Travel Guide: Rome, Italy « Tanya & Victor

Travel Guide: Rome, Italy

As you may or may not know, Victor and I took a few weeks sabbatical in Europe. One of our pit stops was Rome where we stayed for about a week. It was in Victor’s heart to see this city as part of his dream since he was a kid. This is his take on our adventure to the capital of Italy.

Why did we choose Rome as one of, our destination cities?  In part has to do with my dad (Chene). Since I could remember, my dad used to read about the Roman Empire. He used to watch movies about their glorious battles, gladiators, the architecture, and history. We (my sister Rocio & me ) didn’t have a classic kid’s story read to us at bedtime. Instead, we had my dad narrating all these amazing stories about Italy to us. I also blame him because we use to start our Sundays with the Calcio. The Napoli (Italian soccer league), La Roma, Lazio, where some of the teams that we use to follow. The other reason we decided to go to Rome was their amazing food; Nutella Gelato, cannoli,  Lasagna, pasta, Pizza, Osso bucco, a good prosciutto, tiramisu, and a good affogato. What I will conclude with this is that it’s so easy to fall in love with Rome, and there’s always a good reason to go back.

Where we stayed: Hotel D’Este (Airbnb flats have more amenities for the amount of hotel room)

Cafe we loved the most: Caffe Setimiano (Espresso Bar)

Favorite restaurant: Mensa di Bacco & La Prosciutteria Trastevere (the best customer service in all of Rome)

Budget friendly eats: Birreria Marconi and Gelato in almost every corner

Attractions we did: Palatine Hill, The Colosseo, Spanish Steps, Vatican City, the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Trastevere neighborhood, the Pantheon, many many Basilicas, the Trevi Fountain, and pizzerias.

Transportation: Shuttle, Metro, on Foot and Taxi {there is only Uber Black in Italy, so if you’re looking to save try a Taxi rather than Uber)

Here are some of our tips if you’re thinking about visiting beautiful Roma.

5 Tips When You Travel To Rome:

1. Bring super duper comfortable walking shoes. Right before we made the trip to Europe, I made a quick stop to the shoe outlet. I got the most comfortable & coolest tennis shoes. Of course, they were Gray, my favorite color. Remember many of the streets in Rome are cobblestone. After long walks that can be hard for your feet.

2. Try to get up early for a nice run: My early run was between 6-7 am. To me, that was the best way to get know the city. Running at my pace allowed me to appreciate many of the hidden jewels of this amazing city. My suggestion is to run in straight routes that way you don’t get yourself lost.

3. Ask the locals for food recommendations instead of guessing and choosing based on the name or look of the restaurant. Ask the locals about their favorite places & dishes. The hotel staff, where we stayed, gave me excellent advice about hidden restaurants in little ally ways. One of my favorites ended up being one of the front desk’s recommendations, a place called La Mesa de Bacco. {Tanya is not the biggest fan of lasagna, but after tasting one of theirs, she’s been craving meaty lasagna constantly}

4. Get a good water canteen. In Rome, you can find water fountains all over the city and its potable water. This is a handy tip especially if you travel during Rome’s summer. Purchasing water on the streets can get expensive after a while, and the plastic becomes a little sticky after being under the hot heat.

5. Keep your valuables even closer where you travel in public transit.  You can save money using the train in Rome, and it’s fast & reliable, but you need be aware of the pickpocketers in the train. They will find the tight spaces & crowds to try to get to your personal belongings (wallets, phones, etc.). I used to put my backpack in the front of myself, and I also moved my wallet to my front pocket (in my pants). Note nothing happened to us but even the locals will let you know about it how frequent this happens especially during tourist seasons.

One of the views from our room

It was very hard to great pictures of this historical landmark, the world’s first colosseum. We took a picture of the wedding photographers behind the scene of a wedding taking place in one of the many churches thereThere were so many musicians on every corner. Especially when you’re eating they will serenade and will of course, expect a tip.  The Capital’s National Palace We loved finding these little picturesque allies. We would frequently just and photograph doors.  This bike has inspired Tanya’s recent bike remodeling. 

 

Gear Used: Canon 1V, Canon 5D3, Pentax 645n, Fuji Pro 400h

Scans: Richard Photo Lab

Comments

comments

FILED IN:

  1. Thanks for writing this.

  2. Thanks for writing this.

  3. nang nguc says:

    Hurrah! At last I got a website from where I be capable of genuinely
    obtain valuable facts concerning my study and knowledge.

  4. hut mo bung says:

    I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire
    someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to
    design my own blog and would like to know where u got
    this from. cheers

  5. pampering says:

    This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.

    I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your excellent post.
    Also, I have shared your site in my social networks!

  6. Howdy! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog.
    Is it very hard to set up your own blog?
    I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast.
    I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any
    ideas or suggestions? Thanks