Our final stop, the one and only: Roma. Oh, Roma, how I’ve missed you! I don’t think I could ever get sick of this city. There is so much to see and do, and everywhere you go is just full of life. It’s a city I could see myself living in at some point in my life.
First, let’s talk about my Airbnb. I mean, look at this view. We had a giant terrace all to ourselves that overlooked the best parts of the city (in my opinion), including the Colosseum. It’s arguably my favorite part of Rome. Why, you ask? I mean, have you seen it? The structure is incredible, and its history is fascinating. Yes, I’m not an advocate for all of the horrible/gruesome/unnecessary deaths that took place - but it’s still the history, and Italy is my homeland. I am 50%, to be exact!
On one side of our quiet, quaint street was a very lively block of restaurants and bars, and on the other side a 5 minute walk through a darling park brought us to the Colosseum.
We arrived in the late afternoon, so we spent a few hours wandering around town - we hit up a chestnut street vendor (seriously, try them) and threw a few coins in the Trevi Fountain. Speaking of, this is one monument you should see during the daylight and at night. L’Antica Birreria Peroni was one of the best meals we had on the trip, I would highly recommend it. We struggled a bit on ordering (because we wanted to order everything on the menu), so our waitress brought us out a little bit of everything. And it was heavenly. They also hugged and kissed us goodbye like we were family. Does it get any better than that?
So a little thing you need to know about Rome: Cacio e Pepe. It’s a Roman delicacy, made of pasta, cheese, heavy cream, and pepper. And it’s literally the best thing ever. So when you go, make sure you order it.
We started the next day early at La Licata, an adorable and delicious breakfast spot that is right on the way to the Colosseum. Our first stop was the Colosseum. You can either buy tickets ahead of time or wait in the queue. It really depends on the time of year and the time of day. If you can, I highly suggest buying tickets beforehand. Your ticket can also be used for entrance to the Roman Forum, which was our second stop of the day. You can book tours or explore these exhibits on their own, whichever you prefer.
After a little lunch, we were onto our third stop of the day: Caesar’s death place. Now I know what you’re thinking - why? Because it’s filled with cats, that’s why! This courtyard is a cat sanctuary that the city of Rome takes care of. They’re very cute and very friendly, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the city.
Fourth stop, the Pantheon. You don’t need tickets, you can just walk right in. One of my fondest memories of the Pantheon was being in it while it was raining. In case you didn’t know, the Pantheon’s ceiling has a giant hole, which the rain falls into and graces the church. It’s such a sight to see.
We continued to walk around and find other monuments while on our way to dinner and back, before calling it a night with a gelato in hand.
For our last full day, my family went on a four-hour tour of the Vatican - if you haven’t done it, you must, especially the Sistine Chapel. But if you have done it, you'll understand why I didn’t want to do it again. So, I opted for an Airbnb Experience: pasta making! It brought me back to my roots and fond memories of watching my Mom-mom make pasta from scratch. I was too young to do much, but I still remember helping her with the dough. We made ravioli in a butter and sage sauce, fettuccine in a tomato and basil sauce, and a carbonara sauce with pancetta. It was seriously so fun! And pretty easy. Now I have those skills and a pasta maker in my Amazon cart.
No joke, the best gelato we had in the ten days we were in Italy (and it was a close call) was from Cremeria Monteforte. Make sure you get the mousse on top! My favorite is always caffe, but I’ll let you make your own decisions.
We grabbed Aperol Spritz’s at a bar with a view of the Colosseum and ate around there as well. One thing about Italy is you are always guaranteed a good meal, no matter where you go. We ordered oysters, bruschetta, and gorgonzola & walnut raviola (which was to die for).
And sadly, our journey had come to an end. We reversed our directions and took the 45 minute train from Roma Tiburtina to FCO airport and 8.5 hours later, we were back in NYC.
Italy, I miss you every day. I can’t wait to see you again.
