I spend the last days of my Italian trip in Rome. Just wandering around the streets and taking it all in. I already knew I was coming back, but at the time I didn't know how soon. More on that later! 😄 As always you can find the entire trip on the Haveyoubeenhere app.
Insula dell'Aventino
My second day I started walking around through Rome, where basically every corner you turn another impressive monument or beautiful vista is awaiting you. After walking around for a good hour or so, I decided to take a little break and enjoy the view from here.
Al42 by Pasta Chef Rione S.Angelo
In Rome one of the most famous dishes is pasta cacio e pepe. I figured I should have a go at it and try it out if I saw a place that was serving it. When I stumbled upon this small, quite modern restaurant that seemed to attract a lot of local clientele, I knew I had found my spot. While I do think the quality of the ingredients is great, I unfortunately wasn't a big fan of the famous cacio e pepe pasta. It was very salty for my tastes, but keep in mind I generally speaking don't like any salt in my food, so I likely should've just picked something else (as apparently it's known to be quite salty). 😅 The next time I get to Rome I might swing by again and try one of their other dishes to see if it's more my thing!
My rating: 7/10
Via di S. Eustachio
After my pasta I kept walking around, purposely getting lost in the streets of Rome. Which is one of my favorite passtimes in a new city. I love how a lot of the streets are fairly narrow and consist out of cobblestones, with these high buildings flanking each side.
Giardino degli Aranci
I honestly think this is one of my favorite places in Rome. While I usually don't like places that attract a crowd, the vibe here was so great. When I arrived a street musician was playing some soft music. The entire crowd seemed to fall almost silent. Quite a lot of couples seemed to gather for the sunset. I sat down and wrote for about an hour and just relaxed there for one more. I think I would've stayed longer if they didn't close the park during the night. If this is your sort of vibe, I would highly recommend coming here, I went back twice after as I enjoyed the tranquility so much after an intense trip!
My rating: 8/10
Via della Stazione Ostiense
As some of you may know I am a sucker for quality street art, so when I got the suggestion from an Italian girl to check out this spot as it was filled with street art, I didn't hesitate. I definitely did not get disappointed. Around the entire area there are a lot of amazing art pieces on display. It's definitely worth taking an hour or so to just walk around and take it all in.
My rating: 8/10
Fontana delle Anfore
While the square itself here is nothing special really, when I got there two old men were performing some music (in a quite showy and out of tune fahsion), apparently there was a little kid there who had a birthday party too, so they joined up and had a little party in the middle of the square. I enjoyed the sight quite a bit while munching away a pizza. Ah, Italy.
Altar of the Fatherland
During my last day in Rome, I met up with a girl from a beach town a bit outside of Rome (who had also recommended the street art). As she only had a train back in the morning (and to be fair, I had already kind of planned on it eitherway), we spend the entire night walking through Rome at night. Talking about life, taking in the sights, enjoying that feeling of mystery that comes with soft lit up buildings at night, with some (honestly horrible) wine that we didn't manage to finish. At some point we both got exhausted and took a nap in a tiny park next to the Altar of the Fatherland.
My rating: 7/10
Spiaggia libera
After arriving early in the morning, super tired from barely having slept after spending the entire night walking through Rome, I ended up falling asleep on this beach, to wake up with a horrible sunburn (which rarely ever happens to me). Still I wouldn't have changed that night as it's one of my best memories of Rome! I remember waking up in the baking sun, jumping in the sea, to fall back asleep again, haha! 😅
My rating: 6/10
Pa-Paja Due
To say goodbye to Italy in proper fashion I grabbed a cup of coffee here. Where I said goodbye to the Italian gir I met the night before, before making my way to the airport, for a long trip home.
My rating: 7/10
Rome Fiumicino Airport
After almost missing the flight, I flew back home to Belgium. From Brussels I took the train, which was entirely empty, to my hometown. Somewhere past midnight I arrived home, to collapse in my hammock. Immediately drifting off in dreams about another incredible trip, filled with that little bit of magic, I seem to constantly crave more off.
Join me on Haveyoubeenhere! 😄