From Rome with love

Oh Rome… One of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the whole world.
Every time I get excited about the art in every corner and every structure, the exact palette of colors and the Italian food that is not on it in the world.

We arrived at Fumicino Airport in Rome in the evening, there was a Romio shuttle waiting for us which I booked in advance through the company’s website. Romio offers shared shuttle services (between two and three couples by car) from the field to the hotel for 15 euros per person, very good for taxis from the field to the city that will cost you an average of 50 euros per couple. The driver was waiting for us where she arranged with us in Hebrew the company’s service representative on WhatsApp and everything was on time and without any time. Already on the night trip to the city on the way to our hotel, we started to feel the Christmas atmosphere around the city and the excitement was great.

We slept at Hotel Trecento and found it by chance while surfing in Boking. The price was reasonable, we had a crush on the décor of the room, it seemed to be excellently located and we read a lot of recommendations about it..
We didn’t know how great its location would be and how much it would upgrade our stay in the city.
The hotel is located on rome’s main shopping street Vie del Corso and is a few minutes walk from almost every tourist site in the city and what most bought me is that from the window of our room we looked all over the street and could feel like we were in Venice Square. Entered an apartment building decorated in a classic antique style, took a devastating vintage elevator to the second floor and arrived at a hotel more reminiscent of a club, the hallway full of colorful LED lights hints at what awaits us in the room. We were greeted at reception by a nice smiling employee who was very keen to explain to us about the hotel and later on the room and all the technological services it offers… The room is decorated in an innovative modern style, the changing lights, mirrors and glass walls convey a young and fun atmosphere and there was a bottle of champagne and snacking waiting for us.
The room has a smart TV so you can enjoy Netflix in Hebrew, Spotify and more. Which totally upgrades the stay. We fell asleep every day with a movie and a movie about Rome (“Gladiator” and “From Rome with Love”) because there’s nothing like identifying corners and places from last night’s movie the next day. And we’ll go back to the hotel… Every morning we woke up with breakfast to bed as we had arranged the night before. Breakfast in pyjamas was a real treat but it’s important for me to tell you that the room is not very big, there is one table with no chairs (seating on the bed) so there are those who would be less… In addition the breakfast included on all days the exact same menu.

So.. After going over the general details you can go to the fun part, so you will discover Rome in just 48 hours!

Piazza Venezia
Piazza Venice An impressive central square is located at the end of The Vicia del Corso, at the foot of Capitoline Hill and within walking distance of the Forum Romanos and the Coliseum (there is a stunning view of both). In Venice Palace Square, a huge and impressive building filled with stairs surrounding it allow the general public different vantage points from diverse angles on the city center. As I’ve already said, Venice was the front yard of our hotel so it would have been requested that this is where our trip would begin… Later on we went back to her again and were excited every time.

The Romanos Forum
Roman forum is the remains of the lower city (the “Down Town”) of ancient Rome. Downtown is where almost everything happened. The remains are impressive and teach a lot about the glorious history of the Roman Empire over the years. We chose to buy at the entrance to the forum a combined ticket allowing entry to the forum, the Coliseum and Platinum Hill at a cost of 18 euros per person.
Luckily, there were not many queues at the entrance to the forum (this was really not the case at the entrance to the Coliseum) but anyone interested in entering the three sites I recommend you to purchase tickets in advance online thus avoiding the risk. In retrospect, we would have given up entering the Forum and Platinum Hill, simply because to us it is less than a desert and the tour was long and took about 2 hours… Even from observing the forum off-site you can understand that the Romans were gifted architects and be impressed by the antiquities.

Rome’s
Undisputed hallmark coliseum, the largest amphitheater ever built, is considered to be one of the great works of Roman engineering and architecture. A vast structure that survived and underwent amazing conservation work. It is impossible not to be moved by the intensity that this amazing structure transmits, and it is hard to believe that it was built in AD 70. Apart from a tour inside the Coliseum to which we bought a combined ticket as I explained before, we surrounded it and found amazing points for photography because, “If you were in Rome and you didn’t take a picture with the Coliseum then would you really be in Rome?”

FONTANA DI TREVI
One of the most beautiful fountains I have seen, one of the most famous and popular places in the city. The fountain is full of tourists almost 24/7 so its whole surroundings are full of fine restaurants and ice cream. It is believed that those who throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain get to return to Rome… I personally make sure to throw a coin on each visit again to ensure the next time.Since the fountain is
really packed with tourists, I would recommend to those who really want a successful photo in the location to invest a little and arrive early in the morning when there are not many people already. We set up one morning and got to Trevi around 8:30am, only it was too early.. And the city employees were just busy cleaning (well. We didn’t give up and went back there again…).

One of the shops next to the fountain
is Magnum Pleasure Store
Via Tomacelli 13, 00186 Rome Italia. Apart from the delicious experience and it should be said even a slaughterhouse you also got a photogenic story undertaking.

The Spanish Steps
About 15-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain, you will reach the longest and most famous staircase in Europe. Thousands of tourists arrive on the Spanish Steps every day, from morning to night (here too the early morning trick will prove itself). The place has a special atmosphere and every hour during the day gives it a different twist. Around the steps is Piazza di Spagna, Spain Square, and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, which has the Church of Trinita de Monti. It’s worth going through along the way.

Villa Burgose Park the first day I would recommend you to sum up a picnic in the park and a view of the beautiful sunset. The park is a few minutes walk from the Spanish steps, on the way where you can look out over the whole city of Rome. The park is the second largest in the city and is named after the Burgose family since it was built around the family home which today is one of the most unique Renaissance art museums in Rome and around the world. The park is full of green spaces and a variety of other paid attractions such as the Renaissance Museum, zoo, bike rental and more. It is suitable for families with children and couples looking for a quiet and romantic corner alike. We chose to rent a Segway for half an hour at a cost of 10 euros each. The Segway allowed us to walk all over the park in a short time and the ride on it was an experience in itself. If you plan to rent a bike, segway or anything else, it is important to remember to bring your ID as a deposit.

When you leave the park, you‘ll come to Piazza del Popolo, a lively square and street artists, pass by on your way back and take a little more of the special atmosphere.

The Pantheon
Pantheon is one of the most impressive and influential buildings in world architectural history. The exact design, the perfect proportions and the harmony within it are astonishing. It also has free entrance but the place is packed with tourists. Around the Pantheon lots of restaurants that will compete for your heart, even if the price is a bit expensive, worth having at least a cup of coffee with such a view…

Piazza Navona Notfar
From the Pantheon you will reach the big square in Rome, and some will say it is also the most beautiful (I stay true to Venice Square with which we opened the post). The square has three fountains designed by architect Yevani Lorenzo Bernini. At noon the square is full of street painters, in our house to this day hangs a painting of my mother when she was twenty years old which was painted in Piazza Navona.

Campo de Fiori A culinary
market from Rome’s oldest and most visited markets, which in the evening becomes a pub and bar centre and is filled with young people. The market offers endless stalls, mainly food stalls: fruits, vegetables, cheeses, spices, bread, meat and other Italian-scented deli products. A nice souvenir from the market is a real Italian pasta package to make at home when you miss Rome… Or a bottle of lymoncella in a cool way because the market is just full of stuff.

The Vatican
after a short walk from the market and after crossing the Tiber we arrived in the Vatican, an independent country located in the heart of Rome. Besides being the pope’s seat, the Vatican is a focal point of classical art. Entry to the Vatican requires pre-registration and payment and it is usually recommended to close a tour with a guide. I have visited the Vatican before and as an art lover I was very excited to see in their true size all the pieces that I learned about in the history of art in high school… Those who are less connected to the art world will probably get bored instead and suffer from overcrowding. This time we settled for watching the Vatican from the outside.

Sunset in the orange garden
The Orange Garden was famous mainly because adjacent to it is the keyhole from which you can look out over Rome and the Vatican. The garden is not big but has a stunning view of the whole city so it is a perfect location for the picture and sunset of the end of the trip. Of course, if you have already reached the garden, you will continue about fifty meters after it and reach the famous keyhole (on the right). Although sometimes there is a queue but it is totally an experience.

So.. These were the must see sites in Rome!