When In Rome

Ham, Cheese, Wine…repeat.

I was quite nervous about going to Rome. I had been warned to prepare myself for big crowds, busy streets and high temperatures; coming off the back of nine mostly slow, quiet days in Puglia it all sounded a little overwhelming. Turns out, Rome is a city I could fall in love with.

Arriving on the train from Bari, the station wasn’t nearly as hectic as my brain had had me imagine. It’s easy to walk almost anywhere in the city and although hot and busier than the south, the pretty cobbles, narrow laneways, ancient buildings, sunshine and blue skies, all help showcase the romance of the city amongst the chaos.

Here’s some best bits and tips we picked up along the way:

The Rooftops of Rome

We climbed the Spanish steps up to Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti and headed along the street that runs along to the right. If you ever find yourself in Rome, this has to be one of the most amazing views of a city I’ve ever seen.  It was nice and quiet along here, something I didn’t think possible and because you’ve climbed up all those steps, you’re way above the tallest buildings and looking down (and out) at almost all of the landmarks! 

We could see right out to Vatican City, and caught a glimpse of the residential rooftops, many of which are covered in hidden herb gardens with tables and chairs set out high above the streets below. I felt like I was in a scene from Mary Poppins (Rome style…!) A really special find and definitely worth the sweaty walk up there. We headed on and found ourselves again unexpectedly in the peaceful surroundings of the Villa Borghese gardens with more amazing viewpoints - one of which looks down into Piazza del Popolo. It’s a huge park and so much to see; there’s a boating lake and a few cafes tucked away for a quiet refreshment as you continue to explore.

Food Glorious Food

A recommendation from a friend sent us for dinner at Old Bear and (as promised) I had the best carbonara OF MY LIFE. The proper Italian kind; just egg, parmeasan and the crispiest pancetta. It was absolute heaven. Washed down with a cold glass of house white wine…  I would go back again right now if I could! A must visit if you’re ever nearby…

Our second night in Rome (and last on our trip) we had some more epic carbonara at Barzilai a relaxed local restaurant a short walk from the Colosseum in the trendy neighbourhood of Monti. Friendly staff and a good selection of wines, this place was a hit and not expensive either. Across the street is Ai Tre Scalini a VERY popular restaurant we looked into going to but it was completely packed and there were a lot of people waiting outside. Usually a good sign but we were too hungry to wait. It’s on all the blogs at the moment, I have no idea if it lives up to it’s name but worth checking out. It’s easy to find with ivy growing across the front of the building and hanging down outside the restaurant.

Let’s Go See The Sites

We walked back to the hotel via The Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain hoping for less crowds than earlier in the day. The Pantheon is HUGE, really impressive up close, the door alone is seven metres high. The fountain directly opposite was surrounded by locals and tourists basking in the last of the sunshine.

We had been warned the Trevi Fountain would be busy so I was prepared (as always) for a big crowd. I think we were probably lucky, it could have been worse. We had a few hilarious attempts at getting a photo which was more of the other people around us than of the fountain. But we saw it, we were there. Again, the size and details of the statues around the water are amazing to see. We took a few snaps, ticked it off our list and headed back to the hotel. 

We got up early and arrived at St Peter’s Square just before 9am, another recommendation if you want to avoid the crowds and the heat. We weren’t alone but the crowds were definitely already growing as we were leaving. It’s an impressive building, the sheer size of it blows you away as you walk down the road that leads directly into the square (which is actually more of a circle). The small grey chairs lined up in rows at the bottom of the steps felt a little ‘Hunger Games’ to me and I also noticed the scary similarities with the Voltarie in Twilight...BUT teen lit references aside, as with everything in Rome, the building is beautiful and definitely worth going to see. We didn’t go inside but will hopefully come back and do it another day.

We headed to the Colosseum on our final night of the holiday. Deciding not to go in we were still able to get up close and walk around the outside as the sun went down, well worth doing if you’re not sure about the long queues during the day. It would have been fun to go inside but you can still see a lot for free!

A Life of Luxury

I’m incredibly lucky in that because of what Jack does for work, we often get to stay in luxury hotels on our travels; we took the metro two stops and arrived at The First Roma Dolce, a brand new hotel just off the Piazza di Spagna.  The chill from the A/C and welcome drink took away any feelings of anxiety I had brewing. The in-house pastry chef makes all the dolce or ‘sweets’ for the restaurant. And so the eating continued…

Our second hotel was The Pantheon Iconic the perfect spot for our last night in Rome. A balcony off the room is a rare find in the centre of the city I think but theirs played host to my evening prosecco and podcast listening and the rooftop overlooking part of the city was a heavenly spot for golden hour as the sun went down. Spoilt review alert but if you can ever stay here. DO IT!