Rome is one of those cities that most people feel they need to see at least once in their lives. But time can be limited, and sometimes we only get to visit Rome as part of a wider European vacation. Luckily, with this guide, you can see all of the essential parts of Rome – even if you have just a few days.

The Big Hitters

If it’s your first time to Rome then there a few places you can’t really ignore, so we can cross them off the list pretty early. Lines for the Colosseum are pretty long, so to maximize your time, it’s best to get here early in the day and take it all in before the day gets too hot.

Before you jump in line for the Colosseum, it’s best to indulge yourself in a little Italian breakfast. You can’t come to Italy and ignore coffee either, so find a cafe and order yourself something to eat before setting off for the day.

With the morning spent checking out the Colosseum, why not cross another significant Rome landmark off the list and visit the Vatican? These are probably the two busiest places in the city, so putting them at the top of the list allows you more time to take in Rome at your own pace.

Spanish Steps

Another famous landmark in Rome is the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. You’ll want to make sure you get to see both of these as well as the many obelisks and churches along the way. Visiting Rome wouldn’t be the same without indulging in some food, and we recommend dedicating plenty of your time to simply relaxing, eating, and watching the city come to life.

Rome might not have been built in a day, but in just a few days you can see everything it has to offer.

Russians like to do things differently, however trivial it may be. And this lends Russia an air of uniqueness. Their way of doing things may sometimes come across as wild, as documented in these images. Take a look and you’ll know what we’re talking about.

It’s no secret that Russia experiences a lot of snow during winter. And so, what do kids do when their playground has been obstructed by snow? They dig a hole! So, while this image may seem quite strange to all of us foreigners, this is just another day in good old Russia.

Looking for ideas for your upcoming wedding photoshoot? Want to do something that’s different from the usual fare? We suggest you browse through Russian wedding photoshoots to get some inspiration.

Alternatively, you can consider this offbeat genie-themed photoshoot like this Russian couple — and create a story around the theme. And, while you’re at it; you can play Christina Aguilera’s Genie in a Bottle to get you in the mood.

The Russians take safety too seriously. And, they have their own ways and hacks to go about it. For instance, this Russian individual devised his own safety hack (genius) by opting to cover his face with a plastic bucket instead of wearing a metal helmet as he works on a grinding machine.

We aren’t sure how safe this move is — considering the bucket is made of plastic. But, one thing we’re sure of is the fact that the guy looks totally engrossed in his work.

It seems our theory of Russians following safety protocols seriously was not entirely correct. In this image, one can see the remains of a crashed plane lying on the ground at a short distance from the airport runway.

What makes this image more interesting is that it was taken from another plane on its way to the airport landing. Hopefully, the people in the plane who had this view landed safely.

Russia has its own version of Uber to take you from Point A to Point B. The best part is that they can be booked offline. Also, this local version of Uber looks completely safe as it is enclosed from all sides.

So, there’s no danger of falling from a moving vehicle. Russians do take safety protocols seriously when they want to. Guess, we need to test out our theory a bit more before we arrive at some solid conclusion.

Russians know how to chill (Dubai, take some tips, please!) They love to chill with wild animals (polar bears seem to be their favorites) whenever they can!

So, if a polar bear visits their place, they take a selfie with it and post it on their social media accounts later. This image can easily make the world feel that a polar bear invasion is not a concern in Russia. It’s just as normal as any day can be.

This concrete locomotive wagon at the kids’ playground in Russia feels like an art installation cum play object. For all you know, it may be a bit of both. It’s also a shining example of creating something resourceful out of trash.

We wish they could have painted some designs on it to make it look a little more eye-catching, though. But while it looks a bit lackluster, it’s nonetheless creative in many ways.

Russians are caring towards their pets. And by pets, we don’t mean a polar bear here. As we know that temperatures in Russia can get pretty low, it can affect sensitive areas of pets such as paws.

To keep their pets warm, Russians cover them head to toe in winter gear. This seems like a novel idea to non-Russians, but in Russia, it’s just another day! However, it’s nice to know that they care so much for their pets.

Russian street vendors don’t just sell their wares, they know how to market them to their target audience. In that respect, their marketing approaches can be compiled into insightful case studies on how to get the right message across.

For instance, this Russian street vendor has put up a signpost that says, “The steeper the bouquet you buy, the lower the kisses will be.” This is a really creative way to market, we’d say.

While we have seen some really bizarre urinals across the world, this one takes the cake. We have tons of questions such as, why on Earth is there a microscope in this urinal? What could possibly be the reason for this?

Is it just for gags or is it a Russian thing we’re not aware of? We want some leads and possibly satisfying answers to this. Maybe there’s a target you must hit and it’s only visible through the microscope. Who knows?

Russian street vendors, as we discussed earlier, have figured out the art of writing successful marketing messages. They also know all about branding and creating a specific image in the minds of consumers.

These complex words are much simpler to the Russian mind. For instance, they have cheekily painted the engine of the truck as a Duracell battery. This is to draw attention towards the brand. And guess what? It works.

In Russia, chickens own vintage cars. On some occasions, they also live in them with their family and friends. This, in fact, is a clever idea to re-use your old car in a meaningful way as compared to trashing it.

This chicken coop is environment-friendly, sustainable, upcycled, and easy to make. If you have an old vehicle lying in some corner of your garage, you (now) know what to do with it.

A Russian wedding feels different. Perhaps it feels different because it is! For instance, this Russian couple held their wedding procession in a modified agricultural combine. Luckily, the weather was on their side and everything went as per their plan.

So, if you’re planning on getting married any time soon and are looking for unusual wedding themes, you can try this one. Your guests will remember your special day for a long, long time.

Besides perfecting the art of branding, Russians have mastered the art of chilling. They can chill anywhere — and erm, in any position — however weird it might look to an outsider’s eye.

For example, a Russian duo here can be seen chilling comfortably on what seems to be blobs of concrete. Going by the expression on their faces, they look as comfortable as a person would be on his bed or sofa. They must have attained inner peace to maintain that level of balance.

Russians are known to exhibit the next level of fandom towards the brands they adore. Once they’re emotionally attached to a label, they go to any and all lengths to prove their loyalty and love for the brand.

For instance, this Russian teenager is proving his loyalty towards Adidas by wearing Adidas clothing from head to toe (quite literally). He even has cut his hair to resemble the logo of the brand. Such dedication!

A photo booth by definition is a small enclosed area consisting of a vending machine. One normally inserts a coin in the slot of the machine to get their pictures taken. So, it’s completely digital, you see.

But, things are a little different in Russia! Here, the photo booths can be a bit of a misnomer as they’re not at all digital and are mainly manned or (WO) manned by the staff.

Russians, as you might have known by now, are creative people. And their creativity is visible in the different objects or devices they work on, including automobiles.

You will find a LADA car like this only in Russia (see the image below). The design does make the car look a lot cooler; a ride that any teenager would want to be seen in.

If you’re walking on the streets of Russia, and get tired, you can park yourself on a swing — under the bridge. Yes, you read that right. Russians have zany design sensibilities when it comes to designing the city.

So, it’s not totally normal to find a swing under the bridge. But, it seems like a great idea; who wouldn’t want to unwind with the water beneath their feet as they swing back and forth in the fresh air? Sounds delightful!

Snowman in most countries is predominantly white. Because snow is white, right? But, Russians don’t believe in doing things by the book.

Just like everything else, they have given the usual snowman an upgrade. This snowman is made of black fibers. And, we kind of dig it!

Isn’t this a fantastic way to jazz up your workstations? This Aladdin-inspired mini magic carpet mouse pad is as fancy as it can be. We owe them one for this.

For those who need context, Aladdin’s flying carpet took him across the world to experience different sights, smells, and sounds. This mouse pad makes us want to click on our own mouse and have it show us ‘a whole new world’ of the internet.

Russian society is generally collectivist in nature, which means it’s non-individualistic. Russian homes — and toilets apparently — mirror this characteristic of Russian society by keeping things communal.

The toilet you see in the image is placed on the landing between two flights of stairs. Our guess is that there are too many floors and in case you need to use the toilet suddenly, it’s right there.

From the looks of it, we think it’s safe to say that Russians just aren’t afraid of polar bears. Let’s consider that to be an axiom now. While many people from many parts of the world find polar bears scary, the Russians seem to find them cute and cuddly.

For instance, this Russian man is hugging a polar bear traveling with him on a Soviet Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker. The bear too seems to enjoy the embrace as evident from the happy expression on his face.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen a car on this list, but it is further proof that Russians are a creative bunch. We’re not entirely sure what this car is made out of — it could be cardboard, perhaps construction paper, maybe metal?

Whatever the case may be, looking at this sleek and futuristic DIY automobile instantly made us think of the scene in The Little Rascals, in which the kids race their self-built cars against bullies Butch and Woim.

The weather in Russia can get quite cold. During winter, the country experiences heavy snowfall that covers almost anything exposed outside with a thick layer of snow.

Just like how it has covered this entire car in a heavy layer of ice. Imagine getting stuck on a road like this! It seems like quite a scary situation to be in.

The crows of Russia are very fashion-forward. At present, athleisure seems to be the favorite trend among the crow community of Russia. These crows are a stylish lot and how! Also, they lean towards branded stuff.

For instance, this crow is wearing a blue Adidas tracksuit. And it looks as confident as ever! Whoever created this piece of art clearly has a wild imagination, as athleisure is not normally what you’d associate a crow with.

Russians are cool in their own right. They have aced the art of being cool and how. Their cool personality can be reflected in the gadgets they own and the cars they drive.

Speaking of cars, we came across this cool car upholstered in a Persian carpet. This car definitely deserves to be on the red carpet. Also, does this make you want to take it for a spin right away?

Continuing the fascination with automobiles, we spotted this image of a bus-truck — or the other way round. Apparently, this combination was used as an airport pickup to carry passengers from the gate to the plane and back.

This vehicle is a common sight at Russian airports and so, the locals may not give it a second thought. Now, we know the inspiration behind the famous animated show CatDog. It was this all the way!

By now, you might be wholly aware of the fact that Russians are quite a creative bunch. We mean, we’ve gone out of our way to establish this fact several times throughout the list. If you haven’t been paying attention yet, this image will make up for it all.

This ornately wooden work architecture in a Moscow home is an example of how creative Russians can be. Our homes feel quite basic now in comparison to this masterpiece.

In Russia, even abandoned objects look pretty and artsy. A walk in a normal Russian yard feels equivalent to taking a stroll through the gallery. Think we’re exaggerating?

See this image of a Russian yard with rows of tire swans. Tire Swans are upcycled art pieces made from the discarded tires of automobiles. They are then painted in specific colors to resemble swans.

As we’ve already mentioned, Russian society is collectivist in nature. That means they like to socialize. They don’t care much for their surroundings as long as they are having a mighty good time with their family and/or friends.

For instance, these Babooshkas seem to look really comfortable on this ride and in the middle of a serious discussion. It always makes you want to find out what they’re talking about. Wouldn’t you agree?