My 3 Days in Rome
May 1 — May 4, 2016
DAY ONE: Trastevere & wandering the streets of Rome
The Roman train station was huge and confusing. After our last kerfuffle (bus fine in Florence earlier that morning), I decided to make it easy on our brains and just get the 72-hour Roma Pass (an all-inclusive pass for transportation and a couple of museums). I suspect this was not the best deal, but I was past the point of caring. We wouldn’t be getting any more fines using public transportation!!
Note: This was my husband’s and my last destination of 7 (see previous posts) on our first European trip ever, so you could say we were generally OVER IT.
Don’t get me wrong, still jazzed to be in Rome…just OVER the effort required of starting over again in a new place, and seeing as much as possible of that place in only a few days. This “trip of a lifetime” I had planned was (wonderfully) exhausting! I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but on day 16 of “go! go! go!,” I was also very, very tired.
Okay, back to the train station. We thought we should take the Metro to our Airbnb, so we searched for that first…but it was closed in the direction we needed to go. Gabe had to pee, so we looked for a restroom…but it cost money, so he decided to hold it (haha). We were grumpy…but we pressed on, believing things would get better once we got to our Airbnb.
It will be okay, let’s just get there.
We faced our bus-fine fears (we had the Roma Pass after all!), and quickly realized that Romans have zero personal space. *Bus rides get very up close and personal, and include all sorts of smells and claustrophobic feelings.* We may have gotten off the bus a stop too soon for this reason…
Our host lived at the top of a hill (near Vatican City), which prompted some additional realizations about Rome: their sidewalks are not wide or smooth (if they exist at all), and people drive without consideration of pedestrians.
We were two people dragging our suitcases up cobblestone, trying to stay alive, moving on pure adrenaline — fumes of adrenaline, really.
It will be okay. Let’s just get there. We have to be close by now…?
Finally, we made it to our destination: a little house in a row of neat houses, where we were renting a room.
Giordano, our host, turned out to be the nicest person in the world. He got us water and offered us the couch to sit on while he filled in a map with all of his suggested restaurants around town (very helpful!). In addition to renting out a room in their own living space, he and his wife also owned a separate bed and breakfast and a café — so they were next-level in the hospitality department!
With our suitcases offloaded and a new friend in a big city (a native Roman, himself), we were feeling encouraged again! It was time to explore the “Eternal City!”
We decided to start our exploration in Trastevere (the other side of the river from “downtown”) and take the rest of the day to meander our way back toward the Spanish Steps (a.k.a. lots of walking). It was a beautiful, sunny day and this was the PERFECT introduction to Rome!!!
We walked along a wide path next to the Tiber river, which was so relaxing and pretty. And then stopped for lunch at Dar Poeta (our host’s favorite pizza spot) — both authentic and delicious! We got our pizza (to share…what were we thinking?!!) with mushrooms, sausage, and artichokes — so very good!!
Then, we hit up the nearby Fatamorgana for some gelato (Gabe got a Venezuelan chocolate flavor, which he was very excited about!). After some bruschetta, pizza, and gelato, we felt like new humans!
We also learned how to drink from a Roman water fountain!
Absolutely loved this part of the city! It was so relaxed: families outside, kids playing in the piazzas, joggers and bikers on the path down by the water, few tourists— just lovely. When I think of Rome, my mind travels here: to the slow pace, natural beauty, good food, and families of Trastevere.
But it wasn’t always so clean and nice. This part of the city used to be the densely populated “slums” — home to those of the lowest social status (i.e. the poor, slaves, foreigners, including Jews and the earliest Christians). Very hard to imagine as it looks now, but super interesting history…
As we wandered back toward the touristy center, we plugged in Rick Steves’ “Heart of Rome” audio walking tour. First stop: Campo de’ Fiori (a market square).
We learned that the imposing statue in the center of the square is of Dominican priest Giordano Bruno, who was arrested by the inquisition and burned at the stake *in this spot* for his many blasphemies and heresies. He is quite the character to look into, with all sorts of interesting viewpoints! Bruno would not recant, and so this monument acts as a symbol of free thought and speech for modern Romans.
Rome is a maze of narrow streets that (without any warning) spill out into wide-open piazzas. Case in point: Piazza Navona and its many fountains.
Piazza Navona started as a race track, and was commissioned in 80 AD — the same year the Colosseum opened! The buildings here are much more recent additions, though, built over ruins of the Stadium of Domitian.
The most famous of the square’s many fountains is the Fountain of the Four Rivers — with large men on each “corner,” representing Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It is topped with one of the many Egyptian obelisks that can be found around Rome.
Exploring the streets of historic Rome is such a unique experience! There are so many hidden, old buildings, monuments, or ruins to discover around every corner! Including, the incredible Pantheon: the inspiration for all domes everywhere!
The original Roman temple on this site was built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa (per the inscription along the front), and then rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around 120 AD into the structure we have today. Those columns in the front are SOLID granite, 40 ft. high. Just wow!
The dome is exactly as high as it is wide, somehow made of un-reinforced concrete. The “oculus” (circular opening) is the building’s only source of light, and is 30 feet across.
There are holes built into the (1,800 year old) floor so that rain water (that comes in through the oculus) has a way to drain out. All in all, the construction/engineering is unbelievable!
While originally dedicated to all the Roman gods (pan-theon), it has since been converted into a Catholic church. It has also become the final resting place for Italian royalty, as well as artists like Rafael, whose tombs you can see along the walls.
Rome is known for its abundance of water (all the way back to ancient times, due to their gravity-powered aqueducts). You can find neighborhood fountains all over the city (sourced by fresh water in the surrounding hills) — perfect for refilling water bottles!
At this point, we decided to pause the tour for a coffee break at “el mejor del mundo,” Tazza d’oro Caffeé.
They crank out espresso shots like it’s nothin, I’ll give em that! But the super busy, crowded, rushed atmosphere left us unimpressed, not to mention the very average coffee. Not surprising, it’s cafes like this which inspired the coffee-empire we now know as Starbucks…
Okay, onto the real highlight of this tour: The Trevi Fountain! Like the Pantheon, it appears completely out of nowhere, and it is HUMONGOUS! And very very crowded! We had to slowly inch our way in to get a turn at the edge of the fountain for some pictures.
Legend says, tossing a coin in over your shoulder will grant you a wish, and assure your return to Rome!
See how clean and perfect it looks? They had just completed a huge renovation project.
Finally, we walked the rest of the way to the Spanish Steps (named for their proximity to the Spanish embassy), which were sadly under construction at the time of our visit. Since we couldn’t sit on the steps, we walked along the side of the steps instead, and ended up in a park by the Borghese Gallery, with a nice view of the city.
After the sun had mostly set, we made our way back down the steps to look for a bathroom, and landed on a seemingly promising McDonalds.
Oh how much we had to learn…
There was a line for the ladies room. And, when I finally got to the front of the line, I discovered that none of the 10+ stalls had any TP. At first — like the adorable, naïve, first-time traveler I was — I kept checking the stalls. Dismayed, I eventually turned around and mimed to the lady behind me that none of them had toilet paper. It took me a moment to realize this was no surprise to her or anyone else. They had brought their own tissues.
This very nice lady took pity when she realized my predicament, and shared a Kleenex. Bless you, lady. My hero ❤
Let me take this opportunity to share an important travel hack: never travel without tissues. They will save you time and again.
Gabe’s experience was even worse, finding that one stall contained a “poop tower” as he describes it — ON, not in, the toilet. No toilet seats either. LOL.
In this infamous “McDonalds experience” we learned why people in Rome (and around the world) *pay* for clean and stocked public bathrooms…and we officially joined that club.
Another relevant travel hack: make a habit of using the restroom before leaving any place you patronize — the hotel, a coffee shop, your dinner destination, etc. Don’t miss the opportunity for a free, clean, and stocked restroom! We learned this the hard way, but there’s no reason you should have to!
Anyway…………………….
For dinner, we enjoyed a simple gnocchi and seafood risotto.
Then, we doubled back to see some of the same stuff all lit up at night.
And we ran across a crowd of people surrounding an awesome street band! We hung out and listened to the street band for awhile, then hit up Giolitti for some fancy gelato. Giolitti had been uber busy earlier in the day, but was cleared out by this time (score!). This concludes our fun, very full, first day in Rome.
DAY TWO: The Colosseum & Roman Forum
We made a quick little breakfast in our host’s kitchen (they had set out all sorts of cereals and toast options for us), and then we were off to get some coffee! This time, we went to Bar del Cappuccino for some :: wait for it :: cappuccinos! Very classic Italian and we weren’t mad about it.
The rest of our day would be dedicated to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum (a.k.a. history overload), as they are kinda in their own section of the city and are sites you just need a lot of time to (try to) absorb.
We started on the side of Capitoline Hill, walking up and over, to views of the Roman Forum, and then straight on to the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is honestly what drew me to visiting Rome in the first place. I remember watching Gladiator in like 9th grade — in disbelief of what took place in these amphitheaters so long ago, and in absolute awe that the Colosseum still stands! Being there in person is no less mind blowing.
Officially “the Flavian Amphitheater” (“Colosseum” being a nickname), this massive arena would have seated 50,000 people in its heyday. Only about 1/3 of the original structure remains…
This oval-shaped arena with bleacher seats is where both common and wealthy/ powerful Romans would pack in to watch the real-life Hunger Games. These “games” were sponsored by the emperor (part of his “bread and circuses” strategy ), meant to appease the people and stave off revolutions.
Every “sporting event” here was fight-to-the-death: gladiator vs. gladiator; gladiator vs. hungry, wild animal; animal vs. animal; or unarmed person vs. who/whatever was going to kill them.
The gladiators were usually criminals, slaves, or POWs (but sometimes volunteers for the sake of fame), and trained fighters.
Oh, also, the stadium was somehow water-tight to be able to host naval battles (and it wasn’t the only stadium like this)! They would literally bring boats in, flood the place, and watch the “sailors” battle it out. Unbelievable.
This arena was in use for almost 400 years. It is estimated that about 400,000 people and 1 million animals died here (not to mention other sites of gladiator games/executions).
So, seeing this place gives you all sorts of strong feelings. It’s incredible…but in the most grim, haunting, and heavy sense of the word.
Here you can see the two-story underground maze of tunnels connecting training rooms for gladiators, cages for exotic animals, and store-rooms that were hidden underneath the floor. There were 80 different elevator shafts which allowed scenery, warriors, and caged animals to suddenly pop out of the floor. Like I said: the Hunger Games...but 2,000 years ago.
Onto the Forum…
It’s essentially an open-air museum. So many interesting temples, columns, arches, all preserved in the open, and mostly without explanation (though we were listening to a guide). Countless things to learn and imagine about this place!
Suffice it to say, seeing such ancient ruins is almost impossible to process. Thousands of years between the bustling Forum at its height and me standing on that same ground is unfathomable. Like so many historical sites, it was sobering and weighty to take in; difficult to put into words.
Also. In line to get into the Forum, it started to rain.
But, do you think we would be deterred by a little water falling from the sky? Pfft, not when we had already spent the money on tickets (remember our fancy Roma Passes?)! Besides, there would be no time to come back later. So, we simply dug in our bag for some dollar-store ponchos (which we had brought along, at a friend’s suggestion!), and continued our sightseeing relatively unfazed (albeit a little squishy in the shoes).
Wow wow wow. What else is there to say?
We had eaten a very basic (likely microwaved) lunch in the “touristy zone” amid all these historical sites. But, thankfully, our dinner would be a bit more nourishing! We went to a (Giordano-recommended) spot called Goose, and ordered pizza and pasta, alongside the locals! And had no complaints whatsoever.
DAY THREE: The Vatican Museum & St. Peter’s Basilica
In order to take full advantage of our Roma Passes, we had planned to start the day (our last day in Rome) at the Borghese Gallery. But, unfortunately, we did not reserve our tickets ahead of time (didn’t know they were so limited!). So, instead, we went to the Palazzo Altemps (another sculpture gallery).
It is was boring, tbh. We gave it a chance, then quickly moved along to coffee and treats at Sciascia Caffe.
We got some prosciutto-croissant-sandwiches, espressos with chocolate, a sweet croissant, and a yummy slice of fruit/cream pie. But, the most memorable thing about this place was that they ONLY took cash — which we found out after we had ordered and eaten our food! We didn’t have quite enough, so Gabe went to find an ATM, while I stayed firmly planted in the gift shop. Oops.
Anyway, after we took care of our bill, we got on our way to the main attraction of the day: The Vatican Museum.
We were there on a Tuesday in early May, and yet the museum was VERY crowded — like amusement-park-in-summer crowded. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised by this, but I was.
We started in the section with the very very old stuff (including some super creepy/cool mummies). And walked down numerous, looooooong hallways, with elaborately designed ceilings (our favorite was the hall of maps).
Hallway after hallway. Room after room. Each a masterpiece in itself, let alone the art…
We saw enormous wall paintings like “Peter’s Escape from Prison” and “School of Athens.”
And, what’s gotta be the most impressive collection of Christian art, anywhere, including: Van Gogh’s “Pieta,” Dali’s “Trinity,” Rafael’s “The Transfiguration,” Caravaggio’s “The Entombment of Christ,” and Wenzel Peter’s “Adam and Eve in the Garden,” to name a few.
And last but not least, we saw the show-stopping Sistine Chapel.
Before entering the chapel, you are given strict instructions to put phones and cameras away, as you are entering a place of worship. Once inside, though, it’s some man’s job to yell “no photo” into a microphone, which really kills the “worshipful” mood and detracts from the quiet/respectful moment you’re trying to have.
But— despite the crowds, despite the man with the microphone— you look up. You stand in awe of the accomplishment before your eyes. You feel immensely honored to get to stand under this particular ceiling. It, like so much of Rome, is something you’ve heard about from a young age, but never expected to actually see with your own eyes. And yet, here you are…grateful.
The chapel is the final stop of the museum, before exiting down the snail ramp, and spilling out into the sunshine.
At this point, we agreed it was time for some gelato, so we moseyed across the street to Old Bridge gelateria. We ordered a combination of flavors in two overflowing cones, and were very happy. The mango was particularly good!
Next, we walked in and around St. Peter’s Square, and entered St. Peter’s Basilica.
The most notable thing about the basilica is the sheer size of the place! There are literally markings on the floor showing where other large cathedrals could fit inside of this one! Nothing in here is at eye level, or proportionate to normal human height. It’s a place built for giants (or God, I suppose)!
Catholic tradition says that the church was built on the site where Peter died as one of the first Christian martyrs, and as the first pope. There is actually a large plaque to commemorate the popes who were buried in St. Peter’s — starting with Peter in AD 60something, and ending with John Paul II in 2005.
My favorite part of the basilica (which we saved for last) was Michelangelo’s gorgeous Pieta. It sadly has to live behind bulletproof glass (bc people are stupid), but I still decided it is THE most beautiful, amazing sculpture. Ever.
Such a unique day — a good one to end our trip on!
But, not so fast, we still have dinner to eat! We went to a spot called Cal de Sac and sat outside at one of their very cute tables. Our order consisted of several Italian classics: lasagna, mashed potatoes and meatballs, and ravioli. Soo yummy, and a great atmosphere!
To “capp” the night (haha), we enjoyed some final coffees at Sant Eustachio.
Here, we tried various “dessert” coffees. Gabe’s was frothy and topped with chocolate shavings, and mine was like an espresso con panna, heavy on the panna (whipped cream). AND we shared a sweet croissant of sorts and a jelly cookie. All and all, a great note to end on.
Arriving back at our Airbnb for the last time, we talked to Giordano about the best way to get to the airport in the morning. He gave some good (money-saving) suggestions, but we actually decided to splurge on a taxi! We knew we had a long travel-day ahead (Rome-Madrid-Miami), and thought it would be worth $50 to not have to deal with luggage and public transport…
. . .
Arriving back to Florida, we were exhausted and time-confused, but still stayed up late recounting stories from our trip to Gabe’s dad.
Man, what a crazy-packed, life-changing, three weeks in Spain, France, and Italy! Our hearts were full, even while we couldn’t keep our eyes open.
Little did we know that this trip was only the beginning of our European adventures! Many more destinations to come!!!
