December 2018
Rome wasn’t built in a day…but we bet we could see it in a day. We found a crazy cheap flight from San Francisco to Rome for the weekend and thought it would be a fun opportunity to test our theory! Both of us had been to Rome before on separate trips, but we were excited to see the city together. We opted to focus on all the various neighborhoods of Rome rather than re-visit Vatican City (which would take an entire day).
36 Hours Left…
After leaving San Francisco on a Friday evening, we landed in Rome around Saturday at the same time. We grabbed the train to Roma Termini and then caught an Uber to our AirBnb where we wasted no time in dropping our stuff and heading out the door on the hunt for some food.
It was almost midnight, but lucky for us there was a highly recommended pizza place walking distance that was open for another hour. Aimarmi in Trastevere serves up traditional handmade pizzas. We ordered two pizzas, one with sausage and mushroom and one with salted beef, arugula, and cheese. Both were delicious – but we made a rookie mistake and forgot to ask them to slice it! After leaving the pizza spot we couldn’t help but notice a glowing light across the street that read Gelateria Pasticceria. What more could we ask for than pizza and gelato on our first night? We then casually walked home along the cobblestone roads.
28 Hours Left…
We were up bright and early on Sunday morning – we had a ton of stuff to see and made sure to get an early start!
First up, the Trevi Fountain. This landmark went through a massive renovation recently and it’s definitely worth it to spend a little time here soaking in the sun and people watching. Don’t forget to turn your back and toss a coin in for good luck 🙂
One of things we love most about European cities is the tiny little coffee shops and bakeries on every corner. It was a perfect time for a little morning nibble so we popped into a little bakery at the foot of the Spanish Steps. We were in awe at all the beautiful pastries and finally settled on a croissant and latte which we enjoyed right at their counter.
After that sweet treat, we spent a few minutes admiring the Spanish Steps and the markets that were beginning to set up.
Next up on our list was the Piazza del Popolo. It has a Trafalgar Square-esque feel to it, minus all the crazy birds. We walked through the plaza and up to a lookout which gave us expansive views of the entire city. There was even someone playing violin up there which was super romantic.
We wanted to spend some time in Trastevere, one of the last remaining funky, bohemian neighborhoods that still clings to its old-world roots so we walked along the Tiber River toward it. As we took the casual stroll along the water it was lovely to take in Rome from a different view. There weren’t many people walking by the water and we felt as if we had the whole path to ourselves.
After that much walking – you guessed it – we were famished! We sat down for lunch at Da Fabrizio al 56. We were the only people in the restaurant when we first walked in so it felt like a private lunch! We enjoyed the bruschetta, cacio e pepe, spaghetti bolognese and washed it all down with a lovely bottle of red wine. The restaurant was packed by the time we left so it seems everyone eats lunch a little later in Rome!
After all those carbs we were in need of an energy boost. A quick pop into a cafe and we had two espresso shots in front of us within minutes. Ahh, just what the doctor ordered.
We continued our walking adventure toward the Coliseum and saw some familiar faces hopping off a bus! Hey! We know you guys! We have a tendency of randomly running into people we know all around the world. A couple handshakes and hugs and we were off to the spectacular Coliseum. Both of us had toured the inside of it on our previous trips, so we admired it from afar this time.
The Coliseum looks beautiful both day and night, so after we admired it during the late afternoon we decided to grab something sweet to nibble on and wait for the sun to set at RoYaL Art Cafè Roma. We enjoyed the latte but did not enjoy their tiramisu. But we did enjoy watching the sunset from the window as the cars zipped by with the Coliseum in the backdrop. And then we took a stroll around the Coliseum to feel the magnificence of it with all the lights on.
After that, we walked back along the main road, Via dei Fori Imperiali, which leads through the Roman Forum towards Altare della Patria and eventually to the Pantheon. Along the way, we saw all the beautiful Christmas lights along the streets. We sat down for a cup of tea at the Pantheon and people watched for a while.
For dinner that evening we were super excited to check out the famous artichokes at Nonna Better. This was a recommendation from one of Anthony Bourdain’s trips and so you know it has to be great! We sat outside at Nonna Betta’s and ordered a plate of the artichokes, a delicious fresh pasta and a few heavy pours of vino. Perfect way to end our last evening in Rome.
4 Hours Left…
On Monday morning we were up and at the train station and then on a flight back to San Francisco in what felt like the blink of an eye. We got back to SF around 1pm on Monday and could not stop talking about the next time we would be back in Italy. That’s the problem with short trips sometimes – we merely scratched the surface of what Italy has to offer and were already itching for more!
