There is a reason why they call Rome “The Eternal City”. It feels like you have travelled back in time to the Roman empire. Ruins are scattered across the city and you can stumble upon pieces of them wherever you go.
Despite the grandeur of the city with numerous major landmarks, we didn’t enjoy Rome as much as Florence or Venice partly because Rome was just too hot. It was 37 degrees on the afternoon we arrived.
Edwin and I both fell sick due to the heat and dehydration (no, I refuse to believe it was because of the gelato we ate everyday :P). Rome was not only sweltering, but crowded. We found ourselves squeezing though hoards of tourists to take a proper photo of the Trevi fountain, stuck in perpetual queues while touring the Vatican Museum, and sandwiched between our luggage on a 45-minute bus ride to the Roma Termini Station.
Inevitably, travel has it’s ups and downs and we tried our best to make the best out of a bad situation. Here are some main highlights of our 4 days in Rome.
Visiting the Colosseum and Vatican City
Both the Colosseum and Vatican City are rich in history, architecture and art, must-see attractions for a first-time experience in Rome. The Vatican took up one day while we spent another day visiting the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
Tip: Buy your tickets in advance to skip the queue. Trust us, it’s worth it.
Eating pizzas and pastas of gladiator proportions
Looking at the size of the gladiators, I believe that the Romans were indeed big eaters, and this must be a tradition that has passed on till today. We were served enormous portions of pizza and pasta, enough for both our lunch and dinner. We weren’t complaining though!
Gelato all day, everyday
In a corner shop slightly off Piazza Navona, we made an awesome discovery in the form of the most delicious gelato we tasted in Italy.
Our Airbnb apartment was just sitting on top of it! Every morning, as we made our way out for sightseeing, we would get a cone. And on the way back, another to cool down from the heat. Even when our throats were sore and inflamed, we could not resist. I’m glad we didn’t.
My favourite flavour would be the Frigidarium – it’s namesake – a creamy caramelised yellow base that comes with a cookie. The best part is a free chocolate dip coating when you get a medium (2 euros) or larger.
We’ve been looking everywhere in Singapore for something that can possibly match up to Frigidarium. Unfortunately for that, I’m afraid we may have to make a trip back to Rome. Well, we did toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, so you never know.
Follow the rest of our Europe 2017 adventure:
| Day 1 – 2 / June 24 – 25 | Athens: Greek Gods & Temple Rocks |
| Day 3 – 6 / June 26 – 30 | Chasing Sunsets in Santorini |
| Day 7 – 8 / June 31 – July 1 | Venice: A Modern Day Fairytale |
| Day 9 – 13 / July 2 – 6 | Romancing Florence |
| Day 12 / July 5 | Cinque Terre in One Day |
| Day 14 – 17 / July 8 – 11 | Rome: The Eternal City |
Part-time traveling 