Goodbye Lizzie McGuire and Hello Fabulous!
Ciao da Roma!
STOP! Go on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube whatever streaming service you prefer and put on “On An Evening In Roma” by Dean Martin. Now you’re in the right frame of mind for today’s blog. I have been playing this song on a loop for the last day or so. It’s very much my kind of vibe, very on brand for this trip AND it’s on the Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack. Now that were all listening to Dean, let’s jump right in.
This was my first international flight without parents and I almost showed up a day early. I was packing on Monday because I thought I left Tuesday. I called my Dad and said “Hey look I’m packing.” and he said “Don’t you leave Wednesday?”. YIKES. But hey, at least I was almost early and not almost late? Anyways, hopped in an Uber bound for the airport at 4:30am this morning and a few hours later I touched down in La Citta Eterna. Hopped on a bus, then a train, then another bus AND BOOM I arrived at my Airbnb. I’m gonna go ahead and toot my own horn for finding my way from the airport to the city on public transportation in a country in which I do not speak the language. *toot toot*
My Airbnb is FLAWLESS. From the perfect location (I’m talking a twenty minute walk from my flat to just about anything in Roma), aesthetic (yall should see the ancient fountains in the courtyard out front), friendly housemates (Claudia just popped into the doorway to say hello) this apartment has got it all. I’m in a room alone and there’s two other rooms that are full. The aesthetic of the apartment itself gives me major Mamma Mia 2 vibes which is crazy because that movie is a big part of what inspired this trip.
Once I got to my Airbnb I unpacked and took a nap because the first stop of the day wasn’t opening for 45 more minutes and was just a hop and a skip away. After my nap I made my way to “Dar Poeta”, a pizza place recommended by my sorority sister Drenna! I was dining alone so the hostess sat me at a four person table with a couple (cool thanks for that sis lol). It was a tad awkward at first but they were very nice and made the experience a little less lonely. I ordered the Burrata pizza and a water. Fun fact water at restaurants in Roma is not free. I paid two euro for a liter of still water. About 10 minutes later the waitress returned with my pizza and I might have begun drooling. Giant chunks of burrata nestled in to a layer of sauce, a nice heap of evenly spread tiny tomatoes and what seemed to be an entire basil plant plopped on top. This pizza was not pre-sliced! They give you a knife and fork and let you do all the heavy lifting yourself. (Lol Claudia’s husband just popped in and asked how I am doing. Love this place) The pizza was molto delizioso but it was A LOT of food. It was so delicious that even though my stomach said it didnt have room for two more slices, my brain said we needed to make it work. I felt like John Pinette “YOURE NOT SCARING ME”. (To understand this reference and to laugh your butt off click here) The guy next to me got the Reggiano pizza which seemed to be just dough, sauce and chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Needless to say we shall be returning to try that LOL. My pizza and water came out to $14.02 dollars. Not bad for an entire pizza and a drink.
Next I made my way to the Frigidarium. Drenna also recommended this gelato shop so I had to go. The gelato was the cheapest I have found in Rome at two euro for a small. They also will dip your gelato in chocolate for free. (I highly recommend it) I got Stracciatella flavor dipped in dark chocolate. Then I walked around the corner sat on a front porch stood and started chowing down. The gelato was wonderful! So creamy and sweet. A perfect treat for a humid day in Roma.
As I was sitting there getting lost in gelato heaven it started to rain and I figured it was my best shot at empty Trevi fountain pictures so I opened Google maps and started the twenty minute walk in the rain. I got a little lost in a good way and found the Neptune fountain. Stopped in this square and took a bunch of pictures. Then I continued my rainy walk and wound up at the Trevi. It was perfect! Misty no big drops of rain and not too many people. The Trevi was photo ready. I took my photos filmed for the vlog and then just sat and stared for about 30 minutes. I stared at the giant man and tried to figure out how someone carved him out of stone with a chisel. Like how do you see that in a block of stone? Let alone how you figure out how big to make a foot so it looks proportional on a giant statue. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE?! I stared at the detailing of the arc that seems almost insignificant when looking at the life size marble horses, but those details probably took someone years. The fountain itself took 100 years to build. It’s impossible to not respect the skill of the artists who built this treasure while you sit and stare. The vision, the attention to detail and artistry are undeniable. It’s a truly magical place.
From the Trevi, I walked to the Spanish steps. They were pretty underwhelming. You aren’t even allowed to sit down on the steps anymore. When I got yelled at to stand up I was majorly bummed because my feet were killing me lol. Oh well, I decided to take the long way home and pass by the Trevi again for another cone of gelato. CHOCOLATE ORANGE FLAVOR. ORANGE FLAVORED CHOCOLATE IS MY FAVORITE KIND OF CHOCOLATE. Not going to lie I squealed a little when I saw it. DELICIOUS. Big fan. I got it all over my face, hands, hair and phone. Absolutely worth looking like a chocolate-y mess.
I walked like a chocolate mess all the way to the Pantheon. What a commute right? The Pantheon is incredible. Built nearly 2000 years ago it is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. AND THEY BUILT IT 2000 YEARS AGO. I absolutely can not get over it. I sat on the steps outside and stared for a while, again. I went inside and was blown away by the dome. Like how many people did this take? How did they get the stones up there? HOW DID THEY KNOW HOW TO BUILD A STABLE DOME? I have a lot of questions.
I walked back to the Airbnb, showered and sat down to write this post while watching Mamma Mia 2. I checked my health app and I walked 8.6 miles and climbed 44 floors today! It’s been crazy and hot but it is all SO worth it. Less than 24 hours here and Italy has truly captured my heart. I already feel as though I could live here forever (a feeling I didn’t get in Madrid even though I really loved it). The whole city of Rome has a magic about it. Like when you walk into the gates of Disneyland you can feel the magic in the air? I thought that was a feeling exclusive to Disney, but I get the same feeling here wandering the city. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Roma. She’s beautiful and enchanting. I never want to leave.
I threw some photos below. I am vlogging my whole trip to Italy so expect the Rome video at some point in the future.
Before I close out Italy day one, I’ve got some thank you’s. This trip to Italy wouldn’t have been possible without my parents and their generosity. They also keep putting up with my incessant FaceTimes showing them every amazing thing I see in Rome. Another shoutout goes to Aleah Cornwell for my emergency gelato fund. I’m putting it to good use hehe.
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Thanks for reading! I’ll see y’all the next time I have something to share.
Ciao,
Alison * pizza emojis *
