When in Rome

I spent last weekend in Rome. That is crazy to me on so many levels, not the least of which is that this was my last trip until I make my journey home in 16 days. Rome itself was absolutely amazing. I would say it was a once in a lifetime experience, but I'm hoping I'll be fortunate enough to make the trip back one day. From the ancient sights to the to-die-for food, Rome was definitely one of my favorite places I've visited all semester, which really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but let me start at the beginning.

Because Granada is a very, very small airport it doesn't have direct flights to Rome, so we spent most of Thanksgiving Thursday traveling from Granada to Barcelona to Rome. Before I go any further, let me reiterate that European budget airlines are NOT meant for people over six feet tall. I'm sure you can imagine the pain and torture my knees suffered. Disembarking from the plane was kind of a surreal experience, mostly because all the signs around us were in Italian (as well as English) and we had zero way of communicating with people if they didn't speak English or Spanish. Luckily, we were able to find the shuttle bus to the city and made our way to our hotel/hostel.

We stayed at Hotel Colors, located near the Vatican City, and if you're planning on making a trip to Rome I would definitely recommend it! It's a super cute, little hotel with tiny, clean rooms and very friendly staff. It was also very cost effective for us poor college students. We paid around 140 euros total for three nights for our own double room with our own personal shower. The toilet was in the hall bathroom, which was strange, but for 23 euros a night per person that was a small price to pay! Anyway, that's my plug for Hotel Colors. I was a fan.

Our first stop in Rome after our hotel was a restaurant in the middle of a very random residential area called Cacio e Pepe, suggested by my guidebook (thanks again Ali!). Our first Italian dining experience was definitely an experience, because we realized when we got there that we had definitely escaped the tourist zone. I think we were the only ones in the restaurant speaking English and they only had one waiter who could communicate with us. We had a few embarrassing communication lapses, but the AMAZING spaghetti carbonara and cheap but good house red wine made up for it. Definitely a Thanksgiving dinner to remember…

We spent the following morning at the Ancient City, first walking through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, admiring the ancient structures ("old rocks") and snapping epic tourist pictures along with the rest of the crazed tourists. Next we crossed the street to the Colosseum, potentially the most recognized tourist destination in the entire world. Standing in front of the massive building, taking pictures, was pretty surreal, as was walking around inside of it.

After a quick bite of to-go pizza and, of course, Italian gelato, at two other places recommended by the trusty guidebook, we did some wandering to numerous plazas, one of which we stopped in for an overpriced cafe, and historical sites (more old rocks), including the Pantheon. We spent ample time staring up at the ceiling, all the while keeping our hands protectively over our bags, before continuing on with our afternoon, making a trek along the river, snapping pics along the way.

Inside the Pantheon.

That evening, following much research, we decided to head to a restaurant called Il Fico for dinner. Good choice. Even though we were the only ones in the restaurant for the majority of the meal (note to self: Italian people, like Spaniards, don't go out to eat until 9 pm), the food was absolutely amazing and the waiters were wonderful and didn't make fun of us at all for not knowing Italian! I would say this was definitely my favorite meal of the entire trip, even though I was so stuffed by the end that we literally could not finish most of our pizza. So much food. But oh, so good.

Saturday morning we awoke, still full from dinner the evening before, ready to brave the crowds at the Vatican City. Our first stop was St. Peter's Basilica. After waiting in the massive security line with the rest of the world, we were able to enter one of the most exquisite cathedrals I've ever seen. It was awe inspiring, to say the least. We then headed to the Vatican Museum to get some culture. Somewhere between the many halls of falling apart, ancient statues and the Sistine Chapel, I realized I know nearly nothing about ancient Roman history or art. Que triste.

St. Peter's Basilica 

Waiting in line. With the other tourists.

Worth the wait!

Getting cultured at the Vatican Museum.

Following a lunch of more exquisite pizza, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain, where we braved crowds to snap a pic, Lizze McGuire style. We then weaved our way through the streets to the Spanish Steps, which were less than awe-inspiring, and the Piazza di Spagna, which was surrounded with SO MANY high dollar clothing stores. We wandered our way through the streets of Rome for a while longer before ending our evening with an nighttime photo op at the Trevi Fountain and yet another fantastic Italian meal.

Lunch!

Trevi Fountain by day!

Overlooking the Spanish Steps.

Trevi Fountain by night.

Even though the trip was basically only two days, it was definitely a trip I will always remember as one of the best of my entire semester here in Europe, and definitely a Thanksgiving weekend to remember!