What grander place to feel like royalty than Buckingham Palace. Many people, both locals and tourists love gathering to witness the iconic ‘changing of the guard’ ceremony in front of the palace. It’s time where the new shift replaces the old one but it is no regular event! As the queen’s guards, these men are highly trained to protect her and the royal family at all costs.
Watching these men march around in front of England’s most historical and cultural landmark just shows how dedicated the English are at upholding their traditions in an everchanging and modernizing world.
The Fantasy: Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
One of the grandest chapels in the world that contains some of the most impressive works of art in human history, the Sistine Chapel will make you question the extent of our abilities. Its frescoes are simply breathtaking and the course is most famous for Michaelangelo's Last Judgement that is painted on the ceiling.
Located in the Vatican, the epicenter of Catholicism, the marvelous chapel is meant to be studied and marveled at in silence as you contemplate the wonderment and history of the religion and culture.
Reality: Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
If there is one man that can draw a crowd, its the pope. Day after day, the Vatican is swamped with tourists who flood the tiny city to witness the glory of Christianity. The Sistine Chapel is by no means an exception, in fact, it's one of the major attractions. Good luck trying to quietly take in this great art when you are boxed in by people everywhere.
On the bright side, if you're' tilting your head up just to catch a breath from the sea of people, you can still gaze upon the amazing art above you. It just might not be the most comfortable state to view it in. What's worse, you can't even take pictures of your time there. There's always Google Images.
Reality: The Changing of The Guard at Buckingham Palace, London
London weather is notoriously bad. You will be lucky to catch a sunray or two during your stay there. The clouds are perpetually gray and everything feels kind of miserable. We mentioned how people love to gather around the palace. Thousands upon thousands of people visit the queen's gates every day. NOt just tourists. The English are just as royal-obsessed as the rest of us, in fact even more.
The ceremony itself is also about 30 minutes. Yes, it's a bit of a show and nice to see old-timey looking guards marching in front of a palace, but ultimately, they don't do much but guard the queen. In the end, you'll catch a very quick glimpse at some fury hats marching about for a few minutes... in the rain.
Fantasy: The Spanish Steps, Rome
Visiting the Spanish Steps or if you want to sound cultured, Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti is a must if you're visiting Rome. The iconic set of steps was built between 1723-1725 by the somewhat then-unknown architect Francesco de Sanctis.
It was built in order to connect the Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Trinità dei Monti (where the famed church of the same name stands). It's 135 steps with little stones along the path so you can just sit and absorb the surrounding baroque architecture. You can also reenact the scene in A Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn.