European Journey // Rome, Part 1

The saying goes, " When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do"...I kind of feel like this is the same statement along the lines of, " What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". Maybe I thought that Rome was going to be a much more lively place, but I was pleasantly surprised by this city. It's a big city, yet much much smaller than I thought it was by map. You can walk literally EVERYWHERE in a short amount of time, and also see so many of the sights along the way! Many people told me about 2-3 days was the perfect amount of time to spend here and I couldn't agree more.

Of course, when we were landing into Rome, as the plane descended through the clouds, I had pictured some super green rolling hills and olive or wine vineyards,  and really, there was just a ton of snow. Turns out, Rome had just experienced the biggest amount of snowfall in 25 years. The city was basically shut down due to the weather, even though, by Minnesota standards, that meant nothing. I had really wanted to rent a moped during my stay here and no one was renting, for fear of snow. Restaurants and bars were shutting down early, but I was perfectly happy with exploring all that was available, which were mostly the sights.

Rome is an ancient beauty and there is so much history. I learned a few things while I was there, such as a traditional style of pizza is not just served as one big pie, but also on more of a thicker, Focaccia bread, which is sold by the weight-of-the-cut you choose to buy. The city is also divided by the canals and it's pretty incredible how instantly, you are transported into another 'vibe' of the city. For instance, in the central, there's the big shopping streets, the Colosseum, and just a big hub of energy all around. Then, when you walk over the bridge to the Trastevere neighborhood, it's instantly way more quiet and charming, with very narrow cobblestone roads and tiny little establishments. I liked this place the best.

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Tomorrow, I'm actually headed back to Rome for one more night and I'm hoping to hit up a specific restaurant that has been a dream of mine to visit. Fingers crossed, it has an open table. Then I'm off to Amsterdam for one more day before heading back to the states!

The next stop of this adventure is along the Amalfi Coast of Italy...stay tuned! :0)

LOVEe