I have decided I never give Rome enough credit. Rome is the first place I always want to see when I get to Italy and the last place I see before leaving. Rome makes me feel at home, so I just expect everyone feels that way. I have my “regular” restaurants, my favorite walks, and my favorite spots to see. With that said, I feel I rarely show my friends and family my favorite parts of Rome. Rome is never my “vacation” spot, so when I send pictures they are always highlighting Ponza, Spain, or some other spot I traveled to. So after that long winded explanation I want to use this Blog post to show you Rome!

So there are obviously the tourist spots, which I am a sucker for every time! I am pretty sure I have wandered through the colosseum and Roman Forum three times, each time better than the last. Here are some pictures from my walk through and around last week.

The day I went through the Forum it was a blistering 90 degrees, but somehow managed to spend 3 hours there! So much architecture and history in that place! The above picture is a view looking down on the forum.

The colosseum will probably always be my favorite spot to see. The story of the games that were played in the stadium are both interesting and gruesome. I remember the first time I ever toured this architectural beauty, the  tourguide, (akA my audio guide) some poeple were “employed” to continuously spray perfume around the arena… to try and mask the smell of blood!  If you don’t know the story of the colosseum I recommend you look into it. I must warn, you may be horrified (BUT it is still quite an interesting story).

Above: Inside and outside views of the Colosseum.

Another touristy spot that has won my heart is the Pantheon. I find myself walking by/in it daily just to marvel at its beauty.

This year in Rome Case has introduced me to my absolute favorite spot in Rome…the apartment. Case is sharing an apartment in Rome with a friend, it is situated near my favorite gelato and sandwich shop (very convenient), and has an amazing terrace that looks over the rooftops of Rome! When I need a break from all the walking, I wander to the apartment and have a small glass of prosecco on the terrace. Below are two pictures of what I see when sitting above the rooftops.

I have really taken a liking to the afternoon siesta, sometimes I will bring a pllow out to the terrace read my book and take a quick nap… life is hard.

Last weekend Case and I were going to head off to another beach town, but the weather was poor, so instead we decided to stay in Rome. As I said previously I have visited Italy a total of 4 times, and spend a lot of my time in Rome, Case and I however have maybe spend 48 hours total in the city together. Having Case in Rome with me is always fun, he knows the secret ins and outs, and knows real people who actually have grown up in the city. We decided to have no set plan and just wander around the city. Well that’s a bit of a lie, each day we had planned to go see Castel St. Angelo…but somehow would find ourselves wandering through the city, and by the time we would sit down for lunch (@1500) we had mutually  crossed that off our list…one day we will get there! Our goal for the weekend, really exciting, was to get me a train pass! Seems simple, but let me tell you..Italians work differently. What seemed like a simple task, ended up taking us a total of 24 hours. The process consisted of us  going to 4 different train stations, talking to 4 different people, and finally returning to one of the first places we initially went to. From the beginning Case always says “Italy works differently, I can’t explain it.” I think I am finally beginning to figure it out. I have learned to make sure to have a coffee before dealing with anything paperwork, airport, train, bus, food, driving, etc etc etc related. I now know why Italians love their coffee. In conclusion…I am a proud owner of a train/bus/metro pass! Sadly I have yet to see if it works, not because I havent’t used it, but because I have not been asked to show my ticket once in the last week…maybe one day. To celebrate a small victory, we rewarded ourselves with food and time to wander. My favorite thing to do is “get lost” and find beautiful streets, fun overlooks, or cute places to eat.

Below: The first picture shows a perfect little street we walked down. The second picture is an elaborate door–there are so many amazing looking doors in Italy. And the last photo is Case and I overlooking Piazza Del Popolo, with the Vatican in the farrrr background.

Rome is an amazing city, filled with history and culture. I honestly don’t think there is enough time in life to see everything, but hopefully I can try! I will continue to share more pictures of Rome as my travels continue, but here is my first initial slice of this beautiful city! Enjoy!

Oh…one more thing. A picture of the car Case and I drive around… and yes we both fit in it. There is a backseat. I will try and share a picture in the future when we have luggage with us–it is quite comical. But now do you see why I loviningly refer to it as the the mosquito??

Ciao Ciao Ciao for now!