Although I have been to Italy a lot, I had never been to Rome before. So this May was the perfect time to go!
CIAO ROMA!
WHERE WE STAYED
While travelling we really love to stay at Airbnb apartments as it offers more options and cheaper options than staying at hotels. Plus we like having our own kitchen to cook for ourselves. Eating out every night can get expensive really fast. Of course we still go out to eat and experience the local culinary highlights. We just don't do it every night!
Our Airbnb in Rome was a lovely flat on the third floor with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and a quite spacious open entrance area / living room / kitchen. It is located near the metro station Cornelia, a little bit outside of the city center. In case you are wondering about the 2 bedrooms... we were 4 people (2 couples) ;). The connection into the city and to all of the sights is really great. It takes about 10 - 15 minutes to get there by metro but there are also bus connections. Our host Riccardo was very nice and helpful. He even left us a welcome bottle of sparkling wine and some sweets. We really loved our stay in this beautiful and modern apartment. You can check it out here!
WANDERING THROUGH ROME
My first impression of Rome was unfortunately a bit rainy. The day after we arrived it was pouring down rain in pretty regular phases. It would stop for about half an hour and then start again. Good thing we checked the weather before we left and therefore brought umbrellas ;). Nevertheless we did not give in to the rain and went exploring the city anyway!
WE SAW THE POPE!
Our first stop on our very first day in Rome was Vatican City. We went there by bus and entered Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square / Petersplatz). What we didn't know, was that there was a whole ceremony going on as it was the Pentecost Weekend. St. Peter's Square was filled with people and Pope Francis (Papst Franziskus auf deutsch) was actually being driven through the crowd in his little white open car. Of course we knew that it was the Pentecost Weekend, but it was only saturday and we did not expect any ceremonies on saturday. Anyway, we were kinda excited to see the Pope, as it was soooo unexpected!
Unfortunately we couldn't see much of the sqaure itself and also couldn't go inside Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter's Basilica) due to the crowds.
EXPLORING THE CITY BY FOOT
Once you're in the center of the city, you don't really need to take the bus or the metro to get to places. You can just walk! Walking is by the way the best way of getting to know a new city ;). Just turn on the GPS on your phone and you're good to go! With GPS you can just wander off into the unknown, discover beautiful streets and piazzas (italian for square) and find your way back later! Easy going! ;) Also, we hardly ever walked along the big main roads. We always took the tiny charming italian streets lined with flowers and colorful parked vespas, to get around. I can only recommend you to do that, because you'll see so much more of the city.
We spent the rest of the first rainy day in the Vatican Museum (Blogpost coming soon) and afterwards in little cafes and bars.
IT'S GETTING HOT IN ROME
The next days to come, where a lot sunnier and a lot warmer! Believe me, the second the sun comes out in Rome, the temperature immediately rises steeply! The sun is quite hot in the city and sunscreen is definitely not optional! Hot days are great for enjoying the italian dolce vita (sweet life). Sightseeing only takes place in the mornings (Colosseum, Roman Forum etc.) and after that it's all eating a lot of gelato, sitting in street cafes drinking wine and soaking up the sun. Sounds nice, right? Oh bella italia, te amo!!! <3
BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS!
Just like Barcelona in Spain, Rome is a number one "hotspot" for pickpockets. Unfortunately I had to experience that first hand. Someone stole my purse!
Usually I am very cautious about my bag and very aware that there might be thieves around but this time they just got me... My sister and I were shopping in Vìa del Corse and while looking at clothes someone stole my purse out of my bag. I discovered it when we wanted to go to the first floor of the store and I grabbed for my bag. I realized that it was open and that my purse was missing. We searched the store and asked at the cash register wether they had seen anything or found my purse, but nothing! We didn't find it and I kinda knew that it was stolen. It couldn't have fallen out. And I knew I had it when I entered the store.
I had my bank card locked immediately over the emergency hotline and reported my ID stolen at the Carabinieri (the roman police). There was nothing more to do about it. It was just bad luck and inattentiveness at the wrong moment.
So, I am putting a warning out there for any travellers to Rome or any other city that has a lot of pickpockets: DON'T JUST BE AWARE IN CROWDS, LIKE TRAVELGUIDES TELL YOU, BE AWARE WHILE SHOPPING TOO!!!!
I think that the thief was only able to target me because I did not expect it while shopping in a store. You just don't think about it! You think about keeping an eye on your things in large crowds, the subway or touristic sights, but not while shopping. That was my mistake and I don't want any more thieves to get away with a stunt like that, so BE AWARE OF YOUR THINGS!!!!!
ITALIAN CULINARY HIGHLIGHTS
On a happier note, let's dive in to the italian cuisine! When you think of Italy, you think of homemade Pasta, delicious Pizza, Antipasti, yummy gelato italiano (ice cream), coffee in every variation and of course a lot of vino (wine)! And we had it all during our stay in Rome. I even have a restaurant recommendation for you, if you're ever in Rome!
VINERIA IL CHIANTI
Adress: Via del Lavatore 81 / 82A
00187 Roma
Metro: Barberini (Fontana di Trevi)
We discovered Il Chianti by chance. We were at the Trevi Fountain in the late afternoon one day when it started to rain. We wanted to go home by metro anyway but on the way to the station we noticed the restaurant with it's pretty front and thought we might as well stop for a glass of wine in order to escape the rain. We loved it so much in there that we even booked a table for the next day to have dinner. And we were not disappointed! The food was as great as the wine. It is a little bit fancier than the restaurants we usually pick, so dress a bit nicer when you eat there.
VENCHI (Chocolates & Gelato)
Link: http://www.venchi.com/romaAdress: Via della Croce 25/26
00187 Roma
Venchi is a Gelaterìa, like the italians call it. Out of all of the gelato we had, this one was the best! But also the most expensive one. The shop also offers chocolates and other sweets that looked like the most delicious things ever! When we were there, I thought it was a very original little shop but while doing research for this blogpost, I discovered that it's actually a quite successful franchise. You can find their shops all around Italy. They even have shops as far away as Hong Kong. And what surprised me most, was that there is even a shop in Munich where I live^^. Can you believe it?Although I'd rather like to promote small local family businesses, I had to put this one in here because the ice cream was sooooo freakin' good!
TO PUT IT IN A NUTSHELL
The city of Rome is absolutely stunning! It's streets and piazzas are soooo beautiful and full of mediteranean flair. Also, the roman way of life amazes me. Everybody is so chilled, hardly anybody is ever in a rush. The warm climate with lots and lots of sunshine is right up my alley! I absolutely love it! The city has this warm glow about it, that goes perfectly with the blooming flowers and palmtrees everywhere. The ruins of ancient Rome all around the city are bedded really nicely into the modern cityscape. Those ruins and excavation sites always reminded me of the historical events that had taken place here thousands of years ago. Kind of mind-blowing!
Rome made my top 5 list ;). I will definitely visit the eternal city many more times! I'm head over heels in love with the italian capital!
Have you ever been to Rome?
Did you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to make sure
you come back?
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