Solo Rome

I woke up early and bussed to the Colosseum. Remember Rome is an ancient city, so while there is a metro it is not as well connected for how big of a city it is. I bought tickets then headed inside, where I toured for roughly an hour. After this, I hopped on the metro-Line Colosseo-to Via dei Serpenti. A more quiet area of town with lots of cool vintage shops and jewelry stores. I walked to La Licata for some avocado toast, coffee, and lunch. The staff wasn't too friendly, but the food was really good.

In the late afternoon, I decided to bus to Piazza Navona to wander and do some shopping before dinner in the square. I went to the Chiesa del Gesu which was slightly hard to find, BUT it is my favorite church in all of Rome. It truly left me speechless. I got a drink at the Scholar's Bar after dinner and headed back to my AirBnb.

Bright and early, I took the bus to the Roman Forum, where I spent about thirty minutes (I get bored quickly). Next, I walked to the Vittoriano, one of the newer monuments in Rome dedicated to Emanuele Vittoriano, the first king of Rome. I went inside the museum part, as well as to the tip top. There is a rooftop restaurant and bar with a beautiful view, so I decided to grab a midday glass of champagne.

The Spanish Steps were a short walk away, so I headed further away to grab some lunch and walk the famous steps. I wanted down time before dinner and to relax before my busy next few days. I ended up getting dinner, unexpectedly at L'Olimpio Rooftop Restaurant in Barberini. It was expensive but SO worth it; Barberini is one of the wealthiest districts. After dinner, I opted for a shot of espresso where I walked to Pepy's Bar and climbed the stairs in the back for a complete view of the piazza and fountain. The best way to end the night.

Vatican State, Basilica of Saint Peter, Trastevere District.

I don't know many people that would put these three tourist attractions together, BUT let me tell you why I did it. So, in the morning (as soon as it opened) I waited in line for St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican. It took about thirty minutes, then I spent roughly two hours combined to tour both the museum and the church. I climbed to the top lookout point on the highest point of the Basilica! 10/10 worth it.

After this, I took the train to the Trastevere District-I know, weird. Here is why. The train is walking distance from the Vatican (roughly 10 ish minutes) and drops you off at Roma Trastevere station where I took the 8 bus to the city center. All together, this took 20 minutes with little traffic and cost under four dollars. Whereas a taxi would have charged me thirty dollars and taken triple the amount of time. I wandered around Trastevere where I stopped at Antico Caffe del Moro for the BEST espresso martini have ever had in my entire life. The night ended with some amatriciana from Osteria de Fortunata and then it was bedtime!