Returning to Roma

Ciao again!

I was in Rome from Monday, March 5^th to Wednesday, March 7^th. Although I’ve visited Rome before, in May 2010 (at age 13) with my mom to see my uncle Thad, who was living in Italy at the time, my experience this time around was completely different. Same sites and attractions, but I must’ve forgotten everything in between. Like a good book read again and again, the same things can feel so new and different with time and perspective.

When I was 13, Rome was the very first city I visited outside the US. I guess I was overwhelmed, if that’s the right word, and I was doing a lot of follow-the-leader with my mom and Thad. While it was nice to not have to figure out logistics (where to eat, how the train works, what’s our itinerary) and just have everything taken care of, I really enjoyed this grown-up version, too. I’ve also realized in the last six months or so how much I enjoy navigating and researching new cities, so this time I was more of the leader.

Unfortunately, the weather was horrible. It was pretty bad the whole time we were in Italy (e.g. the snow/ice storm in Genova and the hours-long trek in Florence downpours), but I finally caved and bought an umbrella this time so it was a little better. I definitely think the stormy weather put a damper on my friends’ first impressions of Rome (would you want to wait in line for 2 hours at the Vatican in freezing rain?), but they definitely enjoyed it, and I did too.

One of the best parts (besides the sites, which I’ll get to in a second), was staying in The Yellow hostel, just a nine minute walk from the Termini train station, bus stops, and metro. Rated one of (if not the) best hostel in Rome, The Yellow has a trendy, young energy. They pretty much take up the entire block with rooms, lounges, the bar with 20% off drinks for guests, and the partner restaurant, Mama Angelo’s (FANTASTIC – we went there for dinner both nights). Although it’s a bit of a party hostel because of the bar, the rooms are super quiet and clean, and we made some friends from Argentina. We paid only 20 euro per night for a four bed, mix gender room with an ensuite bath. I really enjoyed my stay there and highly recommend it!

On Monday morning, we woke up early and had 6 euro breakfast at The Yellow bar then caught a bus to the Vatican. When I was at the Vatican in 2010, it was actually Italian Independence Day and all museums were closed, so I wasn’t able to go inside Saint Peter’s Basilica or the Sistine Chapel before. Here’s the tossup I’ve found about the queues, though: you can buy your tickets online and skip the 2-3 hour wait times (separate queues for Saint Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel, by the way) but pay around 30 euro for online tickets, or you could get there early and only wait an hour or two and get the 8 euro EU student price (provided you’re under 26 and have a student ID). We opted to do that one because we’re poor! I actually really enjoyed the Vatican, but the crowds can be ridiculous and you should probably know beforehand (unlike me) that the Creation of Man does NOT take up the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel; in fact it is a tiny fraction of it. Still very impressive, though, and I’m really glad I saw it. Most of the British artists I’m learning about in my British Art & Architecture class were inspired by the Italian Old Masters like Michelangelo, so it was awesome to see similar techniques in brush strokes, dress, and composition between them.

Anyway, after the Vatican we walked back across the river through the windy neighborhoods to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. The Pantheon (a Roman temple dedicated to all Roman gods) has a hole in the top of its dome, and I loved watching the rain pour down in a column to the floor. The Trevi Fountain was also once again magical, and luckily the rain kept some of the crowds away. The last item that day was the Colosseum and Forum, which were just as majestic as I remember. How lucky the rest of the world is to have these incredible remnants of civilization outside their front door!

We metroed back to The Yellow to have dinner at Mama Angelo’s (cacio e pepe pasta, a Roman staple), which was a carb-loaded plate of goodness, and finally ended our night at the bar to try Roman margaritas (not special in any way, just wanted to see how they’d do – pretty solid).

On Tuesday, my friend Sam had to fly back to London to get her friend from back home who was coming to Greece with us. My friend Marisol and I decided to spend the day meandering parks and finding views since we saw most of the famous attractions the day before. We walked up the Spanish steps to the Villa Borghese Gardens and wandered around the gardens for a while, which (because it’s currently Mediterranean rainy season) looked and smelled like a pine-filled forest of the rainy American Northwest. We also stumbled upon Rome’s replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater! It was tucked away down a hill, a strange but nostalgic reminder of London.

Eventually we made our way to two separate views, one above Piazza del Popolo and one in the Trasavere neighborhood on a hill called Piazalle Garibaldi. We ate incredible pizza at Trattoria Papa Re for lunch, and later that night ended up back at Mama Angela’s to try the Carbonara.

Even with the bad weather, Italy was once again a dreamland. I’ve become a bit of a foodie since my childhood days, so eating pasta, pizza, and gelato and drinking wine were some of my favorite parts of the trip – Marisol says her imagined superpower as a kid was the power to re-live meals, and this whole week I’ve been dreaming of that, too.

Wednesday, March 7^th – off to Greece! Check out my next post about Athens and Santorini!