Adventures in Italy: Rome
Italy has been my dream vacation for years and on the top of my list for at least 5 years so I was thrilled when I found two friends to go with me. We had some friends competing in the Challenge Venice Iron distance triathlon so I was able to convince Hilary to join so we could cheer them on. Jenny was just excited to go see Italy outside of Rome. So we set a two week itinerary to see 5 different areas: Rome, Florence/Tuscany, Venice, Dolomites, and Cinque Terre. We loved every minute of it. Great food, wine, views, adventures, and company.
Rome: So Hilary and I started in Rome for 4 days. This is about the only part of the vacation that I actually planned since I knew we wanted several tours. It was everything I hoped it would be. The weather was perfect, sunny and high 70s. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment near the Vatican. It was a perfect apartment minus we did struggle to find it (got off one bus stop early) and the air conditioner remote was hidden so we didn't get AC. It did have a comfy bed and a wonderful terrace that had incredible views of St Peters Basilica. It was also a 1.5 mile walk to Rome city center so we did a lot of walking (including up a hill to get to the place).
Day 1: It was a long day of traveling to Rome. Hilary and I flew out of DCA to Chicago where we had a two hour layover and then a redeye to Rome. I don't sleep well on planes but might have gotten about 3 hours of sleep. I was so sad that my volume on my entertainment system didn't really work so I didn't get to catch up on movies. We landed at 9am, caught our two buses to the Vatican area and finally reached our host to find out where we were lost. Amazingly we walked up a hill, down stairs, and up stairs to reach him to come back the same direction. We were just a little tired. After he gave us a great walk through what to do and where to eat, we decided food was first, followed by a nap. We were starving so we made it to the closet place to eat at Ristorante Papa Rex. Amazingly it was very good. I loved my gnocchi and started vacation right with some wine. We followed this with the first of many naps (it became a routine for afternoon naps which helped us power through the evening). We wanted to take a free walking tour on our first day to get some general history of the city and see things we needed to get back to. We used Rome Free Walking Tour that met near the Spanish Steps. It was a good tour but hard to hear her since the group was about 30 people. We did get great info and saw the Spanish Steps, the "Typewriter", Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forum, and the Coliseum. We ended near the Coliseum and decided to give a restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto a try. We ate at Nonna's and I couldn't be happier with the Carbonara I had there. Finally our day ended with a photo shoot at St Peter's Basilica. Hilary and I both got new cameras for the trip and were enjoying playing with the settings at night. We were beyond proud for making it up til after 11pm. Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 16.22 miles
Day 2: We started the day early because we learned during the walking tour that Trevi Fountain gets incredibly busy during the day and night. Every morning we enjoyed breakfast at the nice café just outside our apartment where the locals ate. It was incredible to us that breakfast doesn't have protein in Italy. It is just espresso and croissants. We found out very quickly that morning snacks were required to keep us going all day. Once breakfast was done, we walked back to city center to see Trevi Fountains without the crowds. It was so peaceful in the morning and we each had the chance to throw a coin in the fountain because we both want to go back to Italy! Then it was off to the Coliseum before the crowds were too large. Buying our tickets at the Forum was a brilliant suggestion we got from Jenny before the trip. We got the audio tour for the Coliseum and Forum but barely used them since we only got one and it was hard for both of us to hear. I was very impressed by the Coliseum and did keep thinking of Gladiator while there. It is incredible to think how long that has been standing and all the horrors and thrills it has seen. Being an engineer, I appreciate the work that went into the structure and that it is still standing today. One of our regrets for the trip is doing the Coliseum and Forum without a tour guide. Also I will do the underground tour next time to see the mechanics of the building. After the Coliseum, we went for our morning snack (another croissant) before heading to the Forum. The Forum is incredible in the fact that it is still around. We walked up Palatine Hill and around pretty much the whole ruins. The views were incredible and I enjoyed knowing that I was walking where Caesar did. We took so many pictures here. This was all done in the morning, we walked back through Prati to get lunch since our host recommended it. We had lunch at 3 Quarti (I kept great track of restaurants for 2 days). Again, more delicious pasta and wine before walking home for our afternoon nap.
Hilary's request was to learn more about WWII history so we found a Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere tour for the afternoon through Viator. It was a nice 3 hour walking tour with many new points we hadn't heard yet (including that Caesar wasn't killed inside the Forum, but his body was taken back there to prove he was dead, but the Forum was under water when he was killed). Our guide was from Orlando so it was easy to understand her. We explored the Jewish Ghetto (created well before WWII) which was very small. The theater just outside of the Ghetto was created so the Romans could see plays, where they acted out tragedies and actually killed a convict however the play called for it. Crazy! Also incredibly 75% of Italy's Jews survived WWII as Mussolini actualy semi protected them. The only ones that died were the ones that stayed in the ghetto instead of fleeing to the countryside. After the Jewish Ghetto, we crossed the river and heard all about how the island was used as a hospital for centuries. Once across the river, we learned more about Trastevere and saw how busy this place is at night. Trastevere is a great place to grab dinner and hang out at night. The tour ended at 9 so it was a late dinner but wonderful. I tried some chicken and peppers to get some protein. It was good but the pasta is always better. I also had the best chocolate mousse I have tried in awhile.
Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 22.67 miles
Day 3: This was the day I was very much looking forward to: our Vatican tour. We booked our tour through What a Life Tours for the earliest time possible. We met at 7:10 so we could enjoy another croissant and then walk to the Vatican to get in line early. While in line, our guide pulled out her iPad and walked through the images we would see in the Sistine Chapel, since you aren't allowed to talk in there. It was great knowing small details of what the ceiling meant and how Michelangelo had a sense of humor while painting. The face of the Devil in hell is actually that of a Cardinal who insulted his face. When that Cardinal approached the Pope to have it removed, the Pope responded that not even he could change things in Hell. We were one of the first ten groups to enter the Vatican museum which meant we had parts to ourselves. Our guide was amazing. She gave some descriptions while walking through the museum to the Sistine Chapel but she wanted us to get there first and we went back to get more description in the museum later. The Sistine Chapel was incredible. Every inch is painted included the painted on tapestries. Michelangelo's work is stunning and I enjoyed 15 minutes to just take everything in. After the Chapel, we went back to explore different parts of the Museum (so many paintings and sculptures) before going down into the crypt. She explained the different tombs and pointed out St Peter's crypt, which is nicely designed. Finally, we entered St Peter's Basilica which again was huge and incredibly decorated. We learned a bit throughout the Basilica including seeing the bones of one of the Popes (I think) and the famous statue of Mary holding adult Christ. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the What a Life Tour. After the tour, we had to climb the Basilica (despite being very hungry). It was worth the climb to see the views inside and outside of the church and amazingly we weren't winded at the top. Our last thing at the Vatican was to walk through the Porto Santa (Holy Door) which was open because it is the Jubilee Year. We were told that walking through the Holy Door cleanses you of all previous sins. Since Hilary and I aren't Catholic, we weren't sure if that worked for us, but it was worth the try. The Vatican was beautiful and lived up to my expectations of wowing me.
After leaving the Vatican, we were so hungry. We made it to the square just outside the Vatican with restaurants and just picked one. It wasn't anything special, but the pizza was ok and the Nutella crepe was delicious. More importantly, we got food quickly. Guess what came next....not a nap! I know...surprised you there. We were too close to not go to Castel Saint Angelo. We walked around the Castel, taking random passageways and stopping to snap the views. Now we were definitely tired and went back to enjoy our nap. We had done so much in 2.5 days that we wanted to relax and enjoy our terrace. So after the nap, we took a bottle of wine and books to the terrace and sat up there for a few hours enjoying the view and just relaxing while watching the sunset. We debated walking back into Rome for dinner, but our feet were enjoying a relaxing evening so we stayed close and went to Goose Restaurant. Here I found a dish, cacao e pepe, which quickly became one of my favorites. Pasta made with cheese and pepper is always delicious.
Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 10.81 miles
Day 4: This was our last full day in Rome for the trip so we made the most of it with a Food Tour in Trastevere! We took the tour through Eating Italy which gave us 9 stops for a wide range of food. We tried the following: bigne (pastry filled with cream), cured meats and cheese, flatbread pizza, suppli (fried rice ball), porchetta, prosciutto and melon, gelato, pasta (ravioli, cacao e pepe, and pesto), biscotti, and crème brulee and dessert wine. I would say my favorite was the pecorina romano cheese, suppli, and crème brulee. Each place had its own personality. The final stop was at Spirito di vino where we wrapped up the tour in Rome's most ancient wine cellar (actually a protected site). We had so much food so of course a nap followed. Our last night in Rome was spent walking to Piazza del Popolo and Pincio to catch a beautiful sunset over the city. I think Hilary was able to take over 400 pictures while we were here while figuring out her camera settings. I enjoyed a few photos, but then mostly turned to people watching. We even had a guy playing music for the crowd which set the scene nicely. We wanted to finish at a top recommended restaurant but we hadn't made reservations so we found a nice place nearby and had more delicious pasta and wine. Oh yeah, we also had gelato every day but I forgot to mention that for each day review. I think it is a requirement to have gelato everyday while in Italy. It was a wonderful 4 days in Rome, but it was time for Jenny to join and head to Tuscany!
Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 16.28 miles
Rome: So Hilary and I started in Rome for 4 days. This is about the only part of the vacation that I actually planned since I knew we wanted several tours. It was everything I hoped it would be. The weather was perfect, sunny and high 70s. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment near the Vatican. It was a perfect apartment minus we did struggle to find it (got off one bus stop early) and the air conditioner remote was hidden so we didn't get AC. It did have a comfy bed and a wonderful terrace that had incredible views of St Peters Basilica. It was also a 1.5 mile walk to Rome city center so we did a lot of walking (including up a hill to get to the place).
Day 1: It was a long day of traveling to Rome. Hilary and I flew out of DCA to Chicago where we had a two hour layover and then a redeye to Rome. I don't sleep well on planes but might have gotten about 3 hours of sleep. I was so sad that my volume on my entertainment system didn't really work so I didn't get to catch up on movies. We landed at 9am, caught our two buses to the Vatican area and finally reached our host to find out where we were lost. Amazingly we walked up a hill, down stairs, and up stairs to reach him to come back the same direction. We were just a little tired. After he gave us a great walk through what to do and where to eat, we decided food was first, followed by a nap. We were starving so we made it to the closet place to eat at Ristorante Papa Rex. Amazingly it was very good. I loved my gnocchi and started vacation right with some wine. We followed this with the first of many naps (it became a routine for afternoon naps which helped us power through the evening). We wanted to take a free walking tour on our first day to get some general history of the city and see things we needed to get back to. We used Rome Free Walking Tour that met near the Spanish Steps. It was a good tour but hard to hear her since the group was about 30 people. We did get great info and saw the Spanish Steps, the "Typewriter", Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forum, and the Coliseum. We ended near the Coliseum and decided to give a restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto a try. We ate at Nonna's and I couldn't be happier with the Carbonara I had there. Finally our day ended with a photo shoot at St Peter's Basilica. Hilary and I both got new cameras for the trip and were enjoying playing with the settings at night. We were beyond proud for making it up til after 11pm. Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 16.22 miles
Day 2: We started the day early because we learned during the walking tour that Trevi Fountain gets incredibly busy during the day and night. Every morning we enjoyed breakfast at the nice café just outside our apartment where the locals ate. It was incredible to us that breakfast doesn't have protein in Italy. It is just espresso and croissants. We found out very quickly that morning snacks were required to keep us going all day. Once breakfast was done, we walked back to city center to see Trevi Fountains without the crowds. It was so peaceful in the morning and we each had the chance to throw a coin in the fountain because we both want to go back to Italy! Then it was off to the Coliseum before the crowds were too large. Buying our tickets at the Forum was a brilliant suggestion we got from Jenny before the trip. We got the audio tour for the Coliseum and Forum but barely used them since we only got one and it was hard for both of us to hear. I was very impressed by the Coliseum and did keep thinking of Gladiator while there. It is incredible to think how long that has been standing and all the horrors and thrills it has seen. Being an engineer, I appreciate the work that went into the structure and that it is still standing today. One of our regrets for the trip is doing the Coliseum and Forum without a tour guide. Also I will do the underground tour next time to see the mechanics of the building. After the Coliseum, we went for our morning snack (another croissant) before heading to the Forum. The Forum is incredible in the fact that it is still around. We walked up Palatine Hill and around pretty much the whole ruins. The views were incredible and I enjoyed knowing that I was walking where Caesar did. We took so many pictures here. This was all done in the morning, we walked back through Prati to get lunch since our host recommended it. We had lunch at 3 Quarti (I kept great track of restaurants for 2 days). Again, more delicious pasta and wine before walking home for our afternoon nap.
Hilary's request was to learn more about WWII history so we found a Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere tour for the afternoon through Viator. It was a nice 3 hour walking tour with many new points we hadn't heard yet (including that Caesar wasn't killed inside the Forum, but his body was taken back there to prove he was dead, but the Forum was under water when he was killed). Our guide was from Orlando so it was easy to understand her. We explored the Jewish Ghetto (created well before WWII) which was very small. The theater just outside of the Ghetto was created so the Romans could see plays, where they acted out tragedies and actually killed a convict however the play called for it. Crazy! Also incredibly 75% of Italy's Jews survived WWII as Mussolini actualy semi protected them. The only ones that died were the ones that stayed in the ghetto instead of fleeing to the countryside. After the Jewish Ghetto, we crossed the river and heard all about how the island was used as a hospital for centuries. Once across the river, we learned more about Trastevere and saw how busy this place is at night. Trastevere is a great place to grab dinner and hang out at night. The tour ended at 9 so it was a late dinner but wonderful. I tried some chicken and peppers to get some protein. It was good but the pasta is always better. I also had the best chocolate mousse I have tried in awhile.
Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 22.67 miles
Day 3: This was the day I was very much looking forward to: our Vatican tour. We booked our tour through What a Life Tours for the earliest time possible. We met at 7:10 so we could enjoy another croissant and then walk to the Vatican to get in line early. While in line, our guide pulled out her iPad and walked through the images we would see in the Sistine Chapel, since you aren't allowed to talk in there. It was great knowing small details of what the ceiling meant and how Michelangelo had a sense of humor while painting. The face of the Devil in hell is actually that of a Cardinal who insulted his face. When that Cardinal approached the Pope to have it removed, the Pope responded that not even he could change things in Hell. We were one of the first ten groups to enter the Vatican museum which meant we had parts to ourselves. Our guide was amazing. She gave some descriptions while walking through the museum to the Sistine Chapel but she wanted us to get there first and we went back to get more description in the museum later. The Sistine Chapel was incredible. Every inch is painted included the painted on tapestries. Michelangelo's work is stunning and I enjoyed 15 minutes to just take everything in. After the Chapel, we went back to explore different parts of the Museum (so many paintings and sculptures) before going down into the crypt. She explained the different tombs and pointed out St Peter's crypt, which is nicely designed. Finally, we entered St Peter's Basilica which again was huge and incredibly decorated. We learned a bit throughout the Basilica including seeing the bones of one of the Popes (I think) and the famous statue of Mary holding adult Christ. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the What a Life Tour. After the tour, we had to climb the Basilica (despite being very hungry). It was worth the climb to see the views inside and outside of the church and amazingly we weren't winded at the top. Our last thing at the Vatican was to walk through the Porto Santa (Holy Door) which was open because it is the Jubilee Year. We were told that walking through the Holy Door cleanses you of all previous sins. Since Hilary and I aren't Catholic, we weren't sure if that worked for us, but it was worth the try. The Vatican was beautiful and lived up to my expectations of wowing me.
After leaving the Vatican, we were so hungry. We made it to the square just outside the Vatican with restaurants and just picked one. It wasn't anything special, but the pizza was ok and the Nutella crepe was delicious. More importantly, we got food quickly. Guess what came next....not a nap! I know...surprised you there. We were too close to not go to Castel Saint Angelo. We walked around the Castel, taking random passageways and stopping to snap the views. Now we were definitely tired and went back to enjoy our nap. We had done so much in 2.5 days that we wanted to relax and enjoy our terrace. So after the nap, we took a bottle of wine and books to the terrace and sat up there for a few hours enjoying the view and just relaxing while watching the sunset. We debated walking back into Rome for dinner, but our feet were enjoying a relaxing evening so we stayed close and went to Goose Restaurant. Here I found a dish, cacao e pepe, which quickly became one of my favorites. Pasta made with cheese and pepper is always delicious.
Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 10.81 miles
Day 4: This was our last full day in Rome for the trip so we made the most of it with a Food Tour in Trastevere! We took the tour through Eating Italy which gave us 9 stops for a wide range of food. We tried the following: bigne (pastry filled with cream), cured meats and cheese, flatbread pizza, suppli (fried rice ball), porchetta, prosciutto and melon, gelato, pasta (ravioli, cacao e pepe, and pesto), biscotti, and crème brulee and dessert wine. I would say my favorite was the pecorina romano cheese, suppli, and crème brulee. Each place had its own personality. The final stop was at Spirito di vino where we wrapped up the tour in Rome's most ancient wine cellar (actually a protected site). We had so much food so of course a nap followed. Our last night in Rome was spent walking to Piazza del Popolo and Pincio to catch a beautiful sunset over the city. I think Hilary was able to take over 400 pictures while we were here while figuring out her camera settings. I enjoyed a few photos, but then mostly turned to people watching. We even had a guy playing music for the crowd which set the scene nicely. We wanted to finish at a top recommended restaurant but we hadn't made reservations so we found a nice place nearby and had more delicious pasta and wine. Oh yeah, we also had gelato every day but I forgot to mention that for each day review. I think it is a requirement to have gelato everyday while in Italy. It was a wonderful 4 days in Rome, but it was time for Jenny to join and head to Tuscany!
Estimated iPhone walking mileage: 16.28 miles