Posted by Karbo
We took the slow train from Florence to Rome and checked into our Airbnb apartment. I've discovered on this trip that I'm a bit of a germaphobe (not the best trait for a backpacker, I know) so for Rome we went with a listing that I'd picked out. Doina and George's apartment is super clean and comfortable. We had a great stay with them!
On our first full day in Rome, we missed the free walking tour because we couldn't wake up early enough but we managed to see quite a lot on our own. We took the metro to the Colosseum, half of which was covered by scaffolding for some much needed cleaning, and began walking from there. You can tell how dirty the pollution in the city is by comparing the recently washed parts of the Colosseum with the still-black sections.
There are tour companies that hang around the entrance of major attractions and offer last-minute tours. We ended up touring the Colosseum and Roman Forum with Last Minute Rome Tours. The tour was alright - not the best we've had but not bad for last minute.
We also checked out the Pantheon, which is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. The Pantheon is around 2,000 years old and we couldn't really believe how amazing the Romans were at engineering to have a structure they built in the 1st century still be standing today.
Of course, we had to go make a wish at the Trevi Fountain, which was always completely mobbed by tourists and vendors during our stay in Rome. We threw some coins into the fountain but had to return another day when we learned we'd done it wrong. You're supposed to throw the coins over your left shoulder with your right hand.
We also walked to the Piazza Popolo, where a flower vendor insisted on giving me flowers for "free". We kept telling him we did NOT want his free flowers but he kept pushing them on us. Of course, the moment we walked away with them him he asked us for money.
We had coffee and cake a few times at Caffe Greco, one of the oldest cafes in Rome. The cafe is located near the Spanish Steps and the Column of the Immaculate Conception. The coffee and cakes are delicious. Just make sure you confirm the prices before you sit down! Again, it's much cheaper to stand at the bar.
Speaking of the Column of Immaculate Conception, every December 8th, the Pope leads a procession to the front of the column before placing a wreath on the statue of the Virgin Mary. We left Rome on Dec.8th and just missed it!
Trastevere is a beautful neighbourhood in Rome across the Tiber River and away from the main monuments. We walked over one day to do some sightseeing and it reminded us of some of the small neighbourhood communities in Vancouver (i.e. Edgemont Village, Kerrisdale). Nothing stays hidden for long, though, and when we went the place was thoroughly decked out for tourists.
We'd heard that the Vatican Museums, St.Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, and the collection of Renaissance art within Vatican City would take days to see so we decided to splurge and went on a tour with Walks of Italy. We opted for the tour that allowed us to enter the Sistine Chapel 1 hour before the Vatican opened to the public (we ended up having the Sistine Chapel to ourselves for 20 minutes before the tours started pouring in!).
We met with our guide, Luigi, bright and early at 7:30AM. Luckily for us, we were the only ones booked on the tour so we ended up having a 4 hour private tour! Luigi was great - he very patiently answered all our questions, never rushed us, and extended the tour to make sure we got to see as much as we could.
We met with our guide, Luigi, bright and early at 7:30AM. Luckily for us, we were the only ones booked on the tour so we ended up having a 4 hour private tour! Luigi was great - he very patiently answered all our questions, never rushed us, and extended the tour to make sure we got to see as much as we could.
Rome was an amazing experience and it's not hard to imagine how it was once considered the center of the world. Hopefully, we'll be back soon and can enjoy our cappuccinos sitting down!