Emma in Roma: My Experience in the Eternal City

Roma (said with an Italian accent)!!! It has quite easily become one of my favorite cities in the world. While I will say that Cinque Terre was my favorite stop on this trip, Rome is a close second. There is just something about it that is hard to explain. I didn’t think I would like Rome all that much. I was worried it wasn’t going to live up to all the hype or it would be too big for my liking. That was not true at all. Being in Rome was like being in love: exciting, comfortable. new, and warm, very very warm. And that is why this post is called Emma in Roma, because even though there were what felt like a million tourists in the city, it was mine to explore.

For Rome I had planned four nights. We would arrive in the evening after exploring Pisa and then have three full days there to explore, which I thought would be enough time because originally I only planned two. But as it turned out that wasn’t even nearly enough time. I was on my own for most of the days in Rome, since I was going to do all the main spots and Sam had already done those. The only thing she was going to do again with me was the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill because you could spend at least a whole day there, like most of the places in Rome. I was a bit bummed to be on my own, but in a way it was kind of nice. There is just something about solo travel. It opens things up to much more reflection and you only have to worry about yourself so there is less pressure. Now without further adieu lets get started with my final stop of one my beloved grand Italian tour.

Day 1

We arrived in at Roma Termini around 8pm. The train station was supposedly about a 10 minute walk from the hostel, but this was not an ordinary train station. It ended up being closer to 20 minutes factoring the walk from one end of the station to the other. Then we checked into our hostel. Here is a little run down of our hostel. I am the kind of person that will splurge a little bit when it comes to accommodations or transportation for comfort. If it makes sense to spend a little bit more for a certain location or to be more time efficient I will do it. For example, I am also the kind of person that will spend the $200 on the Delta flight to be able to pick my seats and check a suitcase. I needed to find a balance on this trip though, because Italy is expensive and all I had was what I saved during a couple months of subbing that needed to last me 5 1/2 weeks. So yes I booked maybe not the nicest hostel in Rome. It was definitely more of your traditional idea of a hostel: a bit more run down, a bit muggy, and not much for amenities. I just needed a place to sleep though and that is what it was. Yeah there was some weird lump on the bottom of my bed that I never dared find out what it was, and yeah there may or may not have been a homeless person sleeping in the lobby because none of the doors were shut all the way when I left at 5 am to catch my flight back home, but I am fine! It served its purpose: a place to sleep and a place to keep my luggage.

After checking into the hostel we essentially ran the mile to Pastascuitta, the fast food pasta place that Sam loved when she was here before. It was closing pretty soon, so we were determined to get there before that happened. I ordered my first spaghetti carbonara of Italy. One thing to know about me, I love carbonara. I never knew the greatness of carbonara until I became an au pair in Mallorca which is where I had to learn to make it and now I cannot imagine life without it. So we took our pasta to go and ate in on the steps of a church facing the Trevi Fountain. It was one of those moments. The ones where you are like “Is this really my life?” I was spending an evening in Rome eating carbonara in front of THEE Trevi Fountain. All the tourists couldn’t ruin that moment. It was magical!

When we finished we walked around the fountain a bit, so I could get my pictures and then we got gelato (obviously). It was really the best first evening in Rome. I was so excited for the next 3 days. Not to mention that Rome probably has the best sunsets, which played into the magic and romance of it all.

Day 2

My first full day in Rome was Roman Empire day. I started it with the Colosseum. I bought my ticket the day before on the train. A ticket for the Colosseum includes a visit to the Roman Forum within 24 of visiting the Colosseum, so I booked it as early in the day as I could so that I could do both that day. I ended up with a 10:15 am time slot which was perfect because your ticket is only valid for 75 minutes inside which meant I’d have to be out by 11:30 am and then I would get the afternoon to explore the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

I booked the most basic ticket, which looking back at, I kind of wish I booked a tour that included the access to the arena floor, but I was just trying to make sure I got a taste for everything. Instead I used Rick Steves’ audioguide, because you know how much I love Rick Steves’. His stuff is good and I did learn from it, but his tour was a bit basic. It just included an overview of the Colosseum, while I would have liked to have got more detail about specific things in the Colosseum.

A basic ticket to the Colosseum brings you through a little bit of the first level and then you go up to the second level where there is a small exhibit. On the second level you get to walk around the entirety of the Colosseum. There were a lot of great views. There is a gift shop, which is where I bought my dad some gladiator playing cards (he is so hard to buy for I think this might of been the first gift I got him that he truly enjoyed!) Once you go back down the stairs you are able to explore a little bit more of the first level and it comes into the stadium which gives you a chance to look into the arena floor. I felt like I had the perfect amount of time to see everything I wanted to see during the time slot, which was good. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time at the Colosseum.

After some pictures taking on the outside I walked over to the entrance to the Roman Forum which is right across from the exit of the Colosseum. I had to wait in line for a little bit since it wasn’t done by a time slot, but it wasn’t too bad. Soon I was inside and I pulled out Rick Steves once again to walk me through all of the pieces of the Forum. The Roman Forum was the center of the Roman government. Now it is just ruins, but in some ways that makes it that much cooler. I learned a lot from this tour.

The Roman Empire has never been one of my specialities. I’ve always been drawn more towards modern history, like the World Wars. Or ask me my opinion on Queen Mary Stewart and Queen Elizabeth I and I could go on forever. And just watch out when I am drinking because I will give the entire history of Ireland. Ancient Rome had never particularly piqued my interest, that is until I saw the ruins of it. Now I have watched all the Gladiator movies! The piece of the Roman Forum I found the most interesting was the Vestal Virgins in charge of keeping the sacred fire going. These women were chosen when they hit puberty to take part in this priestesshood that had many advantages for women in society, but also required them to stay chaste during their 30 years of service. If they break their vow of chastity, there were some pretty gruesome consequences that ultimately led to death. If they fulfilled the vow they were then granted a nice pension and were free to marry.

After seeing the rest of the Forum which included the temple where Julius Caesar’s body was cremated, I headed to the cafe for some lunch. This is where I found Sam. I was just waiting in line and then I heard a very familiar American accent in line in front of me, so we got some focaccia and ate lunch together before heading to Palatine Hill.

Sam gave me a tour as a History major who did have an interest in the Roman Empire. Palatine, one of the seven hills of Rome, was the location of the Palace of Domitian, which quite literally was one huge palace that stretched across the hill. There isn’t a Rick Steves’ audio tour for this section, but there are plenty of signs telling you what each thing is. We spent probably 3 hours here if I am being completely honest. We took a few breaks to sit and enjoy the scenery as well.

The one section Sam wanted to see were the Baths of Caracalla, because she didn’t get to see it before, but sadly it was closed due to an event. It didn’t matter too much to me, because there were a lot of other things to see, but this is what she came to Palatine Hill for, so it was quite frustrating. My favorite part was the last thing we did at Palatine Hill which was to stand at the look out at the top and see the whole Roman Forum below. It was amazing!

It was about 5 pm when we left Palatine Hill. Now it was a question of what to do next. We decided on dinner, even though it was a bit early for me. I prefer dinner around 7 or 8 pm, sometimes 9 pm when I am busy on trips. Sam needed to be up really early the next day for her day trip to Naples, so we were going to call it an early night, which it really wasn’t but I will get to that in a second.

We decided to go to the restaurant that Sam had gone to on her last trip, because she really hyped it up and I am bad at making decisions. It was a cute place on Piazza Navona, Tre Scalini. We had a few stops along the way though, as there are so many sites in Rome. Right out of the Colosseum we came across the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, which I have gotten to know very well by this point. There is stuff for him everywhere. Then we came across the Pantheon. While we weren’t going to go in today, I would come back later to explore the inside. It was still cool to see the outside. Sam told me you can still see the marks on the pillars from where they used chains to build it.

Once at the restaurant, I got myself an aperol spritz and when Sam saw I ordered a drink she said “why not” and ordered herself a hot chocolate. It was a bit disappointing for her when she discovered her 5 euro hot chocolate wasn’t really melted chocolate but rather just the powder mix like we have at home. For dinner, even though it was more aperitivo hour by Italian standards, I ordeedr carbonara again and Sam got Cacio e Pepe. My food was good, almost too good, because it gave me a terrible stomach ache which is the first time that happened in Italy. Sam’s sauce was a bit too runny, so it was not her day apparently.

After dinner we walked around the piazza looking at all the art. Some of the best artists in Rome have their pieces on sale at stands around this square. The first woman’s pieces we looked at were beautiful water colors. I loved her one of a cat and the Colosseum, but ended up not buying it when she said it was 40 euros. I thought I missed heard her so I clarified 14 euros or 40 euros? I was used to spending between 10 to 20 euros on a small piece like that in Europe. She did clarify that she has to sell it for a lot because it was original and I don’t blame her. I don’t want to undervalue her art, but I just didn’t like it enough to spend 40 euros on it. That was like a days worth of food for me, so I really needed to like it to spend that kind of money.

Then we came across a woman oil painting in real time. She had small pieces that were about 30 euros and while they were really good nothing was really calling me. We watched her paint for a bit and then she offered to paint whatever we would like. She was a good business woman, because soon she was painting Sam the Pantheon. I had to think about what I wanted for awhile. I had only spent a day in Rome, so I wasn’t so sure exactly which part I would want to remember the most with a painting, so I asked her if she was able to paint cherry trees. She wanted a picture and it turns out I actually didn’t take any pictures of the cherry trees at the farm, so I ended up showing her a picture of the sunset from my last night on the farm.

You wouldn’t really be able to see the cherry trees, but there were the distinct Emilian hills that I loved so much. So that is what she painting for me. It was so cool seeing her do this. We let the paintings dry for a bit, but then she rolled them up in a way that they could finish drying since they wouldn’t be completely dry until later the next day. We loved this little stop even though it did take a chunk of time out of our evening which pushed our return back to the hostel, but oh well. When in Rome, right?

We also got back a little later than planned because of an unplanned stop at McDonald’s for the bathroom. I wanted to get gelato after dinner, but my stomach really couldn’t do it, so I didn’t, but since we were at McDonald’s it wouldn’t hurt to try an Italian flavored McFlurry. I got the Bacio Perugina McFlurry, which was a chocolate and nut mix. Then we really went back to the hostel and called it a night.

Day 3

My second full day in Rome was only about half planned. The day before I had bought a ticket to visit the Borghese Gallery in the morning. The only other thing I wanted to do that day was go to Sunday mass at the Vatican. I was a bit bummed when I looked at tickets the week before to see the Pope and found out sadly he was out of town, so I just had to settle on a normal mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.

I had tickets for a 9 am tour or what I thought was a tour at the gallery. It turned out that I accidentally bought just the tickets which was a bit frustrating because I paid a little bit more for them on Viator thinking that I had purchased a tour which I didn’t mind spending a bit more on. It ended up just fine though. I was just hoping for more explanations about the pieces, because I am not an art expert. I hardly know anything about art. Luckily there was some signs with some description of each room.

I loved the gallery. The first floor was full of rooms with a different theme ranging from women to Egypt. I loved that there was decoration everywhere from the floor, to the statues, to the art pieces on the walls, to the art that decorated the walls, to the painted ceilings. Wouldn’t it have been something to be part of the Borghese family and have this be your own personal gallery to enjoy whenever you pleased!

The second floor was mostly paintings, which were also nice, but the rooms weren’t nearly to the same extent as the first floor, so I didn’t need quite as much time up there, which is good because I had a two hour time slot and I spent over an hour on the first floor and the garden.

When I left the gallery it was around 11 am. I had not eaten breakfast and I was nearing the time that it would no longer be socially acceptable to have a cappuccino so I headed to the cafe in the Borghese Gardens. This park in a part of the Borghese Villa and is one of the largest public parks in Rome. It has lots of walking trails and there are statues scattered throughout the park that you will come across every few turns. It was probably a 10 minute walk for me from the gallery to the cafe if that gives you any indication how big the park is.

Once at the cafe I had an awkward moment trying to figure out if I could order at the bar to go or if I had to sit down. Turns out it was sit down. I got my cappuccino and croissant and enjoyed the park until it started to rain. I just happened to choose the one spot that was not under an umbrella, so I paid and finished seeing the rest of the stuff I wanted to see in the park.

I was so mad at myself because I bought an umbrella in Milan after it poured on us and I didn’t have one, and I forgot it. I hadn’t even used it since, so what was the point in buying it then. So when the drops started to get to be more on rain than spitting level I walked back to the hostel as fast as I could. It really didn’t get too bad until the last 3 minutes.

At the hostel I changed to go to St. Peter’s Basilica. While I was wearing a dress that I’d probably where to mass at home, it was a bit low cut and didn’t cover my knees which was a part of the the Vatican’s strict dress code, so after a phone call to my mom (who wasn’t happy because it was 6 am), I found a Vatican appropriate outfit.

I decided to take the metro because the Vatican was a bit further than the other places in Rome I had been walking to. I grabbed some lunch at the train station and then found the line to Ottaviano. I purchased a 24 hour pass since I would probably want to take the metro back again and in the morning the next day for the Vatican Museums. I know that sounds like a poor plan to do the basilica and museums on different days but I wanted to go to Sunday mass and the museums aren’t open on Sundays.

The plan as I entered St. Peter’s Square was to go to the 3:45 pm mass in Italian. Online it said to plan to arrive about 2-3 hours before mass in order to get through the security check point. It only took my about 15 minutes to get through security and I planned to be there 1 1/2 hours early. That meant I had about an hour to explore the basilica which actually worked perfect. It also turned out mass was at 4pm and not 3:45pm like the website said, so I was able to take my time exploring the basilica and follow Rick Steves’ audio guide.

The basilica was beautiful. It is the biggest church in the world, which is saying a lot because I have visited some huge cathedrals. It was overwhelming all the decor and just the sheer size of things. It felt like the entire building was kissed by the sun and shone for the world to see. There were also the tombs of a few popes throughout the basilica and each one had its own personalized altar. The most significant is the tomb of Saint Peter that rests underneath the main altar. You can go down to the grottoes to get a glimpse of it along with more popes.

I also was lucky enough to be visiting during the jubilee which meant I got to go through the Holy Door that only opens during this every 25 years. I didn’t go during my time before mass because I really wanted to take my time. especially to see Michelangelo’s Pieta of Mary and Jesus, which you are able to get a better view of through this door.

Once mass came around I took a seat. It was held behind the main altar at Altar of the Chair where there were pews set up for the worshippers. There were people at the entrance just like at the other altars designated for prayers to make sure that people were coming for the intended purpose of the area. Other than the phones of people recording mass, which I found to be a bit distracting, mass was wonderful. The music, the lighting, and the beautiful Italian made it something really special, especially surrounded by the striking decor and architecture of St. Peter’s basilica. Its also a great moment when you get to give peace to those around you and I can tell you most of them did not speak English, but still, a handshake, a hug, and a kiss are all the same.

Afterwards I wanted to head to the gift shop to get some gifts to take home to family. Unfortunalty the hallway to the gift shop is the same as the one to the sacristy so we had to wait until the priests came out for the next mass which meant the line got kind of long and it was very squished in that little giftshop, so I was out ASAP.

The last thing I wanted to do was go through the Holy Door and grottoes, so I took the exit on the left side of the basilica that led to the entrance to the Holy Door. It was pretty cool. I just felt like, “It couldn’t really be this easy.” But it was and now I can say I went through the Holy Door that only opens once every 25 years.

The grottoes weren’t quite as easy to get to so I had to exit and go around. I only briefly glanced over all the tombs. I had been at the basilica a while and was getting antsy to leave. Its definitely worth checking out though and it takes you through a cool entrance to the basilica.

Once I left the basilica it was starting to storm. It wasn’t raining but there was lightening. I was thinking about visiting Trastevere since it was on the same side of Rome, although still not close, but it seemed to make sense with the location of our hostel. I decided not to, because one, it is supposed to be picturesque and it wouldn’t be that way with how the sky was, and two, I did not want to deal with it raining or storming and being far away from the hostel. Instead I did any last souvenir shopping I wanted to do in order to save time to do the rest of the things I’d want to do the next day. It wasn’t much, but at least it was done. I thought since I had nothing else to do and Sam wasn’t going to be back until late, that I would go to the restaurant below our hostel.

I tried to invite one of the girls staying in our room to dinner, but she had other things to do, so I went alone. It was good for me to practice eating alone. And it it actually wasn’t too bad because there were a couple other people eating there alone, so that made me feel better. After a glance at the menu I decided I wanted to do the big Italian meal which consists of salad, bread, a first plate of pasta, a second plate of meat, and dessert. There were a few options to choose from for each course, so I chose the lightest option for each.

I started with Amatriciana, a yummy tomato and pork pasta. Sadly I was already full after this. Then I got some cheesy eggplant, similar to lasagna, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat a serving of meat. Then I got a garden salad and fruit for dessert (I know I should have chosen the gelato). Oh and we can’t forget the sparking water that came with the meal, which by the way it was only 24 euros for the whole thing, and then I ordered a pink spritz made with cranberry juice, my favorite. Now all while I was trying to finish my meal for 3, I was messaging Italian men on Tinder. I downloaded it just for fun. It was only to talk and see what it was that made Italian men so special. Now lets call this guy I was talking to Giacomo, who wanted to have a drink with me right at that moment. That did not happen. “Giacomo, man, I am kind of in the middle of a 4 course dinner right now but I’ll let you know when I am free.” That’s not exactly what I said, but still, he never responded. It’s ok. I needed to just lie down after that meal anyway. I don’t remember the last time I ate that much food.

The evening was also really nice. When I got up I started talking to the girl who had come back from running her errands and she was really fun to talk to. She was from Ecuador, which made it all the more interesting. Then Sam came back and told me all about her amazing day in Naples and Pompeii. Moments like these are why I love travel.

Day 4

My last day in Rome was an intense one. I had a lot to make up for after the laidback previous day due to the weather. It was nice today though and I would be enjoying it. It started with a 9:30 am tour of the Vatican Museums, which yes include the Sistine Chapel.

I took the metro with a stop again in the train station for some breakfast of my usual cappuccino and croissant. Then I was off to the Vatican and followed the signs to the museum. I have never been so confused anywhere in Italy. The lines to get inside made absolutely no sense. There were probably three lines except there weren’t. There were three entrances and then just a blob of people. After almost joining a tour group I was able to make my way through one of the entrances. Once inside I had to check in for my tour at the counter. Then I went to the meeting point for my tour where they handed out the earpieces, which actually were crap. They were so staticky and I could hardly hear anything so as I was trying to adjust it when I heard a voice, I thought I was following what was my group but then I got yelled at because it was in fact not my group and was directed towards my tour guide, who made a comment about trying to keep everyone with her. I was so embarrassed. Like maybe if you earpieces weren’t so terrible, I would have known where I was supposed to be paying attention to.

Anyway the first part of the tour was at a screen that showed pictures of the Sistine Chapel so that the guide could talk about it, because she wouldn’t be coming into the Sistine Chapel with us, which is probably due to the busyness but also the fact that you are supposed to be quiet in the chapel. After explaining the frescoes painted by Michelangelo on the wall behind the altar and the ceiling, we were off to see the museums.

We went through a few rooms including an outdoor space filled with marble statues. Did you know that when you see a piece broken off a marble statue, that is because a part was taken to build a new statue.

Then we went through the tapestry room. I think tapestries are really cool, especially the medieval ones. I was a bit sad we rushed through this room because I would have liked to have looked at them a bit more in depth. It was the same for the Hall of Maps, which was full of maps of the different major cities and regions in Italy.

I was given the task of getting a picture of the one that included the farm I stayed at. Little did I know it would be harder than I thought, because all the maps were in Latin and I didn’t actually know which city would have been on. I quickly took a picture of Parma so I could look it over later hoping it would maybe be on that one. I could have stayed longer to browse, but then I would have lost the tour group and then what would have been the point of paying for a tour.

Next we went through a few rooms known as the Raphael rooms which consisted of the Hall of Constantine, the Room of Heliodorus, the Room of the Segnatura, and the Room of the Fire in the Borgo. They all featured frescoes painted by the one and only Raphael. These used to be part of the Pope’s private apartments, but now are part of the museum so everyone can admire the work. These were maybe my favorite part of the tour, because our guide explained the meaning of the frescoes and I think it’s pretty cool that some of the popes are add to the biblical scenes they would have no part in.

Our guide left us at the contemporary and modern art exhibit, which if I had more time I would look through, but I am not really a modern art fan so I didn’t want to spend my precious time on it. Then I found my way to the one and only Sistine Chapel. Entering the chapel, there are the visiting rules clearly posted with pictures so everyone can understand. It did not stop people from sneaking photos with their phones selfie mode and talking to their group though. It was a bit disappointing since these rules were in place because it is such a sacred place, but I honestly wasn’t surprised since it has become such a big tourist spot. I put in my earbuds so Rick Steves’ could guide me through the meaning of each image on the ceiling and walls. The ceiling that was the original assignment of Michelangelo shows the stories of Genesis and the creation story. He later came back to paint the final judgment on the wall. This was my favorite part because you could spend hours looking at it and still find something new you hadn’t noticed before. Another artist was brought in later to paint garments on the people in the fresco, because apparently not all the popes were that chill about the naked men.

After I finished the audio, felt like I got what I needed out of the chapel, and was about done with the people, I left the chapel. Then it was the church museum, which I browsed quickly because I really wanted to go back through so I could finish my assignment in the map room. I was getting worried I wouldn’t be able to go back through and I was bummed when i figured out it was the Bologna map I needed and I didn’t see it before because it is a weird name in Latin. After going through the gift shop, I found a way. I am not sure if I was supposed to go that way but it looked like I could so I did it.

It did bring me back to the maps where I did get my picture, but that also meant I had to go through the entire thing again because of the way the museums are laid out, which probably took nearly an hour because there is so much and the crowds were moving slow. While I could have spent all day here because there was so much to see I was completely done with the crowd of people and had other things I wanted to do in the afternoon.

I desperately needed to change because I was not only really hot in my medium sleeved shirt and pants to cover my shoulders and knees, but my feet were killing me from wearing my Birkenstocks. I thought I would go back to the hostel, change, and then do the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Trastevere. I realized after a couple stops that this line on the metro stops at the Spanish steps, so I thought I might as well just do it now and get it done with to save myself from some back and forth later.

I was just sad I didn’t have anyone to take my picture. It was still nice, but I do think it is a better spot for the morning or evening. In the afternoon it wasn’t too busy, but it was really hot and I don’t think the way the afternoon sun shone on it is as pretty as it would be in golden hour. I walked up the steps so I wouldn’t just be one of those people that goes somewhere for the picture. It had a really nice view of the city. I think this spot was where I got my best picture of the city on my digital camera. Then I went inside the little church at the top to plan my next move.

Now, while it wasn’t super close it just felt like it made sense to go to the Pantheon now instead of on the was to Trastevere which was on the other side of Rome. It was no more that 20 minutes to the Pantheon and I stopped for lunch at All’Antico Vinaio on the way. It was right next to it so I took my sandwich and sat by the fountain in the square to eat it. I didn’t stay long though because I kept getting sprayed by careless tourists playing in the water.

I hadn’t booked a reservation for the Pantheon so I got in the walk in line which really did not take long at all! The only downside to this is you have to pay for your ticket in cash. Luckily I had 5 euros left in coins I could use. I highly recommend making sure you have cash if you go with this route.

Once inside I pulled out my Rick Steves’ for what I think is the 7th time this trip and followed his commentary on this Catholic Church that was once a temple to the Roman gods which is what makes its appearance so unique. On the two sides of the temple lays the tombs of the great King Vittorio Emanuele II and his son. A visit inside the Pantheon really is a short trip as it is quite small compared to other churches in Italy. I highly recommend a guide such as Rick Steves’ audio tour, because its pretty easy to just glance around and leave without knowing anything significance to what you are looking at. There are signs as well that tell you a little bit about the temple and some of the features of it, which is helpful.

When I left, I was actually going to head back to the hostel for real this time. I could have walked back but my feet were killing me. Birkenstocks have never blistered my feet as bad as the ones I was wearing. So to shave off what was probably only like 5, maybe 10 minutes, from my walk, I went to the nearest metro station. On the way I passed one of the churches I had seen all over the internet for its beautiful pained ceiling, so I thought I could go in to see what all the hype was about. That was Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola. It was really pretty. I loved the shades of pink and gold.

I got in line for the famous mirror picture, but after waiting in line for 5 minutes with it hardly moving, I decided to move along. I think the picture would be really cool, but I was near the end of a very long line and I didn’t feel like it was worth spending the rest of my day there for, so I hopped out of line and walked towards the middle of the church to get a full shot of the ceiling without the mirror. If I had more time I would have walked around a bit more, because it really was one of the prettiest churches I have been to. This raises a question about my experience of churches treated as tourist attractions though. I put up a stink about all the people getting their pictures taken with the altars in Milan, Pisa, and the Vatican, but how is this any different. It still is a church and it has been commercialized so that visitors come in just for this mirror picture they pay a euro for. Maybe its better I didn’t go through with the mirror picture in the end, because that would be really hypocritical of me. I suppose what could make it considered different is the church is willingly allowing this by providing the mirror versus the cathedrals that promote respect and prayer. It is definitely something to ponder.

I returned to the hostel and literally fell into bed. I was exhausted. The last 10 days were really catching up with me and I was so ready for a break, but I still had the evening and I was not going to waste it when I am leaving the next day. I could rest on the plane. I took the break I needed and then told myself I needed to go to Trastevere, because that was one of the few places my friend Lucia who studied abroad in Rome said I needed to go to. (Lucia is the friend featured in my Spanish adventures which I will eventually finish posting.)

I found a bus route that would bring me to Trastevere. I also changed into what I call my cloud shoes, which are those croc wedges that are all over TikTok. I love them. They aren’t great for walking around Europe all day because it can be difficult with the uneven cobblestone paths, but they are heaven for my feet in the evening after a long day of walking with all its padding.

My exploration through Trastevere was my final Rick Steves’ audio tour. I really could be a spokesperson for his audioguides after this trip. It started on the bridge, Cestio Fabricio, with a view of the Tiber River, the market along its riverside, and the little island that is a hospital. From there I explored the little streets of this Bohemian neighborhood. I definitely felt like I stood out as it seemed there were more locals than tourists in this area, which is the first time I felt that in Rome. The first big stop along the way was the Church of Santa Cecilia. I was so glad I came, just for this stop.

It was just a small church, not nearly as extravagant as many of the cathedrals I had visited in Italy, but that only added to its charm. This was a special place for me because my confirmation saint was St. Cecilia. She’s the patron saint of music, which at 16 is everything I wanted in my saint choice. Now as an adult her story means even more to me. She was a christian during the time of the empire, which meant it was not allowed. Her faith meant everything to her, but the man she was to marry was not christian. She would not marry a man who did not respect her faith or as how I like to tell the story, did not have music in his heart. After their wedding she converted him. She ended up being a martyr. She converted many Romans to Christianity which was her undoing. She was tortured for what was considered a treasonous act. Now her tomb lays in this exact church in Trastevere. I nearly cried many times here, I am not even joking. I just love her story and then there is the fact that I am actually visiting her home, her church, her tomb in Rome is just insane. At 16 when I chose her I never could have imagined this moment. I think that is my favorite part about travel: seeing and experiencing the things that as a kid seemed so out of reach. I took my time here. I needed some time for reflection. Also side note, there was an abbey right night door, like I love that her church is in a convent.

After a bit I finsheded the walking tour, continuing through the narrow streets to one of the main squares, Piazza Santa Maria. Santa Maria in Trastevere church was the last stop on the tour. I wanted some gelato first, so I went into a little shop in the square and took it to the fountain where I savored my final Italian gelato. It was much quieter in this square than the others in Rome. There were a lot more children as well. It definitely had more of a feeling of this is a place people live.

Once I finished I went inside the church. I was four for four with churches today. Every single one was beautiful and special in its own way: The Sistine Chapel, Sant’Ignazio, Santa Cecilia, and now Santa Maria in Trastevere. It was gorgeous. It was dark and golden at the same time. You will have to look it up, because I did not take pictures due to the no phones and cameras sign. Although I did use my phone to finish my tour, but I had earbud in, so I only needed to press play.

Now that my audio guide was finished I had to make a decision. I was not going to spend the rest of my evening in the hostel. It was only about 7 pm and still very light out. I could get dinner, but I didn’t really feel like sitting in a restaurant as they were starting to get really busy. I wanted to get something to go and watch the sunset, except I never found food from anywhere to go in Trastevere and at a certain point during my walk to Janiculum Hill there were no more food places so it would have to wait until after.

While it did suck walking uphill, it was totally worth it. Halfway to the park I came across this fountain where there were people doing a photoshoot with old cars and there was a look out to the city. This is exactly how I imagined Rome. It was like Roman Holiday meets Emily in Paris (but the Rome part). Then I kept walking because I knew it could only get better. I eventually found myself at the top where there was a park with benches all over and a few snack stands. I went to the ledge where locals and travelers sat and watching the setting sun light up the Eternal City. It was everything I could have wanted. This was exactly how I was supposed to spend my last night in Rome. I honestly didn’t even mind anymore that I was alone.

I tried to take a selfie until a woman came up to me and offered to take my picture if I took hers. I love these kind of people because well, social anxiety. So we got our pictures and then she told me the other side has a better view of the sunset. And she was right. While it was not the skyline of Rome, I got to see the glowing colors of the sunset over the Vatican. I think this is something I am going to incorporate in my travels from now on. Watch the sunset over the city. After some Italian puppet show entertainment and walks around the park I decided I should probably start heading back considering I still needed to get dinner and it was getting dark.

I decided on getting Pastascuitta once again because I knew it was good and it was easy. I wasn’t feeling too picky anymore and really just needed food. By the time I got back to the hostel and could eat it was almost 10 pm. I left the park around 8:30 pm but I had to take a few different buses and then there was the stop for food. I told Sam all about my day as I ate and we commiserated in the fact we didn’t want to go home. Me because I didn’t want to ever leave Italy and her because she did not want to go back to work. Then we said our goodbyes because I was leaving at 5:45 am in the morning, since I get really anxious about being rushed in airports. My flight was at 9:45, so I needed to be there at 6:45 and it is a 30 minute train ride and I wasn’t so sure what end of the train station the train was leaving from so, I was awake at 5 am.

It was really sad as I was leaving that morning. Everything was so calm. There is a peace I have found in Italy that I haven’t anywhere else in the world. It’s that peace that the world is crazy but everything will be ok. The Italians have their priorities straight. You work to live not live to work. They prioritize their social life and relationships with other. They appreciate good food and take care of themselves and each other. They live in a land full of history, but still look towards a better Italy. It’s everything I want out of life, so it was hard getting on that train that morning. I hadn’t felt that sad about leaving a place since I studied abroad in Ireland. I think that is because we are human. All we really want is peace and a place to call our own. Maybe one day Italy will be that again. It will be mine. So for now, ciao Italia!

That is a wrap on my adventures around Italy. That is not the end though! Stay tuned for a bit about my experience WWOOFing on the agriturismo in Emilia-Romagna!