Until last year, spending time in Italy had been little more than a dream, one I loved to dwell in. When I finally visit, the city exceeds my expectations and honors my dreams.
I visited Rome three times last year. First, to spend the night in a hotel near Roma Termini so I could catch an early train to the countryside for my friend’s wedding, then on a road trip from Città di Castello to spend the weekend, and again as the first stop on a 10-day trip across Italy and Paris with my friend, D.
By the third visit, I am smitten with Rome.
With the centuries-old ruins packed with stories; the cobblestone streets that are beautiful to look at but difficult to walk on; the gilded art-filled rooms of the Vatican; the quiet magnificence of the Sistine Chapel, the affable restaurant owners and the normalcy in ordering three-course meals alongside Italian wine; the glimmer of the Trevi Fountain, filled with wish-laden coins; the pizza, pasta, prosciutto, and gelato, delicious and abundant.
I fall in love (again) with a classic Italian dessert: Tiramisu. The best one we have is at Borghiciana Pasticifico Artigianale–a softly lit restaurant set with five or six tables, and surrounded by bottles of wine. Here the owner gifts us a tasting flight of Panna Cotta and Tiramisu, claiming that his Panna Cotta is the best one. I can agree that it’s remarkable, but maybe not the best.
There are also new favorites like grilled porcini mushrooms, and amatriciana–a cheesy tomato-based pasta sauce. I savor glasses of Aperol Spritz, enjoying the fizzy, vaguely bitter taste of Aperol mingling with prosecco and soda water. Like the Aperol, Rome deserves to be savored, and I find 3 days is not enough time to spend in this city.
Legend has it that throwing a coin into the Trevi fountain means you will return to Rome, but by the time I make it to the Trevi, I already know I’ll be back.
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From Rome, we board a northbound express train to the Tuscan region of Italy. T in Transit VI features the romantic renaissance city: Florence.
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Good To Know
- Pick-pocketing is a huge issue in Rome. It’s a good idea to keep empty pockets and wear your purses to the front of your body.
- The Trevi Fountain is stunning, and like all beautiful things, people flock to it in droves. It’s really hard to see it without crowds, so I say try to enjoy it that way or get up at the crack of dawn to get there before anyone else is awake.
- Eat as much as possible. Rome is home to amazing cuisine. Some recommendations:
Mariuccia, Borghiciana Pasticifico Artigianale, Osteria Ponte Sisto and Ambrosia Restaurant.
- Uber is expensive in Rome. A 10-minute ride can cost you ~25 Euros. This is because the lowest category available is Uber Black. We got around with a mix of Uber, regular white Taxis, the Metro, and walking. We walked A LOT.
- Italy is well-connected. You can travel to several cities by train. We booked trains to Florence and Venice through the Omio app.
- Tap water is perfectly drinkable. Fill up at your accommodation or at one of the elaborate stone fountains littered around the city.
- Gelato is everywhere, but not all of it is good. We enjoyed the Gelato from Don Nino; it’s next to the Trevi Fountain.
- Typically, you don’t order pizza to share (one person to one pizza), but of course, you can do what you want.
As always,
Thank you for reading!
Same Footprints, Different Sands
Same Footprints 