Rome, Italy

Around every corner in Italy, from its biggest cities to its small charming villages, there is something new to fall in love with. And it offers a little bit of something for everyone. Lovers of art, culture, and history will undoubtedly be completely enamored with Italy. The architecture of soaring churches and the amazing collections of art in museums will simply take your breath away. Italy also appeals to lovers of fine food and wine, as well as those who appreciate beautiful scenery.

AirBnB: My friend and her husband joined us in Rome, so I booked a 2/2 apartment in the center of the city by the Spanish Steps. Roman homes are a great size, but bedrooms tend to be pretty small. Our bedroom had a king size bed, but no space for our luggage. However, the living room was spacious, so we used that for luggage storage.

Restaurants:

L’ntica Pizzeria Da Michele: This pizza place is a little off the beaten path, away from the most popular tourist attractions. When we arrived, we were able to get a table immediately. But, within 10-15 minutes, the place was packed and there was a huge line outside the restaurant. We got lucky. The pizza was amazingly delicious. This is not a fancy place; it has a casual dress code. But, it is definitely a must visit!

Obica Mozzarella Bar: We headed to this place after we had pizza. They do have a food menu, but I recommend it more for a great meat/cheese platter and glass of wine. This restaurant was mentioned in Chef Table by one of the chefs during her series. Nancy Sliverton was inspired by this restaurant.

Pane e Salame: Oh My God! This is one that you have to go. They have sandwiches and meat platters. We ordered a combination meat platter, with wine of course. If I came back to Rome, I would definitely visit again. The staff is friendly and fun, and we had a great time.

Piccolo Buca Roma: Most restaurants are small and people in Europe seem to enjoy taking their time, sitting and chatting after they finish their meals. I am not judging; it's actually great. We should enjoy dinner and mingling, but if you see a huge line outside, as a courtesy to others, pay and leave when you are done. You can sit at another bar or even outside, after all you are in Rome and on every corner there is something to enjoy. We waited more than an hour and a half just to be seated. And, yes, I did call before to book a reservation … unfortunately, no one picked up. We ordered pizza and pasta, and they were definitely worth the wait. Ladies, have your guy wait in line and check out the souvenir stores around the restaurant. Guys don’t like to shop anyways, right? LOL!

Baguetteria del Fico: On our third and last day, Monday, we headed to the Vatican. After our tour, we decided to go back and have lunch around our AirBnB. This was the place that we picked. Again, if you look at my list, you will see that all these places are tiny, local gems. There is one guy who works there and makes the sandwiches. Also, the bread is baked fresh, so if you want a certain kind and they are out, you have to wait for it. Simple and tasty, just bread, meat, and cheese. No sauce, no extra this and that. Perfect.

Cantina and Cucina: Our last dinner was here. We did wait in a long line, but this time it was our fault. We had not made any reservations. We ordered pasta, and we were all happy and satisfied with our dishes. However it was too salty.

Sightseeing:

Colosseum: This is one of the Seven Wonders of the world. It is the largest amphitheater ever built and was used for medieval era entertainment. It remains a part of our public consciousness given the large number of films and documentaries that have been filmed here. There is an entry line that can take hours, but there is also another area where you can purchase a ticket. You can ask the staff to point you in the direction, but make sure they are the Colosseum staff, not tour guides. The tour guides will try to get you to book with them, which is fine if you like to pay more and have them explain everything. We did not want a tour guide, so we simply headed to the other location, waited in line for 3-4 minutes, and got our tickets. They will give you a time slot and that's when you should head to the entrance line.

Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum: When you buy your tickets for the Colosseum, there is an option to buy tickets for this as a package. Since we were planning on visiting all of them on the same day, we bought the package. There is so much history behind these monuments, it would take pages to write about all of it. If you are interested, I would highly recommend hiring a tour guide. I studied art history for a few years, so I felt with my background I didn't need a guide.

Vatican Tour: Even if you are an art history professor, I would highly recommend hiring a tour guide. The entrance line is soooo long that it is simply not worth the wait. On vacation, you do not want to waste half a day in line. Hiring a guide will often allow you to skip the line. But, you have to make sure to get the right tour. There is an entrance line for visitors that takes hours, and then there is a skip the line tour line. This line might still take an hour or so. So when booking, make sure that you book a tour that will bypass this line as well. Look for a VIP tour. When you book a certain time, you will get inside at that time. Our tour guide was amazing, knowledgeable, and fun. He explained everything and answered all our questions.

Pantheon: it was originally built as a temple for people to worship the 7 Roman Gods. And now, it is considered to be one of the best preserved Roman buildings, since it is still used as a church.

Trevi Fountain: Fun Facts from Wikipedia. Tossing a coin into the fountain ensures that you will return to Rome. The precise Trevi Fountain legend says you should stand with your back to the fountain and toss a coin over your left shoulder. it is estimated that roughly 3000 euros in coins are collected per day. This money is given to food assistance for the needy.

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore: It is said that Roman patrician John and his wife wanted to donate their money somewhere, since they didn't have an heir. They prayed to the Virgin Mary and asked her for guidance. On that night, August 5th, a summer night on Esquiline Hill, it started to snow. So they decided to build the Basilica in honor of the Virgin Mary on that very spot. That is why some people refer to this place as Our Lady Of Snows. This legend is not grounded in historical facts, and no one knows if it is true or not.

Piazza Novona: This place has many uses, even today. Historically, it served as a stadium for sporting events, and today it is a marketplace and square. Although the piazza is primarily Baroque in style, it has been influenced by many artists and styles.

Santa Maria Della Vittoria: This church is one of my absolute favorites. Even though it is small compared with some others, it has an overwhelming feeling of peacefulness that surrounds it. The statue, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Bernini, is a piece that I have wanted to see for years. I could sit for hours and simply look at this statue.

There is so much more to see and do in Rome. It is impossible to visit all the sites or sample all the restaurants during a brief three day visit. I hope that I will be able to return to Rome and explore more.

Restaurants:

Sightseeing:

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