When in Rome, Do as the Tourists Do

You can’t see all of Rome in one day (or two): Never has a truer statement been spoken. Two days is all we had to see the magic that is Rome and two days was not nearly enough. However, we did the best that we could to hit all of the major attractions in Rome and enjoy the beautiful city in all of it’s glory. We departed for Rome on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. and arrived at 11:45 a.m. We quickly stopped at our hotel to drop off our bags and then immediately set out on our adventures to take in as much as we could before the day was over. We took the metro Circus Maximus where got off and walked to view the Imperial Palace, the Forum, and the Vittoriano monument (all seen within 4 hours). I can’t even begin to describe how surreal it felt to be standing in the center of thousands of years of history. You see pictures of all of these national monuments in textbooks and on the news and you think you understand it, but you really don’t until you’re standing there, in person, looking up at the Temple of Saturn and you realize how magnificent these ruins are.

 

Imperial Forum

Temple Antoninus and Faustina

Imperial Forum

Temple of Saturn

Downtown Roma

Temple of Hercules

After we finished at the Imperial Forum, we met at the Arch of Constantine where we waited to enter the Colosseum. Looking at the Colosseum from the outside and then actually entering it, I have never felt so infinitesimal in my entire life. Breath taking does not even begin to describe the experience. It is amazing to think how the Romans were able to built such enormous and magnificent structures without any of the technology we have today. The Colosseum was definitely my favorite monument; I could have spent hours sitting there inside taking in all of the history that the place provided.

Colosseum

Me at the Colosseum

Colosseum

Me at the Colosseum (Selfieeee)

Arch of Constantine

After the Colosseum, the professors took us out for pizza and then walked us back through Rome to our hotel. At this point is was past 11 p.m. and Rome had definitely gotten the best of me so as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.

Vittoriano Monument (The Wedding Cake)

Colosseum at Night

The next day we woke up at 7:30, ate breakfast, and headed out for our second jam-packed day. We began the day walking through the Jewish Ghetto on our way to the Pantheon, walked to the Ara Pacis (August’s monument to celebrate the end of the civil war that killed Caesar and involved the whole Roman World), and then finished the group tour at the Spanish Steps. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful: all of it. (Well, the Spanish Steps were actually a little disappointing, but still, beautiful) 

The Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

Me, Erica at the Spanish Steps

After the Spanish Steps we were set loose on our own to stay in Rome. A few of us spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and exploring Rome and researching the best place for pasta in Rome. And man, oh man, did we find the BEST place! It was called Trattoria dell’Omo, on the outside it looked like your typical whole in the wall place. No flashing lights, no fancy decorations just a narrow dining area with a few tables and a few pictures on the wall. Because it looked so ordinary it was overlooked by all of the tourists and definitely a local spot. The restaurant is run by one grandmother, her son and his wife, and her grandson; that’s it, just the four of them! The grandmother stayed in the kitchen the entire time making each pasta dish from scratch, made to order. I WAS BLOWN AWAY! Definitely the Italian meal we were all waiting for. The meal took over 3 hours, but we were surrounded by good company, delicious food, and a few bottles of wine, which made it the perfect night!

The Amazing Grandmother

Zucchini Stuffed with Veal

Homemade Ravioli with Butter and Sage

Tornatella Cacio e Pepe

The next day we woke up around 9, ate breakfast at a café (had my first cappuccino and actually LOVED it) and then headed to the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain was extremely disappointing because it is under construction so the fountain was drained and there was a plastic barricade around it so you could not get close. Of course the one thing I really wanted to see was closed (and during Tourist season no less!!) but it is still cool to say I’ve been there ;) 

Pastry & Cappucino

Trevi Fountain

We hopped on the bus at 1:50 and that was the end of my Rome adventure!! Visiting all of these international monuments was definitely extremely surreal and I am so grateful to have been able to experience them myself.

Ciao, tutti!