I just need to preface this post by saying: we decided to stop throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain. (I'll explain later.)
So we woke up at 4am to catch our flight from Helsinki to Rome. Normally, I'd have that "way-too-early-wanna-barf-sleep-deprived-illness" but surprisingly, I didn't feel tired at all! It was a weird case of reverse jet lag, I guess. We walked to the train station from our couch surfer's house, and then caught a bus back to the airport.
After arriving in Rome, we were craving some delicious, local Italian cuisine! If there's one thing I remember from our last trip through Italy, it's this... THE FOOD ROCKS. We decided to ask the locals for advice. One cute little lady said (in her thick Italian accent with hands waving like a cartoon), "Go to Omo & tell him that Peppi sent you!" So we walked around the corner, but sadly, he was closed for the daily afternoon "siesta." Ugh. As much as I love naps, those Italian siestas from about 12pm-7pm left us starving way.too.often.
So we settled on the Best Western bell boy's recommendation and ate at a place called: The Living Room Cafe. [FYI: This was supposed to be legit, local food, and it was the complete opposite. Our first "tourist trap" clue probably should have been the ENGLISH name... but we were starving, exhausted, and it was 95-degrees outside. I blame our poor judgment on that.] My pizza was just okay, Chris's carbonara pasta tasted like it came from an American TV dinner box, and Dave's cold rice dish, "aka the local specialty," was definitely NOT special. It had no flavor and was just luke warm, not cold. Disappointing. But don't worry, we learned quickly how to avoid that happening again.
We started off our Tour of Rome by walking to the Parthenon. Even though Christopher and I saw it last time... it never ceases to amaze me! It's just so crazy imagining these GIANT buildings and perfectly symmetrical, flawless structures being built in the days before machinery and modern technology. I can't even comprehend it. Pictures can't really capture how awesome everything is.
Although Rome was HOT.AS.HADES. We were surrounded by cool, ancient-looking drinking fountains:
And we had a great excuse for gelato! We made sure to hit up our favorite place in Rome: Old Bridge Gelateria by the Vatican. I know, I know, it already breaks the "English" name rule... but it's super delicious, bigger portions, and they give you free whipped cream on top. Our two favorite flavors were Cookies and Nutella. By the way, did you know they have a Viagara flavor?! haha. So funny. I opted NOT to sample that one.
Our last sites of the day were... the Spanish Steps:
I think they're overrated + so hot you couldn't even sit on them for more than 10 seconds before your butt was on fire!
Aaaaaand.... The Trevi Fountain!
Finally. Now I'll explain: A traditional legend says that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.
And I believe this legend with all my heart.
Proof:
Our first time to Rome - we each threw a coin in the fountain. About a week later, our plans (plane + train + bus) somehow ended up bringing us back to Rome again. So we decided to visit the Trevi Fountain for a second time because we wanted to see it at night. Threw another coin in. At this moment, I honestly didn't think we would ever return to Rome. We saw everything we wanted, and knew that if we came back to Europe, we would spend our time in other areas/countries.
But sure enough... 2 years later, we returned to Rome for a third time! It just so happened that the flights were a lot cheaper into Rome, and our friend David had never been. So that fountain brought us back yet again. This time, David threw a coin in the fountain. And guess what... one week later, that Trevi Fountain brought us back to Rome for a FOURTH time. Since it was so hot on our first day, we never made it to the Vatican or the Colosseum. And you CANNOT go to Rome without seeing those two things. So we re-arranged our trip to come back to Rome one last time.
FOUR TIMES. Totally not a coincidence.
So this last time, we decided to keep our coins in our pockets. (Supposedly that fountain makes about 3,000 Euros per day! Craziness.) So, yes. We love you Rome, but 4 times is enough. No more Trevi Fountain.
During all 4 times in Rome, we stayed outside of the city in a super fun hostel called Camping Roma (owned by PLUS Hostels.) It was a blast! The pool is super nice. And they have a sand volleyball court with lots of young kids our age to play with. I'm not very good at volleyball, but I didn't screw up too often, and our team ended up winning! And no one believed that I hadn't really played a real game before. (I think it was partially because the other team was getting drunk, so that made me look a lot better than I actually am... haha, but I'll take it!)
We also met some nice Aussie girls (Amy & Mia). We chit-chatted late into the night about kangaroos, beaches & travel plans. That's the best part about hostels, it's so easy to make new friends!
On our return visit to Rome, it was about 15 degrees cooler, thankfully! We still devoured some more gelato:
Enjoyed some authentic, delicious Italian carbonera pasta:
Wandered around some markets & visited the Colosseum:
Walked around the Vatican:
And also got to see the Pope! It was pretty cool to be within 10 feet of such an important world figure. He was blessing brides and grooms, receiving TONS of gifts from people, and smiling/waving to the crowds.
To end our long day, we relaxed at the campsite pool and got a special treat from the Supermarceto... ICE to go with our 1.5 Liters of Lemon Fanta! (This was our favorite drink of the trip.) And since ice is basically non-existent in Europe, we happily paid 1 Euro for a dozen cubes.
As a farewell to our lovely time at Camping Roma, we hit up the hostel's Dance Club. I LOVE dancing, so I couldn't wait to "git low" and "put my hands in the air." When we got to the club... everyone was just standing around drinking. There might have been a few head bobbers... but no one was really "dance-dancing." So I ran out to the middle of the dance floor and put on a little show. David and Christopher later joined me so I didn't look like a complete idiot. Within just a few short minutes, EVERYONE was running around, dancing like crazy! The DJ brought out the strobe light and fog machine... it was a blast. (Amidst my dance excitement/hyper-ness, I may have spilled a girl's drink all over her when I heard "Soulja Boy" and started "Superman"-ing across the dance floor. Whoopsies.) The DJ played some great classic dance tunes, but struggled from time to time with boring songs that had no beat. Really killed the mood. So we stepped out for some fresh air during those moments, before quickly returning inside because our "fresh" air was filled with second-hand smoke. Can I just make a generalization? Europeans LOVE to smoke. And it takes some getting used to when you come from America where smokers are quarantined or forced to smoke at least 25 feet away. But anyways....overall it was a great night and I'm proud to quote Ke$ha while saying: The party don't start til I walk in.
Even though we hadn't planned on visiting Rome 4 times... we still loved it! Oh, and if you're planning a trip to Europe...beware of the jet lag CRASH. It sets in about day 2 or 3, in the afternoon, and no matter how awesome the sites are... you will want to sleep.for.days.
And seriously... watch out for that Trevi Fountain.
So we woke up at 4am to catch our flight from Helsinki to Rome. Normally, I'd have that "way-too-early-wanna-barf-sleep-deprived-illness" but surprisingly, I didn't feel tired at all! It was a weird case of reverse jet lag, I guess. We walked to the train station from our couch surfer's house, and then caught a bus back to the airport.
After arriving in Rome, we were craving some delicious, local Italian cuisine! If there's one thing I remember from our last trip through Italy, it's this... THE FOOD ROCKS. We decided to ask the locals for advice. One cute little lady said (in her thick Italian accent with hands waving like a cartoon), "Go to Omo & tell him that Peppi sent you!" So we walked around the corner, but sadly, he was closed for the daily afternoon "siesta." Ugh. As much as I love naps, those Italian siestas from about 12pm-7pm left us starving way.too.often.
So we settled on the Best Western bell boy's recommendation and ate at a place called: The Living Room Cafe. [FYI: This was supposed to be legit, local food, and it was the complete opposite. Our first "tourist trap" clue probably should have been the ENGLISH name... but we were starving, exhausted, and it was 95-degrees outside. I blame our poor judgment on that.] My pizza was just okay, Chris's carbonara pasta tasted like it came from an American TV dinner box, and Dave's cold rice dish, "aka the local specialty," was definitely NOT special. It had no flavor and was just luke warm, not cold. Disappointing. But don't worry, we learned quickly how to avoid that happening again.
We started off our Tour of Rome by walking to the Parthenon. Even though Christopher and I saw it last time... it never ceases to amaze me! It's just so crazy imagining these GIANT buildings and perfectly symmetrical, flawless structures being built in the days before machinery and modern technology. I can't even comprehend it. Pictures can't really capture how awesome everything is.
Although Rome was HOT.AS.HADES. We were surrounded by cool, ancient-looking drinking fountains:
And we had a great excuse for gelato! We made sure to hit up our favorite place in Rome: Old Bridge Gelateria by the Vatican. I know, I know, it already breaks the "English" name rule... but it's super delicious, bigger portions, and they give you free whipped cream on top. Our two favorite flavors were Cookies and Nutella. By the way, did you know they have a Viagara flavor?! haha. So funny. I opted NOT to sample that one.
Our last sites of the day were... the Spanish Steps:
I think they're overrated + so hot you couldn't even sit on them for more than 10 seconds before your butt was on fire!
Aaaaaand.... The Trevi Fountain!
Finally. Now I'll explain: A traditional legend says that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.
And I believe this legend with all my heart.
Proof:
Our first time to Rome - we each threw a coin in the fountain. About a week later, our plans (plane + train + bus) somehow ended up bringing us back to Rome again. So we decided to visit the Trevi Fountain for a second time because we wanted to see it at night. Threw another coin in. At this moment, I honestly didn't think we would ever return to Rome. We saw everything we wanted, and knew that if we came back to Europe, we would spend our time in other areas/countries.But sure enough... 2 years later, we returned to Rome for a third time! It just so happened that the flights were a lot cheaper into Rome, and our friend David had never been. So that fountain brought us back yet again. This time, David threw a coin in the fountain. And guess what... one week later, that Trevi Fountain brought us back to Rome for a FOURTH time. Since it was so hot on our first day, we never made it to the Vatican or the Colosseum. And you CANNOT go to Rome without seeing those two things. So we re-arranged our trip to come back to Rome one last time.
FOUR TIMES. Totally not a coincidence.
So this last time, we decided to keep our coins in our pockets. (Supposedly that fountain makes about 3,000 Euros per day! Craziness.) So, yes. We love you Rome, but 4 times is enough. No more Trevi Fountain.
During all 4 times in Rome, we stayed outside of the city in a super fun hostel called Camping Roma (owned by PLUS Hostels.) It was a blast! The pool is super nice. And they have a sand volleyball court with lots of young kids our age to play with. I'm not very good at volleyball, but I didn't screw up too often, and our team ended up winning! And no one believed that I hadn't really played a real game before. (I think it was partially because the other team was getting drunk, so that made me look a lot better than I actually am... haha, but I'll take it!)
We also met some nice Aussie girls (Amy & Mia). We chit-chatted late into the night about kangaroos, beaches & travel plans. That's the best part about hostels, it's so easy to make new friends!
On our return visit to Rome, it was about 15 degrees cooler, thankfully! We still devoured some more gelato:
Enjoyed some authentic, delicious Italian carbonera pasta:
Wandered around some markets & visited the Colosseum:
Walked around the Vatican:
And also got to see the Pope! It was pretty cool to be within 10 feet of such an important world figure. He was blessing brides and grooms, receiving TONS of gifts from people, and smiling/waving to the crowds.
To end our long day, we relaxed at the campsite pool and got a special treat from the Supermarceto... ICE to go with our 1.5 Liters of Lemon Fanta! (This was our favorite drink of the trip.) And since ice is basically non-existent in Europe, we happily paid 1 Euro for a dozen cubes.
As a farewell to our lovely time at Camping Roma, we hit up the hostel's Dance Club. I LOVE dancing, so I couldn't wait to "git low" and "put my hands in the air." When we got to the club... everyone was just standing around drinking. There might have been a few head bobbers... but no one was really "dance-dancing." So I ran out to the middle of the dance floor and put on a little show. David and Christopher later joined me so I didn't look like a complete idiot. Within just a few short minutes, EVERYONE was running around, dancing like crazy! The DJ brought out the strobe light and fog machine... it was a blast. (Amidst my dance excitement/hyper-ness, I may have spilled a girl's drink all over her when I heard "Soulja Boy" and started "Superman"-ing across the dance floor. Whoopsies.) The DJ played some great classic dance tunes, but struggled from time to time with boring songs that had no beat. Really killed the mood. So we stepped out for some fresh air during those moments, before quickly returning inside because our "fresh" air was filled with second-hand smoke. Can I just make a generalization? Europeans LOVE to smoke. And it takes some getting used to when you come from America where smokers are quarantined or forced to smoke at least 25 feet away. But anyways....overall it was a great night and I'm proud to quote Ke$ha while saying: The party don't start til I walk in.
Even though we hadn't planned on visiting Rome 4 times... we still loved it! Oh, and if you're planning a trip to Europe...beware of the jet lag CRASH. It sets in about day 2 or 3, in the afternoon, and no matter how awesome the sites are... you will want to sleep.for.days.
And seriously... watch out for that Trevi Fountain.
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