I guess I’m officially a late bloomer, it took me years before I had the chance to visit many European cities that most people usually visit in their twenties. Mostly, because I chose to spend most of my younger years on vacations at the beach either in the US or at the Caribbean, and didn’t start my so-called cultural yearly trips until recently.
Nowadays, It is so exciting for me to pick a different major European city for my vacation and explore it fully. It usually takes me 7 days to visit all the museums and main attractions, to try its traditional foods, and to live life like the locals do as much as possible.
This year, it was my turn to visit Rome. The trip was truly incredible, though I found a few things I didn’t really like. For starters I knew it was going to be hot and this is why I opted not to travel in the middle of summer, hoping that my mid May dates were going to be better. Well not really, temperatures climbed to 30º Celsius most days and it was also very humid too. And then the crowds, my goodness! I started believing nobody worked anymore; there were too many people everywhere, long lines and bumping into others were annoying as I like to move quickly at my own pace, to most places.
Other than that, I had so many great experiences to share with you, starting with Italian food, which is and was truly exceptional in Rome. Not only because of the quality of the ingredients, but also some dishes were truly addictive, like their delicious al dente pasta (Carbonara, Amatriciana or Cacio e Pepe are a must-try of any visit), their endless pizza combinations served in squares (al Taglio), my favorite was one with radicchio on top, a combination I’ve never seen somewhere else. The fried Suppli balls (rice balls filled with meat, cheese and tomato sauce, usually served as appetizers), the Maritozzi with panna (brioche filled with sweet cream) a sweet powerbomb. The artisanal Gelatos, also served with cream on top as the locals do, and of course the delicious fried Artichokes (known in Rome as Carciofi alla Giudia), enjoyed al fresco with a glass of Prosecco. Food and coffee were truly astounding in Rome, but I also think they tasted better because of the way Romans are and live, enjoying “La Dolce Vita”, an expression they use for chilling and relaxing, in other words enjoying the good sweet life.
Rome is so incredible, and there was so much to see; it’s truly an open museum. From the Roman ruins you will keep bumping into all around the city (Roman Forum, Largo di Torre Argentina, Marcellus Theater, Colosseum, Pantheon, etc), to their very artistic fountains (Trevi, especially, but also Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi), its many piazzas (Navona, Pincio, Popolo and Spanish Steps) and many Obelisks spread all around the city, as well as their hundreds of churches with their wonderful domes, the list of things to see is endless.
Yet to truly enjoy it all, I have a couple of recommendations for those planning a trip to Rome in the near future. The first thing will be to book your tickets to the main attractions in advance, before they sell out, so you don’t end up paying double or triple their cost to purchase them via re-vendors. Unfortunately this happened to me, I ended up paying more than the usual price to secure a ticket on my days there. Whenever possible, pay for a guided tour with skip-the-line option (I know these are expensive, but so worthy), especially for places such as the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and the Borghese Gardens and Gallery (a truly baroque paradise).
Know where you want to go and what you want to see. Every year once I decide my vacation destination, I start planning my trip, by watching videos on YouTube and start listing the places I am going to visit, and adding them on my Google Maps. This way I know where everything is, what is close by, including attractions and restaurants. I found that the Rome Vlog Romewise did the trick for me, to help me familiarize myself with Rome before I arrived.
Another must: always, bring comfortable shoes. Rome's streets are made of cobblestone and you will need a good pair of sneakers to support your feet, considering you will most likely spend 4 to 5 hours daily just walking, if not more. And though Rome has a subway system, subway stops sometimes are a 15-minutes walk away from most attractions, so be ready to walk everywhere. Think of this as a good way to burn the extra calories from all those Cornetto (croissants) you will have for breakfast.
If you can’t pay for guides, download apps such as Rick Steves’ (free at Google play), he has audio tours for most of the attractions in Rome, including tours of the Colosseum, Pantheon and Roman forums. I actually did the last three, following his instructions and it worked wonderfully for me. But you know, some museums are so big, it is almost impossible to see everything in one day, so paying for a guide to point you to the essential masterpieces helps, not only by saving you time, but also preventing you from missing the basics of your visit (like the bust that inspired Michelangelo to do his last judgment painting in the Sistine Chapel for example).
Though tickets are needed for most things, there are plenty of things that are free, like all of the art inside Roman churches. I (a Jew) spent a day visiting most of them, to discover the wonderful sculptures of Bernini and Michelangelo and the paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael. Even access to the biggest church in the world, St Peter’s Basilica, is free, though prepare yourself for long lines. I also took pictures of the many church ceilings, some of which have incredible baroque designs and paintings.
But what I truly enjoyed the most, was visiting the ruins, and old attractions such as the Pantheon and the Colosseum only a few blocks from my Airbnb. I was lucky enough to book my studio in the neighborhood of Monti, which was very well situated. Imagine my surprise on my first day, when I went for a walk around and saw the Colosseum only three blocks away. Visiting the Pantheon was also something else, these days is not free anymore, though you can book your entry ticket, that will cost you 5 Euros online, or at the machine outside. I must confess, I couldn’t help and rested my hands on its over 2,000-year old columns. It was as if part of me wished these walls could talk about all the history they have witnessed.
Towards the end, I found myself fully knowing how to move through the metro system like a local, and I even stopped looking at Citymapper for a while, allowing myself to get lost in the many charming Roman streets, following only my intuition to guide me through. Of course, I also enjoyed crossing bridges to check what was on the other side, something I normally do when visiting other cities, such as Paris or London. This time, I crossed the Tiber river to Trastevere, a fun and vibrant neighborhood full of hip bars and restaurants. Now, looking at my pictures again, feels like transporting myself to Rome’s charming streets, to its history and art, allowing me to savor every moment I spent while there.
Though I was in Italy, a country with many wonderful wines, I found myself drinking what the locals drank after a long day of sightseeing. I discovered the Aperol Spritz, an orange based concoction made with Aperol, Prosecco, ice and orange slices. So delicious and refreshing, I enjoyed it with a bruschetta, as the best way to wrap up my long day adventures.
Here’s my favorite Aperol recipe, so that you can enjoy this cocktail this summer, just mix these together and enjoy!
4 oz. of a good quality Prosecco
2 oz. Aperol
1- 2 ounces of Club soda
orange slices and ice
I guess, with so much beauty in the world to be discovered, all we have to do is just open our eyes and see it. Cheers! Silvina
#Rome #aperolspritz #thoughtsoflawina #romanvacation #dolcevita
#WineWednesday.
