Rome, Italy ( part I )

Trevi Fountain

My boyfriend and I went to Italy for the first time from Sept. 8 - Sept. 17, 2016.  We spent 4 days in Rome, 2 days in Florence, and 2 days in Venice.  It is a trip of a lifetime!  I want to share my experience with everyone and hopefully give some helpful tips. 

General tips:
- sunscreen (a MUST if going from Jun-Sept)
- comfortable walking shoes
- adapter
- portable rechargeable battery pack (life saver)
- camera with a lot of storage (duh)
- Euros. Take CA$H before you leave home.  My boyfriend and I used two ATM's and had fraud on our account 2 days later.  I know, rookie mistake.
- Download Rick Steves Europe audio guide.


Day 1 : Rome

Where we stayed:
In Rome we stayed at a room that we booked through Airbnb with a local Maurilio (you can find my review on the site) in the neighborhood of Trastevere.  This neighborhood is centrally located to all the main cites that most first-time Rome visitors want to see.  It is about a 20-30 minute walk to the Coliseum.  A neighborhood with plenty of cafes, bars and simply a great nightlife.

streets of Trastevere

Palazzo Venezia

Upon arrival at Fumiccino airport, we took a cab to Trastevere which was about 45 euros.  We found the apartment where we were staying at but arrived about 1 hour before our check-in time so we went to a café around the corner and had our first croissant and cappuccino in Italy.  After settling into our room at around noon, we walked to the Coliseum, the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, and Palazzo Venezia. Being that we live in a PST, we were running on 0 hours of sleep.  We took pictures outside the Coliseum and then stopped at one of the restaurants nearby for a pizza and beer.  It started raining while we were having lunch so we bought some cheap umbrellas to get us through it.  We walked all around Rome, about 6 miles a day to be exact.  The first day ended at 7:30 pm for us.  We got back to the room showered and were sound asleep by 9 pm.

being tourists in Rome

so serious haha

The Arc of Constantine

Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere

Sistine Chapel

Trevi Fountain

Day 2: Rome

Vatican City
I saw Pope Francis! I heard that he normally goes out to St. Peters Square on Wednesday's and Sunday's but I was there on a Saturday and it was a pleasant surprise.  I bought tickets for the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica through Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi .  The total for the purchase online was about 55 euros each person (this included the audio guide which is optional).  We checked in to Opera Romana at 9:15AM and our tour was at 10:00 AM.  Be there early! You don't want to miss the guide who walks you over to the museums entrance.  I HIGHLY suggest that you purchase your tickets in advance because the line to purchase tickets outside the museum can be over 2 hours long!

Michelangelo's Pieta

inside St.Peter's Basilica

exiting Vatican Museum

After enjoying an endless amount of sculptures and paintings like Michelangelo's Pieta and the Sistine Chapel, we went to grab some lunch at "The Meat Market."  We both enjoyed a BIG burger.  Yes, we had a burger in Rome. 

The Meat Market

Later, we walked back to the room for a change of clothes and a small break that we so desperately needed.  We headed out in search of "Cacio e Pepe" for dinner and ended up at a restaurant up near the Trevi Fountain.  After dinner we went back to Trastevere to walk around the neighborhood and people watch.  We saw some of the most interesting people there; from couples holding hands,  students, families with their young children to drunk people, street performers asking for tips, and beat-boxers.  We sat at a cafe and had a cappuccino around midnight to better enjoy the show that Trastevere had to offer.



Day 3: Rome

The Coliseum and Arc of Constantine
Cappuccino and a croissant for breakfast again!  We went to different cafes and restaurants every day that we were in Rome.  Cappuccinos are simply the best!  We made our way to the Coliseum and along the way ran into music street performers, mimes, artists drawing caricatures, and can't leave out the men selling selfie sticks too.  You will get distracted along the way to wherever your destination is and that is the point, to explore, get lost, meet new people and have a great time.  For the coliseum we didn't purchase our tickets ahead of time and those travel tour groups are all around the coliseum trying to get your business.  We decided to not pay the 35 euros for the "front of the line pass" and tour this time.  Honestly, we waited in line about 10 minutes (I thought we would wait at least 45 mins.) and walked up straight to the front counter and paid 12 euros each to get in. 

Walking into the coliseum takes you to another century.  You can look down at the center of the amphitheater and can visualize the defeated being dragged away as a roar from the crowd of spectators takes over.  It's simple breathtaking.  Since the Arc of Constantine is a few feet away, you can enjoy a view from the Coliseum and snap a few pictures.  The Coliseum and Arc of Constantine were the only two places that we planned for this Sunday so we walked around with no destination in mind.  We came across a small church located in a cul-de-sac around the corner from the Roman Forum on Palatine Hill called St Bonaventura Al Palatino Church ( San Bonaventura Al Palatino  ).  A volunteer of the church toured us around and invited us to a beautiful-small garden in the back that overlooks the Coliseum.  We went back to the room to beat the rain from pouring down on us like it did on day 2.  After the storm passed, we went down to Trastevere and randomly picked a restaurant in the neighborhood and I had some delicious penne pasta.

tickets to Florence