Rome in July...

Why the title to this blog?... Well, Rome in July IS HOT!!! So hot in fact that Jesse and I showered 2 (some days 3) times a day just to feel refreshed and not the sweat pouring down our bodies.  There is a lot of walking required in this city, and if you really want to see the real Rome it's a necessity - so all the walking had us drenched!

To go in July is also one of the most touristy times to visit any country in Europe (July and August mostly - while keeping in mind that many Europeans also like to take their monthlong vacations around this time too).  The best times to visit Rome would be in the springtime or in the fall (as is the case with most European countries).  However, despite the heat, we truly had the best time in the "Eternal City." **(I am really quite excited to be going back in January, despite the cold weather, we will get to experience it in a whole new light!) :)

We booked our Italy trip on a whim.  It was purely by accident that I first discovered one of my favorite sites ever - http://www.europeandestinations.com/. From there, we had a month to plan everything and I decided I wanted to try and teach myself some Italian for our trip. I've always wanted to learn Italian and the similarities to Spanish made it a breeze... We bought self-teaching books and CD's and both Jesse and I started teaching ourselves. In the small amount of time I was exposed to it, I actually learned a lot. So much in fact, that upon arriving at the train, I had an ENTIRE conversation with a little old Italian man on the train ride from the airport into the city. It was WONDERFUL. I can't explain the feeling... and I couldn't quite believe we were conversing back and forth in Italian! He was telling me about his grandfather who was a prisoner in San Francisco (after finding out we were from the States, he got very excited) and boy oh boy did he go on... it was really quite interesting and he was the cutest old man ever. I wouldn't say that it's a requirement to know italian if you go to Rome, but I won't also deny the fact that it didn't hurt. Moreso in southern Italy, my italian was a necessity almost...Naples, Sorrento, buying ferry tickets, ordering food, even at the Naples airport I had a hard time communicating with a clerk, as we were stranded at the Naples airport for a very very long time (*sigh)...but I whipped out my Italian, and voila!

I want to learn more...so I really need to get on that!!! 

We arrived in Rome early in the morning after an 8 hour flight from Chicago and our luggage in tow.  We were blessed to have maps that my mom had given us from when she went a year previously and so instead of taking a cab to reach our hotel room, Jesse decides we should walk, as our hotel was "not far" from the main central train station (Stazione di Roma Termini).  Boy was it a far walk (we learned our lesson and took a taxi on our way back)... When we finally arrived at the hotel, I was so ecstatic and ready to start our adventure. The hotel was so quaint and the room was gigantic for European standards.  The first thing we did was shower though! Although we barely slept on the plane (too many fun movies to watch, greatest thing about flying abroad are the personal TV's they have now - even in Coach! It wasn't like that back in the day...) we were ready to go and sightsee!! We showered and off we went...

We walked a lot in Rome, there is simply too much to explore and we had 4 days to take it all in.  I would say 4 days was enough...we hit most of the major sights early on and spent the last day and a half just enjoying ourselves and living life as a "Roman." :) 

We saw the Trevi Fountain, went inside the Colosseum (Hello, I even watched The Gladiator a few days before we left, LOL), we got a private tour of the Vatican City by an excellent tour guide (HIGHLY recommend this) There is no way you could visit the Vatican City and not experience the wealth of knowledge that goes along with every mural and room, it's much too precious and valuable. (Check out Presto Tours, we used them and adored our tour guide, an American living in Rome and a historian in his own right! It made the experience much more memorable, I have to say - plus they are the best people to get advice from as to what you really need to see and what's completely overrated)

We also saw the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Capital Hill Museums, The Spanish Steps, Castel Sant' Angelo, the Pantheon, and so much more. They don't call it the Eternal City for nothing...

One of our favorite experiences was spending the day in and around Villa Borghese. This is where we felt like "Romans" and just feeling the day to day life there. I think this is the best way to appreciate another culture, another country and the people;  When you stop sightseeing and you take the time to blend in, imagine your day to day life in a place...

We sat in the benches of the Borghese Park (pictured on the right), ate gelato and literally spent HOURS watching the locals play with their dogs and just enjoyed nature in the middle of bustling Rome.. It was amazing!! Much like I can imagine Central Park is to New Yorkers - a haven among the craziness of the city. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at a grocery store nearby and bought mozarella balls, prosciutto and baguettes and had a mini picnic... It truly was such a great last day.

I gotta comment on the FOOD ... It's Italy, need I say more? Pasta, Neapolitan pizza (we were fortunate enough to have the authentic stuff in Naples, where it originated!)...it's an endless well of greatness. We tried everything from lasagna, pizzas (!), authentic gelato (the BEST place to go to is a little shop right next to the Trevi Fountain - it's so good and nothing beats eating gelato at dusk and watching the Trevi when the heats down the lights are on the fountain... sooo relaxing & bellisimo!!!) Although I won't lie..I think ONCE we ate at a McDonald's, and this was purely for budget reasons, but who am I kidding? McDonald's was my favorite when I lived in France (I know, I know, I reallyyyy am not proud of it, but I can't lie it was a little piece of home!)

My point, however: EAT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WHILE IN ROME or in Italy for that matter!!! It's simply A MAGICAL CITY...

Visit the destinations of your dreams. Stop resisting. Take the plunge and GO. Your mind and your life will be enriched by the experience. For now, truly, the world is your oyster.♥