T in Transit V: Rome

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!

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Same Footprints, Different Sands