Rome

In January of 2023 I spontaneously decided to book a trip to Rome. One of my best friends, Tasina, is doing her study abroad there for the spring season and it was the perfect opportunity for me to visit such an amazing place! Traveling somewhere where I have friends and staying with them rather than paying for hotels or Airbnbs frees up a trips budget so much. In this case I was able to justify the cost of an international flight and have a wider budget for food, museums and other activities.

Day 1 - From Seattle to Rome

I was able to find a really good deal ticket wise through AerLingus. I had never flown this airline before, or even heard of it, but the journey was smooth and comfortable. I flew from Seattle to Dublin, had a two hour layover and then traveled the rest of the way to Rome. I was a bit nervous about getting from the airport to Tasina's apartment on my own, but I found the train easily enough and arrived in Rome in the late evening. After a long day of traveling I was ready to get some rest. Tasina and I caught up, cooked some dinner and headed to bed for our early train the next morning.

Day 2 - Florence

Tasina had been living in Rome for about two months at the time I visited her. One popular thing to do there, especially for young people in school, is to book a train ticket to a nearby city and stay in a hostel for the weekend. We got train tickets to Florence, which turned out to be one of the most beautiful cities I've explored so far. We woke up early, rushed to the train station, grabbed a quick croissant and cappuccino and boarded the ride south. Once we arrived, we walked from the train station in Florence to our hostel to drop off our bags. Then we set off into the city to explore.

The first piazza we stopped in was gorgeous, I was blown away by the intricate designs at every turn. We sat down on a bench to soak up the sights and all of a sudden I realized my bag was gone. I looked around frantically and saw a man about 100 yards away with my backpack in his hand. Without thinking twice I stood up and started sprinting after him, yelling that that was my bag. As soon as he saw me chasing him he dropped it on the ground and took off. I had my passport and wallet in my backpack and especially after having my passport stolen this past summer, I was so relieved.

That was just the first adventure of the day! Next Tasina and I walked to the Piazza del Duomo to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This was a truly stunning building and I could have spent hours just admiring the intricate details.

We stopped for a quick lunch in a nearby piazza before heading to the Uffizi Gallery. There was so much to explore here and I highly recommend it if you are visiting Florence. The ticket price is completely worth being able to see so much historic and beautiful art.

After exploring the gallery we grabbed some delicious gelato and wandered along the Arno River which is crisscrossed by beautiful bridges and walkways.

For sunset we crossed the river and headed uphill to the Piazzale Michelangelo which offered sweeping views of Florence. This was a gorgeous spot to hang out and watch the sun set over the horizon. It was a Saturday night so it was completely packed with people. If you are visiting Florence, I recommend trying to fit this destination in on a weekday evening.

The soft glow of sunset over the nearby river and distant hills was absolutely majestic.

Tasina and I stopped for some aperols before starting our long walk back to the hostel. Halfway back we stumbled across an adorable confectionary shop and enjoyed some hot chocolate in the cool evening.

Exhausted from our day of exploring, we returned to the hostel and got some much needed sleep.

Day 3 - The train to Rome

The next morning we woke to sleepy weather with cloudy skies and threatening rain. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at our hostel before checking out and walking to the train station to head back to Rome. If you're looking for a comfortable and affordable place to stay in Florence, check out Yellow Square Florence here: https://yellowsquare.it/florence/?lang=en

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and enjoying views of the Italian countryside. I absolutely love riding trains and it was such a neat way to take a quick weekend adventure.

Day 4 - Wandering Rome

On Monday Tasina was busy with school since the week had begun, so I set off on my own to explore all that Rome had to offer.

I started my morning off with a delicious croissant and cappuccino from a cafe around the corner. I spent quite a lot of time in Rome sitting at cafes, reading and people watching.

I walked to the nearby Villa Borghese, a truly gorgeous, sprawling park that I instantly fell in love with. Filled with statues, benches, rippling fountains, ponds, gardens, cafes and more, this park soon became one of my favorite spots in the city. It was another overcast day but I enjoyed walking in the warm rain, listening to music and enjoying the sights.

I came to a viewpoint in the park of the Piazza del Popolo, an impressive square ringed with impressive buildings. From here I wandered through the cobblestone streets, passing the many leather shops and high end boutiques.

Eventually I hit the striking Spanish Steps. People milled about taking photos and admiring the classic location.

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the streets of Rome. I was so impressed by the endless amount of stunning architecture. At every corner there was a decadent statue, blooming garden or quaint cafe. I stopped in at one on my walk home to escape the rain and enjoy my book.

I headed back to Tasina's flat to change before we departed for dinner. On our way to the Trastevere district we passed through the Piazza Venezia with the famous "typewriter" monument. Trastevere is known as the drinking district, filled with younger crowds and plenty of bars and restaurants. We enjoyed dinner and drinks before stopping for some delicious gelato and heading home.

Day 5 - Historic Rome

I devoted this day to exploring all of the quintessential locations in Rome. After breakfast I wandered through the streets to the Trevi Fountain. It was completely packed with tourists milling around and waiting to take a photo.

I tossed a euro into the fountain over my left shoulder, this tradition is supposed to guarantee that you will return to Rome!

I tossed a euro into the fountain over my left shoulder, this tradition is supposed to guarantee that you will return to Rome!

Next I made my way to the Pantheon which was a short walk away. This was an impressive building, looming above a square full of visitors to the city with its tall colomns.

I walked by the Colosseum and the Forum before heading to lunch. I didn't buy tickets to either location and reminded myself to do that before I returned next month. Both locations were still beautiful to see from the outside!

In the afternoon I met Tasina in the Villa Borghese for some lunch in the sun. Afterwards she headed back to class and I wandered through the streets and stopped at a local cafe, enjoying a cappuccino, reading and writing some postcards to send to friends.

Day 6 - Final day in Rome

For my last day in Rome I fit in a trip to a couple museums and some delicious food with Tasina. While she was in class in the morning I visited the National Gallery of Modern Museum and Art. This was a quiet and relaxing morning activity. There were only a couple tourists and school groups milling around the museum and some very neat art.

Later in the afternoon Tasina and I took the bus downtown to see a temporary Van Gogh installation. The exhibit did an amazing job diving into the life of Van Gogh and exploring the inspirations behind some of his most intimate pieces.

Before the sun set we walked along the Tiber River to an adorable library/coffee spot where we enjoyed some coffee and aperols before dinner. This was my favorite spot that I visited in the city, people watching, enjoying a coffee and admiring the stalls filled with postcards and books along the water was so picturesque.

On our way to dinner we passed through Piazza Navona. It was absolutely beautiful in the golden air and Tasina told me a little about the history of the construction of the Sant'Agnese church.

I ended my trip to Rome with a delicious and very special dinner with Tasina. We laughed, reflected on our friendship and on the beautiful city we were having the privilege of exploring. I really fell in love with Rome during my visit and was so excited to return the next month.

Published 3.24.23