Eat as much as you can, drink as much as you can and see the Coliseum. Well, sort of like that.
We had a one night layover and then returned for the weekend. Whether you come for one night or for the weekend, Rome is everything they say it is. Just spectacular.
I have to admit that it’s a city that comes at you fast. Unless you know the language or are with a local tour guide, you can get lost very fast and at the very least, the city can be intimidating. The maps made no sense, I had no WiFi a lot of times because I did’t want to pay $10/day for 2 weeks and, I couldn’t seem to ever find the name of the darn streets we were on! I love New York City and really feel I’m in my element there but Rome? Rome is on a whole different level.
The madness of it all is what makes Rome so enchanting, so romantic and stunningly irresistible. How you decide to enjoy this city is up to you.
““Life is not measured by the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away.””
On my first visit to Rome, this truly took my breath away. There are few landmarks that have such an effect on me as this did.
Here is what I would suggest and what I wouldn’t.
The Trevi Fountain
Yes it will most likely be very crowded but even though the city could be intimidating, I certainly wasn’t when I approached this fountain. Make your way to the front and sit right in front. There was no where to sit because it was so full even at 10pm on a Monday night, but when a seat opened, I quickly sat down. I took out my silly selfie stick and clicked away! I was not about to miss out on this Facebook opportunity, are you kidding? We walked up to the front, sat down, took a few shots and off we went.
This was after standing there in front of it just staring at it for awhile.
Just hearing the sounds as we approached it from the back was a feeling I’ll never forget.
What we will avoid next time:
With only a few days to explore the city I’d suggest to skip out on these. The area we stayed in was so central and convenient that we were fortunate to run into a lot.
Tour buses - Unless you have ample time to explore the city, I would avoid jumping on one of these. If you do decide, make sure it’s one of the buses you see A LOT! Although that’s hard to tell. We spent quite a bit of time waiting for the bus when a cab might have been quicker. The upside was resting my feet and grabbing some great video with a cool breeze on my face.
Entering the Coliseum - If you have little time in Rome, just get there and snap your photo from the outside. It’s enormous and certainly worth at least seeing in person but if you’re limited in time, seeing it from the front is just fine.
If you do decide to enter, you’ll get the details of all that happened thousands of years ago that will stay with you on your dreamy trip in Rome. It’s not a good feeling. You’ll know because if you want to get in, you’ll need a tour guide just to avoid a long wait in line.
It does’t mean you won’t have to wait but you’ll enter from the other side of the coliseum. We had a light snack and a drink at a nearby cafe with a view while we waited our turn…to get in line. If you decide to enter just remember that you’ll get the details of what happened there and to actually see the inside in person could be a bit creepy.
Now about our health; because I’m all about Healthy Food and Wines.
what i would definitely “stick” with the next time
I was so happy to have these with me and when I realized I didn’t have them, I purchased them.
At the Vatican - that you can clearly see.
Selfie-stick — Who cares what you look like! Everyone has them anyway. You’ll be glad you have it when you can capture the scenery in the background along with your entire faces, especially when the background is why you’re taking the photo. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and you’re going to worry about what other people think? Take the right photo.
Vitamin packs - I live off these to ease the stiffness and soreness when I work out. They worked like a charm as my feet and legs just ached from walking all over the place. Don’t just take one multi-vitamin, take a pack of fish oil, multi-vitamin, vitamin B, etc. All of them.
Small charger and short cable - Even though I left my cable in my room, I didn’t fret and start arguing. (Don’t do that on this trip.) I simply purchased a short one that went nicely in my bag. If you take one with you, always keep that in your bag since you’ll be snapping all kinds of photos from your phone and drain your battery. Don’t stress about losing battery life. There are stores everywhere and they’re so cheap.
Small Backpack - Who wants to carry stuff when you’re walking all over town? Neither did we. Don’t just take a backpack to carry your clothes but a smaller one that is stylish and small enough not to be too cumbersome. A nice idea is to just buy one wherever you go. (Why didn’t I think of that?)
Eat healthy; even plant-based foods - even in Rome. I happily ordered grilled zucchini with mushrooms and since I was on vacation, I shamelessly ordered a side of French fries. I didn’t feel bad at all skipping out every so often on the pasta and gelato. My body craved the energy. It was nice to not feel the guilt; the guilt of ordering differently.
know beforehand
When you know what kind of wine you like, you can’t go wrong with any recommendations. Is it dry? Fruity? Full-bodied? White or red? It’ good to know before you go to Italy because Rome is such a big city that if you already know what you like, you can tell your server.
Also, knowing what kind of wine you like can help you drink more great wine you’ll remember instead of trying wines you don’t like. Who wants to hear how bad the wine is in Italy?
I would say more but Rome is just a city you have to make out for yourself. Just go - even if it’s just for a few days.
Here are photos of great wine pics and remarkable dishes we had.
If you’ve been, what were your favorite things to do that you would suggest?