I wanted to love Rome. Your suppose to love Rome, right? Don’t get me wrong, I love the stories of the emperors and gladiators of the past and can appreciate that the ruins were preserved and not just turned into sky scrapers.
Rome was gorgeous but I just couldn’t get over how touristy it was. I wouldn’t let that ruin my experience however having to constantly walk out of the way of the selfie stick salespeople got a bit old.
We made the mistake of walking into a tourist trap after being so excited about all of the pasta. After that happened though we knew that you 1, don’t go into a restaurant where people are standing outside trying to get you in and 2, always check Yelp.
Can I admit that I pretty much ran through the Sistine Chapel to get to the end? I did, don’t hate me for it. It was more paintings than my eyes could handle, not to mention pure chaos of people. Once I got to the end though I did spend quite some time studying the intricacies.
I loved the pure white of the Trevi fountain and yes, my wish did come true! If you go very early in the morning you may just be the only one there. This was probably my favorite part of Rome.
The Pantheon and the Colloseum are cool and all but the stories are what make the structures so amazing. Hearing about the people that fought inside the ring and visualizing what it looked like such a long time ago makes it extra special.
I was lucky enough to have some amazing meals, go to a private piano bar for dignitaries and even meet THE Pope Francis! I got to walk through the holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica and marvel in it’s beauty.
If I had more time I would have toured the Catacombs… Next time! Please discover Rome for yourself and take my review with a grain of salt. I love discovering places off the beaten path and I didn’t love how touristy Rome is. Everyone has different expectations of a city and you do have to visit Rome at least once in your life.
Free to Wander 