After Bologna, we took our favorite Italo train to our next destination: Rome.

We spent the last month of our three-month Italian expedition in Rome, where we stayed in an Airbnb in the Trastevere neighborhood. Unfortunately, our apartment had issues and was easily our least favorite place to stay of the trip so far.

Even though it was November, the city was so crowded; I must have told Jeff a thousand times, "I can't imagine what this place is like in the summer!" The vendors, panhandling hustlers, and restaurant owners were surprisingly aggressive. It became exhausting to deal with to the point that we would strategically avoid certain charming streets and piazzas in order to bypass the pushy people.

Although we didn't love Rome as much as we thought we would, we were very grateful to have the opportunity to visit such an iconic city rich with cultural heritage and marvel at its legendary historical sites, especially during a less-crowded month. We're also thankful of the timing - with the recent restoration of the Trevi Fountain (reopened in 2015) and the Spanish Steps (reopened in 2016), along with the reopening of the upper levels of the Colosseum earlier in the month, we had the opportunity to see Rome's most famous attractions at their best!

While in Rome, we had the chance to meet up with Jeff's friend Allie, who was visiting with her boyfriend and friends. It was such a treat to spend time with new friends on the road and have the opportunity to engage in great conversation with other people (in English!) - something we had taken for granted and were missing, having been in a country where many people couldn't speak our language.

*On a rooftop in Trastevere (thanks, Allie!)*

Highlights

Roscioli

We LOVED this place! After taking a pasta break for a couple days, this was our first pasta in Rome. We loved it so much that we returned there for dinner on our last night in Rome (and last night in Italy!).

Roscioli is a salumeria (deli) which spawned a restaurant serving all of the amazing ingredients they source and sell in the deli during the day. Getting reservations there was a challenge, but it turned out to be worth it. I booked reservations online for us, specifying the "better" seating area (“upstairs,” actually on the ground floor) since I had read online that they had a tendency to shove tourists/Americans in the basement ("the cellar"), which was less charming, stuffy, and crowded. When we arrived for lunch, they tried to seat us downstairs, but I pushed back and showed them my reservation confirmation email on my phone. They were annoyed, but after that, we were actually seated in a great spot in the front right beside the deli counter which allowed us to watch them prepare a lot of the dishes!

The bread that they served with our meal was incredible. It was baked at Roscioli’s nearby bakery, Antico Forno Roscioli. It was the best bread we had in Italy! We shared an appetizer of Pugliese burrata with sun-dried tomatoes, which was amazing. We both agreed it was one of the best burrata dishes we had ever had. I don’t love sun-dried tomatoes back home, but every time I’ve had them in Italy they’ve been delicious.

Next up was the main event: two essential Roman pasta dishes: la carbonara and cacio e pepe. I was so excited to have our first cacio e pepe of the trip, and it did not disappoint! Both pasta dishes were delicious. We left with full, happy bellies, excited to be back in the pasta game.

Vatican Tour with Giovanni

We went on a guided tour of the Vatican with an Italian tour guide named Giovanni at the recommendation of friends (thanks, Mike & Sarah!).

We started our day with a lovely brunch at Coromandel, then took a slow stroll to the Vatican, walking past Castel Sant’Angelo on the way.

Unfortunately, it was around there that the onslaught of harassment began from aggressive peddlers pushing selfie sticks and “skip the line” guided tours. As we approached St. Peter’s Square, the number of peddlers became completely ridiculous and out of control, like something out of a cartoon; sadly, it ruined our ability to embrace the moment of seeing the square and basilica for the first time by having multiple people coming up to our faces and incessantly asking us what we wanted. I felt bad for those who are devout and make a religious pilgrimage to the Vatican, and how they must feel when being bombarded by these types of people.

*Jeff being harassed while posing for a photo*

I was grateful that we were able to sneak away to a cafe outside the wall to meet Giovanni; we were optimistic he would guide us away from the insanity! Giovanni was calm with a soft voice and led us into the Vatican Museum with ease, ushering us past all of the crowds. It was such a stress-free relief to have someone guide us through the Vatican and highlight the most interesting and essential facts. We learned so much!

*In the Vatican's Gallery of Maps with Giovanni*

The Sistine Chapel was a special experience. It was different than what either of expected. Photos are not allowed (!), which was unexpected but a good thing. Giovanni provided interesting info ahead of us entering the chapel, allowing us to quietly experience it on our own before reconvening with him after. The entire chapel was painted; as Jeff described, “there’s no break for your eye.” I didn’t know that The Last Judgement occupied the main altar wall (I always thought it was on the ceiling!), or that the old Testament and New Testament were each represented on opposing walls. Giovanni had also explained how Michelangelo painted a self-portrait of himself with The Last Judgement, which was fascinating.

Trapizzino

Holy shit, we loved these things. It's a pizza pocket of amazing bread stuffed with delicious fillings. They're the perfect size for a snack, or you can enjoy a few different flavors for a full meal. The "Chicken Cacciatore" with garlic-rosemary chicken was our favorite, followed by the "Zighini," which was based on an Ethiopian beef stew. There's now multiple locations in Rome and a few other international cities (NYC!), and even one in the back of a great beer bar called Be Re near the Vatican, which we also stopped into.

Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Temple of Hadrian

One afternoon, when the weather was nice, we did some sightseeing on foot. We checked out the Pantheon, Temple of Hadrian, and the Trevi Fountain, all of which were in pretty close walking distance to each other.

The Pantheon was my favorite - it was so impressive! It was breathtaking to turn the corner of a narrow cobblestone street and be greeted with such a majestic, ancient building. We went inside and were even more in awe of the dome above - it's the most massive dome I've ever seen, and all I could think was, how did they build this in 125 AD!?

We walked to the Temple of Hadrian, its ancient pillars nearly going unnoticed by tourists shuffling by on their way between the Pantheon and the Trevi. It’s incredible to consider that both structures are remnants of the second century.

The Trevi Fountain was madness. It was so crowded, with limited space surrounding it - we found it hard to imagine what it’s like during the busy summer months! The fountain itself was massive and looked brand new, due to a recent restoration which was completed in 2015.

Colosseum "Belvedere" Tour

Jeff had discovered an article online about how the upper levels of the Colosseum reopened in October for the first time in many years. After some confusing research and navigation through the clunky ticket website, we successfully purchased Colosseum tickets and a 12:10pm "Belvedere" tour for the next day.

The Colosseum was so grand and impressive, and we had a perfect sunny day to enjoy it. Our tour was ideal - it was a little over an hour and was led by an archaeologist who worked for the actual site. There was only 12 of us in the tour group, and the majority of the tour took place in an area that was restricted only to similar tour groups, which was amazing - we had the place to ourselves! The guide provided a full overview of the Colosseum’s history, which was exactly what we were hoping for. The views from the upper levels were a treat.

After our tour, we grabbed a late lunch at a spot in the nearby Monti neighborhood called Temakinho, which was a “Brazilian sushi” restaurant. It was a fun place with cheerful, bright decor (pineapple wallpaper!), and we were happy to fulfill a sushi craving with a poke bowl and a couple fun sushi rolls, along with a caipirinha cocktail.

More Pasta & Other Roman Culinary Classics

While in Rome, we continued our Italian pasta tour and indulged in Roman classics like cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and carbonara. We found our favorite dishes at Trattoria Da Enzo, Flavio al Velavevodetto, and Osteria da Fortunata.

*Jeff's favorite cacio e pepe, from Flavio al Velavevodetto*

We also had the chance to enjoy two classic artichoke dishes: carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style artichoke, fried) and carciofi alla romana (Roman-style artichoke), both of which were tasty.

Capuchin Crypt & Spanish Steps Sunset

During our last week in Rome, we reviewed our Rome checklist to see if there was anything still lingering. We still hadn't seen the Spanish Steps, and Jeff wanted to check out the Capuchin Crypt after Allie & crew recommended it. One afternoon, we checked these two off our list.

Jeff led us to the Spanish Steps by a walk down along the Tiber River, which was so peaceful, especially compared to the alternative route through crowded areas and major tourist sites.

We made our way to the Spanish Steps, which were pretty crowded. The piazza at the base of the steps (Piazza di Spagna) is beautiful, surrounded by picture-perfect buildings, many of which house high-end designer shops. We climbed the steps, admired the view, then continued on to our next stop, the Capuchin Crypt. It was creepy and uncomfortable, but also mesmerizing. No photos are allowed in the crypt; it's a haunting experience for present eyes only.

After leaving the crypt, it was around 4:15pm, so Jeff suggested returning to the Spanish Steps for sunset, which turned out to be a great idea! The sunset was perfect, and it was fun to walk down the steps afterward.

Toward the end of the month, we started to notice holiday decorations around the city; the tree went up at the Vatican, and shops were advertising "Black Friday" sales (which is odd considering they don't celebrate Thanksgiving...!). There was a fair share of rainy days during our time in Rome, and it definitely felt like winter by the end of the month. Neither of us packed much for warm clothes, so we were ready to switch seasons and fly to the Southern Hemisphere in December.

Thanks for an unforgettable fall, Italy!