Rome, Italy

My mom and I decided to take a girl's trip together, so we headed to one of my favorite places in the world - Italy!

We arrived in Rome a little jet-lagged, but hungry. Our first stop was Campo di Fiore to find a restaurant for some lunch. We definitely indulged a bit - it was our first meal in Italy after all! Cheese and spinach ravioli, bruschetta, and house wine were all on the table.

To help us push through the first day slump, I actually booked us a free walking tour of Rome! It ended up being fabulous as our guide Matteo was very engaging. He took us from the Spanish Steps to the Pantheon to St. Ignatius church and everywhere in between. It was a good intro history lesson into Rome and kept us moving.

We ended the evening at the Trevi fountain, made a pit stop for gelato at Fatamorgana (a favorite!) and pizza at Antico Forno (a NEW favorite!).

The next day, we had a Vatican tour booked bright and early, so we made our way there. The Vatican was absolutely bonkers. We were happy to have booked a tour, but there were honestly just far too many people in there with little to no A/C. 

I hadn't mentioned yet, but the weather was in the mid/upper 90s our whole time in Rome. It was pretty unbearable in the mid-day heat, but we took our time and stopped for gelato or went back to the room to cool off periodically.

Back to the Vatican! We explore the museums, moved on to the Sistine Chapel and finally, saw St. Peter's as well. It was a jam-packed morning for sure!

We stopped at a place called La Zanzara for lunch, which was great! We got a spot in the shade outside, I had an Aperol spritz, and we got 4 small plates to split between us.

After a rest in our room, we actually went back for a small dinner at the same pizza by the slice (pizza al taglio) place we had been the night before. Followed up by another gelato at Fatamorgana next door!

The next morning, we had breakfast at our hotel and then wandered around the Jewish Quarter. It was a very good place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Rome as well. It's the oldest area in Rome that has been continuously inhabited and you definitely get a sense of the history as you walk around seeing the ruins everywhere.

So, the next part of the day was a bit of a mess, but we got through it! Between bus mishaps, routings due to protests, and not being able to find the entrance to the Colosseum because of said protests - we FINALLY made it inside.

We had an audio guide, so we spent the next few hours exploring the exhibits and the Colosseum itself. Also included in our tickets were passes to the Roman Forum, so we checked that out as well.

That evening, I booked a food tour for us with Eating Europe. Jason and I have done 3 tours with them and enjoyed them all immensely! This tour of Testaccio was no different!

We started with a spritz and some small bites, got meat and cheese (and wine) at the next stop, discovered my new favorite dish (grecia), ate trappazinos, and finally, gelato. It was way too much food, but totally worth it!

Testaccio is a neighborhood that's far more local. It's right below where the typical "tourist" maps of Rome end, so it's remained off the grid so to speak. It's a great area to come and enjoy "aperativo" which means drinks and FREE food. 

Some places just have snacks, but others go all out. I would totally suggest looking into this if you're coming to Rome!

Our last morning in Rome, we had time to grab a cornetti and a cappucino, see the inside of the Pantheon (it was closed on our first visit because it was a Sunday), and see Bernini's fountain at Piazza Navona.

Then we caught a bus to the train station to head to our next stop - Florence!

Rome was beautiful, but I definitely don't recommend coming the time of year we did.

Rome is one of my favorite cities, but I told my mom that I can understand why you wouldn't like it if you'd never been before. It's a "difficult" city. Public transit is completely unreliable, the heat is overwhelming, and the main sights are WAY too crowded.

That bring said, Rome is still incredibly charming. I just think it's easier to see the charm when it's not peak tourist season.

Up Next: Florence and Cortona!