Rome- Four Days Slowly Touring The Eternal City

Day 1
I spent an incredible two weeks in Italy visiting 4 cities, the first of which was Rome. I think I climbed all seven hills and now understand why it wasn’t built in a day! I stayed at a small independent hotel, Residenza In Farnese, located near Piazza Farnese. I stayed in a single room, which was small but comfortable. It is an old building, so I was actually issued a real key to access my room. I had to turn it in at the front desk when I left. A good way to ensure guests don’t lose it, I suppose! The hotel offered breakfast in the morning, too- lots to choose from, including hard-boiled eggs, charcuterie, yogurt, fruit, and espresso drinks. I prefer to stay in small independent hotels when I travel to Europe. I’ve found they are often quite a bit cheaper and I do not really need a huge room since I am spending most of my time exploring.

First order of business after cleaning up a bit was finding lunch and an Aperol Spritz (ofc). Baccanale, in the piazza, fit the bill nicely. I enjoyed some melon and prosciutto, as well as some sea bass. On to exploring! (And staying awake!)

I walked to Piazza Navona, crossed the Tiber River and caught a glimpse of the Vatican, and wandered back to the hotel whilst enjoying una piccolo gelato. The first of many. So, so many.

After a quick stop back the hotel (read nap) and phone recharge, I headed out for more site-seeing and dinner. First stop was the Pantheon- it is a former Roman temple and current Catholic church originally built somewhere in early second century AD.

Nearby is the very famous Trevi Fountain. Built in the 19th century, this fountain as appeared in a ton of movies and television shows throughout the years. The fountain is at the intersection of three roads (tre vie) and is the terminal end of one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to Rome- Aqua Virgo.

I found my way to a crazy busy round intersection- Piazza de San Marco, and just stopped and watched the chaos. Cars and busses and motorcycles circling and crossing and it all just seemed to work. Located across this intersection is a large monument, Altare della Patria, erected to commemorate Italy’s reunification which occurred in 1870.

Day 2
I started my day walking to the Spanish Steps. They were constructed in the 1720s at the ask of a French diplomat and connect Piazza dei Spagna to a French monastery church, Trinita dei Monti, above.

I wandered down Via del Corso, a street lined with familiar shops like Sephora, Vans, The North Face, and Foot Locker. This street eventually meets Via dei Condotti, which is where all of the high-end designer shops are. On this street you will find Dolce and Gabbana, Prada, and Gucci among others. I did not buy a Gucci handbag, though I was tempted. My big-ass Gucci sunnies would have to do for now.

I ended up in Piazza del Popelo– the people’s square. It is huge! There are twin churches, fountains, and a giant Egyptian obelisk in the middle. Public executions took place here until the 1820s.

My afternoon was spent with a tour of the Vatican. One thing that struck me was how well-preserved all of the artwork and tapestries are. The colors are so vibrant!

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel, but even as someone who is not religious at all, it was pretty awe-inspiring. For the record, the Catholic Church sucks for a lot of reasons, but I can still appreciate the art and historical significance of the Vatican.

Day 3

Touring the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine. I found a tour through Viator and my tour guide was an archeology student who had actually worked on digs at the site. So cool!

Facts!

1. It only took 8 years to build the Colosseum
2. It held 70,000 people and could be emptied in 15-20 minutes
3. Each portal has a Roman numeral above it. People were issued “tickets” likely in the form of small clay tablets.
4. It could hold water and mock naval battles were held here

Palatine Hill is the center-most of the famed “Seven Hills of Rome” and is one of the oldest parts of the city. Roman emperors build their homes here. Now it is an open air museum that boasts spectacular views of the city.

I haven’t talked at all about food. To be honest, the food in the heavily-trafficked touristy areas is pretty bad. It’s all very generic and most places have all of the same stuff. Pro tip: if you want a good meal, don’t eat somewhere where pictures of the food dominate the menu. Once I crossed the river into the Trastevere neighborhood, the situation improved dramatically. The narrow cobblestone streets are lined with houses, hotels, and bars with scooters parked everywhere. I had dinner at a cute place called Ditta Trinchetti. And of course, I did not take any pictures.

Day 4

On my last day in Rome, I did the Rick Steves audio tours of the Jewish ghetto and Trastevere. Download the Rick Steves Europe app. The tours are very easy to follow and include a map of the area you are touring. The humor can be a little cheesy, but the content is good and I learned a lot.

The Jewish Ghetto was established in the mid-16th century by Pope Paul IV. A bull commanded all Jews live in this area- even though the Jews were in Rome long before the Catholic church. The quarter was walled and locked at night. The bull also dictated Jews could not own property, practice medicine on non-Jews, and a multitude of other heinous things. This was life until 1870 when Papal states were abolished. The ghetto was raided by Nazis on Oct 16, 1943. People were rounded up by the Gestapo and over 1000 people were sent to concentration camps and only a handful survived.

San Gregorio della Devina is a Catholic church near the synagog. Until 1870, Jews were required to attend sermons here, sometimes on their Sabbath. Some put wax in their ears to avoid hearing them. The inscription, both in Hebrew and Latin, from the Book of Isaiah complaining about the Jews was put on the facade.

I opted to take the bus to the train station. I bought a ticket at a Tabac store and then boarded the very crowded bus at the back door. I really was not sure what I was supposed to do with the ticket upon boarded, so I observed my fellow bus-riders. “When in Rome…” you know. No one seemed to show their ticket to the driver and I did not see any signs on the bus, so I assumed you validate when you leave. Wrong. I got fined 50 Euro by the traffic cops at the train station, even after trying to explain to them what happened. They were very rude, but I did not argue with them any further. I was a guest in their country and the last thing I needed was getting hauled to the pokey in Italy.

My thoughts and observations about Rome.

• This city is amazing and was, at one point, the center of Western civilization.
• It is also filthy and neglected. The infrastructure is crumbling, garbage and graffiti are everywhere
• So many smokers! No wonder all the Italian women are thin! haha
• Everyone dresses well. Men in nice slacks and shirts, women in dresses. Designer labels everywhere.

I really enjoyed my time in Rome. I loved seeing the remnants of the ancient world and learning about the history of the city. I would definitely do more research about the food scene if I were to go again.