Day 1
We took the train from the airport practically to the front door of our rental house. We stayed in a gorgeous flat located in the Monteverde vecchio, close to Trastevere. Trastevere is what comes to mind when you envision a romantic Italian town – narrow, cobblestoned streets dotted with sidewalk cafes with delicious aromas pouring out. The neighborhood sits just on the west side of the Tiber River.
We used Airbnb to find our Roman flat and it really worked out perfectly. It’s in a small complex of 5 other condos/houses called Il Piccolo Borgo. It has 2 private patios, is quiet with a great garden and nice neighbors (we locked ourselves out one day and they called the landlord for us). On the first evening, we found a little market a few blocks away. We bought breakfast fixings for the week including tomatoes, cheeses, salami, blood oranges, bananas, strawberries, kiwis and of course eggs. We have a newfound appreciation of soft-boiled eggs since it’s been a breakfast staple everywhere we’ve visited.
Day 2
Sadly, day 2 was spent cabbing it around Rome getting our computer fixed. On the upside, we got an unwanted comprehensive tour of Roman malls. Had an appt at the Apple store at one mall way outside of town. They thought the hard drive was blown but didn’t have the part. Then we took a taxi ($75!) 30 minutes away to yet another mall where they had the hard drive, only to find out 4 hours later that hard drive was never broken in the first place… Luckily, that meant we only had to buy a new cable, but wasted a day in Rome. We really need the computer for wedding planning, trip planning, etc, so this wasted day was necessary.
Day 3
We made up for the mall day by seeing almost all of the Roman highlights in one day. Plus we walked everywhere. In total, we figured out that we walked at least 10 miles from our flat to Circus Maximus, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, many piazzas including Piazza Navona and back home.
It’s really fascinating traveling in the order that we have, and piecing together all of the epic history of such long-standing empires like the Byzantine, Greek and Roman. It was also nice to skip a couple of ridiculously long lines by having pre-purchased tickets online for the Coliseum and Roman Forum. If we had waited in line it would’ve taken hours! Thanks to the advice of our Australian friend from the Greece tour, we made sure to pre-book.
Day 4
After breakfast Jason was out on our front patio hanging laundry to dry. I came out to bring him coffee and closed the condo door behind me. We were locked in between our front gate and our front door with no phone. Jason and I both climbed out and realized there was no way to get back in. I asked a neighbor if they happened to have our landlord/host’s phone number. Thank goodness they did and made a call for us. 1 hour, multiple family members coming by, and a locksmith later we were back in the flat…and still managed to make our Vatican tour. Phew.
We toured the Vatican City, Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica today. Again, pre-booked a 3-hour Vatican tour – well worth it! The line for the Vatican Museum wrapped way around the site, and it started pouring rain and hailing as soon as we got inside… poor people outside.
The tour was amazing. I have been twice before but never got the level of detail that we had with the guided tour. Our tour guide, David, was outstanding. Got lots of facts about how Roman and Greek statues differ and how it’s actually a myth that Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel on his back (he was actually standing with his neck tilted up – for 4 years!
At the end of the tour, we learned a lot about St. Peter’s Basilica. The last time I was there was in Rome was on a backpacking trip after college in 2000. It was Jubilee (Christian anniversary that happens every 25 years) at the time and the city was packed with tourists. This time we enjoyed Rome so much more with there being far less congestion.
We checked out St. Peter’s Basilica on our own. It’s (sort of) the longest Basilica in the world. Any church that is larger is forced to build a wall to divide it into separate parts so St. Peter’s remains the longest. We visited the tombs of many Popes. The highlight was paying an extra fee to walk up the 320 feet to the top of the Basilica. We were rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view of Rome and stood in the dome of St. Peter’s! We had a lovely homemade pasta dinner after a long afternoon of touring.
Day 5
I went for a short run in our neighborhood before breakfast. It was a fun way to check out the charming area. I got a little lost but found a wonderful produce market where I picked up a few more fruits and veggies for breakfast.
We decided to explore some of the outskirts of Rome for the day. Jason found us a great route. It started at Villa dei Quintili. The Villa once belonged to an affluent family (the Quintili’s). The evil emperor Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix in the Gladiator movie) coveted it so much that he murdered the family and took it for himself for training grounds for his gladiatorial aspirations (170s AD).
One of our favorite parts of the trip was walking the 5-mile long section of Via Appia Antica. It’s one of the most ancient and important “roads to Rome,” constructed in 312 AD. We started walking it just behind the Villa. We walked all the way to the Coliseum along Appia Antica. It is cobble stone and peppered with huge private gated estates, old ruins and Catacombs.
Topping off another probably 10-mile walking day, we ended at San Clemente Basilica. It is one of the oldest churches in Rome and dates back to the 1st century AD. In the basement/lower levels are old homes with remnants of original frescoes and even fresh springs.
Day 6
Having hit most of the major sights over the last several days, we headed back to San Callista Catacombs since it was closed the day before. It’s the must-see Catacombs of Rome, originally housing the remains of 1st – 5th century Christian Popes and families. It is a cavernous place going 4 levels deep. Only 2 can be visited for safety reasons. Most of the remains have been removed and Pope’s tombs (the most elaborate) were looted centuries ago. It’s still an impressive and slightly creepy complex with narrow, dark hallways lined from floor to ceiling with hollowed out graves.
After the Catacombs, Jason got a hair cut and we roamed around Rome - ha. We have been laughing about being “ruined” and “templed out” after seeing all of these amazing old ruins and temples throughout our trip. It’s nice to have a break day in between seeing all of these beautiful sights so you have a chance to appreciate it all.
We checked out another neighborhood on the east side of the Tiber called Testaccio and had the most amazing late lunch at Volpetti cafe. Volpetti has an adjoining salumeria/formaggeria deli. It felt very authentic and the owners were so nice, letting us sample a delicious pecorino. The place was packed with locals. We had them make us a couple of sandwiches (salami and gruyere and roast beef and mozzarella) for our lunch tomorrow instead of eating airport food.
Had a delicious final dinner in Rome back in Trastevere – gnocchi with pomodoro. Yum! Off to Prague tomorrow. Until next time…Ciao