches, the Pope - all this in a 31-hour weekend.
By Siobhan Cassidy