When in Rome…

/ mymotiondevotion

I spent a week in Rome after Egypt on my own – my first true solo travel experience. Solo travel is something they say everyone needs to try. And while I enjoyed the freedom of it, I think I’d need to ‘tweak’ my approach a little to make it a bit more fun and more social.

Leighton was originally supposed to meet me in Rome but after our decision to abandon Peru and Machu Picchu due to the political unrest there, we decided that it made more sense for him to just meet me in El Salvador (our replacement destination for Peru). I was disappointed not to have his company but knew I was resourceful enough to make the most of it on my own. And I absolutely loved Rome so I know I have to go back to share it with Leighton (also I didn’t get to eat ALL the things and even missed out on a couple of the major attractions so I will NEED to go back 😄).

Just the way it worked out, I spent the first 3 days entirely on my own, wandering from one spectacular sight to another and beginning to sample some of the things on my list of ‘must eats’ for Rome! In retrospect, I would have spread my guided tours over the whole week to give myself a chance to meet and interact with more people. Rome is shockingly full of tourists, even in the third week of February. I found the locals polite, but not overly warm or friendly so most interactions were brief and to the point.

I had guided tours booked for the Vatican, Colosseum and Trastevere for later in the week so concentrated on seeing places that were free to enter and that would help me get as many steps in as possible. Turns out there’s no shortage of places to walk to and before you know it, you’ve covered almost 20km and 25000 steps! I’m not including photos of every single location that I visited because the blog would just get far too long, but I’ll leave a comprehensive list at the end.

Piazza del Popolo

I have to comment on what I’ve learned (which is really very little and only scratching the surface) about the relationship between the Romans and Egyptians. The result of the Roman occupation of Egypt between 30BC and 640AD was that there are a significant quantity of Egyptian artifacts and natural resources (for example, coloured marble from Egyptian quarries) incorporated into Rome’s architecture and museums. I actually started collecting photos of Egyptian obelisks in Roman piazzas of which this is one example of 13 in total! This is the Flaminio obelisk and was brought to Rome from Heliopolis (Cairo) in 10BC by Augustus. Interestingly, at some point it toppled and broke into 3 pieces but was discovered and re-erected in its current location in the 1500s.

Trevi Fountain – this photo creatively omits the throngs of people I had to navigate to get close enough for a photo. I subsequently walked by quite a few more times and it was always the busiest place in Rome!
Remaining columns of the facade of the Temple of Hadrian in the Piazza di Petra – build around 145AD
Poetico of Octavia – ruin from about 24AD, partially restored due to 2 fires and significantly modified during the medieval period
One of 12 installations on the Via Veneto by British artist Philip Colbert – just around the corner from my bed and breakfast
Galleria Borghese
Bernini’s ‘The Rape of Proserpina’ – remarkable in terms of his ability to make marble look soft
Caravaggio’s ‘Saint Jerome Writing’ – another fascinating work in Galleria Borghese
Tomb of Saint Cecilia – marble sculpture created after her body was exhumed in 1600AD (she died in 230AD) miraculously intact
Incredible mosaic honouring Saint Cecilia in an underground chapel built in the 1800’s beneath the Basilica originally built in her honour in the 800s AD
Oldest bridge in Rome (Ponte Fabricio) leading to Tiber Island (ship shaped island in the River Tiber close to Trastavere)
Alter of the Fatherland at night
Modern sculpture – sphere within a sphere – in the Pigna (Pine Cone) Courtyard at the Vatican Museums
Beautiful ceiling fresco in the Vatican – an optical illusion – not a sculpture, just a painting
Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’ – a fresco in the Raphael rooms of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Painted in the early 1500s, there are depictions of the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists from Ancient Greece (including Aristotle, Plato and Pythagoras) as well as Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael himself.
Colosseum – the most iconic attraction in Rome

Foodie Exploits

I have to include a brief food component to this post, because the food in Rome is absolutely magnificent. I had a pretty comprehensive list of things and places I wanted to eat (and thanks to my friend Sue Leeson for her recommendations)! I didn’t even come close to completing my list, hence my earlier comment about needing to go back!

Prepping artichokes
Artichokes are huge in Rome and you’re allowed to take a side when it comes to the debate about which cooking style is best – pictured here is the Roman style artichoke – Carciofo alla Roma (braised in water and oil with herbs). Also pictured are the delicious polpette from Dillà Ristorante. (I confess to also having 2 glasses of wine with this meal…)
This is Carciofo alla guida – deep fried artichoke that originated with the Jewish community on Rome. Both were delicious but I preferred braised over deep fried
This was the most spectacular gelato I’ve ever eaten. Gelaterias are absolutely everywhere in Rome and you have to choose carefully to get ‘real’ ingredients. I ended up at Frigidarium for what was unfortunately my only gelato (I was just too full the rest of the time)
Porchetta – I actually ate this twice – it was a bargain at 4.50 euros. Very simple, just traditionally prepared seasoned roast pork and a fresh bun, nothing else!
Saltimbocca – another simple but delicious dish – marinated veal with prosciutto and sage. So rich and flavourful!

I happened upon an evening activity called ‘Spritz and Spaghetti’ and decided it would be right up my alley. Essentially it involved learning how to make (and drinking) 3 types of spritzes (Aperol spritz, Campari spritz, Limoncello spritz) and a pasta dish from scratch. After going through the surprisingly straightforward process of making tagliatelle (from an egg, pasta flour, a pinch of salt and some ‘elbow grease’) we got to choose if we wanted cacio e pepe (pecorino romano cheese and pepper, vegetarian friendly) or carbonara (same ingredients as the cacio e pepe with the addition of guanciale or pork cheek and egg). I chose the cacio e pepe because I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish all of it and wanted it to be takeaway friendly. The drinks and pasta were all delicious!

Pasta ingredients and Aperol spritz at the ready!
Fresh Tagliatelle
Cacio e pepe

List of Attractions I Visited

  • Alter of the Fatherland and Victor Emmanuel II National Moniment
  • Spanish Steps
  • Pantheon
  • Piazzo del Poppo and Del Pireiro Terrace
  • Trevi Fountain
  • Piazza Navona
  • Borghese Gallery and gardens of Villa Borghese
  • Piazza Bucarest
  • Largo di Tone Argentina
  • Trajan’s Column
  • Marcello Theatre
  • Musei Capitolini
  • Casa dei Crescenzi
  • Santa Maria Maggiore
  • Piazza del Republica
  • Capitolini Insula
  • Basilica Sant’Eustachio
  • Tempe of Hadrian in Piazza di Pietra
  • Ara Coeli Church
  • Chiesa di Santa Maria in Via
  • Tempio di Portunus
  • Basilica Di Santa Cecilia
  • Portico of Octavia

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