Holaaa ! (yes , i'm aware that 'Hola' is Spanish , not Italian)
So , i've recently been to Rome (half term holidays , say what?) I've actaully attached some photos , so you can all skim through those before I go into all the 'Rome-y details'. And also , I've realised that i've uploaded 3 posts today (including this one) - so consider it as an apology for going on a random hiatus.
So , i've recently been to Rome (half term holidays , say what?) I've actaully attached some photos , so you can all skim through those before I go into all the 'Rome-y details'. And also , I've realised that i've uploaded 3 posts today (including this one) - so consider it as an apology for going on a random hiatus.
Trevi Fountain
Vendi , a lovely ice-cream/crepe place.
Chocolate fountain in Vendi.
Part of the Hotel we stayed in. This is where we had breakfast/tea.
Inside St. John Lateran Cathedral.
Outside of St. John Lateran Cathedral.
Area near our Hotel.
Random pic of the streets of Rome.
Okay , so let's start from the top( not of the photos , but the holiday). So , the hotel I stayed in was called Hotel Madrid. Yes , it's an odd name for a Hotel in Rome - but that's what it was called & I really loved it. The room was clean and over looked the streets in Rome ( you can actually see the view in one the pictures above , guess which one!). It was such a rustic-ly perfect hotel , and despite it being slap bang in the middle of Rome - it wasn't overly crowded. I don't how to explain it ? You could walk to tour bus stops , and there were loads of shops here and there.
Let me think - the area we were staying was surronded by resturaunts and small , quaint shops and when you kept walking - you'd eventually come out of the quiet bubble and go into the crowded part of the city which was crammed with high end shops like Dior , or Gucci. In the pictures above there are 2 pics of this ice-cream/crepe place called Vendi. It was insanely crowded - but the crepes + ice-cream were DELISH. The picture just above this chunk of text is a pic of the busy streets (though it doesn't look as busy as it was!).
I also inserted a picture of part of the hotel where we ate. Now , I think it only served breakfast and tea - but i'm not entirely sure - my family and I only stayed for breakfast. The first time we entered , it was 'Tea time' , so we ate then - but apart from that it was just breakfast.
It was such a cute area - I absolutely loved it. It was always bright and felt so cozy! The breakfast served were many types of croissants and fruit. They also served egg , sausages etc. but they all had an Italian twist to them. I usually stuck to the pana chocolate - and they were incredible! They also served hot drinks and juice. I always got the hot chocolate & they'd put a smiley face on the top !
Sights that we went to see were the Pantheon , Colosseum , St. John Lateran Church + Vatican City. I also went on this tour bus around most of Rome - and took loads of pics (but I didn't want to overly spam you all!). My dad bought something called the 'Omni Pass' which despite being really expensive (100 euros each!) , it let us cut across all of the queues to the main attractions which proved to be insanely helpful! Especially if you're only there for a few days.
Trevi Fountain was a walkable distance from the hotel , as well as the Spanish Steps (again, why are they called Spanish Steps?). Both were marvellous - and we actaully saw someone getting married at the Spanish Steps , she looked beautiful & my mum wanted to take a picture - but I had to hold her back. Gosh , mums these days - am I right? Trevi Fountain was amazing too - and it was in the evening , it looked so beautiful & my mum actually took this really cute candid of me looking at the fountain :)
The resturaunts that we went to were all splendid - the pizza in the first place we went to ( something called Osteria Della Vite) served the most delicious pizza - making Dominoes look bad (I know , that's near to impossible) Like I mentioned before , there were loads of resturaunts local to the hotel (Osteria Della Vite was one of them - El Ristoraunte 34 was also fantastic!). My advice would be to try as much native food as you can (if you are going to Rome!) . It's not everyday you're in a place surrounded by lovely food and culture - make the most of it!
One thing i'd like to say about Rome is that it is notorious for pick pockets. In fact , when we were at the Colosseum - there was a chase for some wallet theft. We got to speak to the wife of the person who it had been stolen from (her daughter and him were chasing after it) and she was saying how it's happened before etc. Very dramatic .
If you are going to Rome soon , do be careful , and keep all your valuables safe- and next to you at all times. Even in the hotel , keep them hidden. We didn't have any problems with the staff , they were lovely - but don't take your chances!
I hope you enjoyed this brief re-cap of my holiday in Rome - I truly enjoyed it. My friend actually went at the same time as me - and we some how managed to bump into each other ! She was heading to the Pantheon , and since our hotel was close by - we were passing it etc.
If any of you have been to Rome before or if you are going - leave a quick comment telling me about it! I'd love to hear about all your experiences ;)
Ciao xx
