I came to Rome for its ancient relics and found streets paved with history gold, writes Helen Van Berkel I arrived by sea, pulling in at Civitavecchia (built circa 200) aboard the Sun Princess, which was launched in 2024. Imperial Roman ships would tie up at the dock where, to this day, artefacts are still being recovered – a bronze arm believed to belong to a colossal statue of Neptune was found just a few months ago. Leaving the port in a taxi, we drove past Fort Michelangelo (built in the 16th century), originally a fortress against pirates that now marks the start of an hour’s drive into the city.
I’d booked my accommodation in too much of a hurry to notice that I was further from the city than I would have liked but quickly discovered a train station a few minutes walk from my Casa Amica guesthouse. I was in downtown Rome within about 20 minutes..
