Even though Rome is touristy, the sights and atmosphere make you appreciate Rome more. The people make you feel welcome in their country and are just friendly and warm. They’re also proud of their heritage and have done an excellent job of maintaining their ancient history and culture.

Upon arrival at Rome (traveled with my boyfriend and mom), we arranged for a private car to pick us up from the airport to the place we were staying. We booked an Airbnb space. If you haven’t used Airbnb, before, I highly recommend it. You can stay in your, and there no limitations like a hotel room. Plus, pricing is a lot better than if you stayed in a hotel.

The place we stayed at was a bit away from the city center in the San Giovanni area. It was super close to the metro (about a couple minutes walk), and it was about 20-30 minutes walking distance from the Colosseum. The area comprised of locals, which was good to see and away from the hectic city center. There was also an abundance of places to eat (gelato, pizza, pizza, and other areas).

The metro is very convenient and costs 1.50 Euros each way. You’ll typically find a metro station spread out throughout Rome, although some places don’t have close access to a station. You can also easily hail an Uber (just note they only have the Uber Black options). We found all the drivers both private and Uber were friendly and efficient.

The two eating gems we found in our neighborhood was an excellent Tiramisu place bakery serving Sicilian style goodies. These two places were excellent.

WE LOVE TIRAMISU

This establishment had all things tiramisu. They had, of course, the traditional, but also other kinds of flavors including strawberry.

The traditional tiramisu tasted light and smooth, but I think I preferred the strawberry one. It felt like a mini-strawberry shortcake. Very fluffy, light, and I loved the bits of strawberry on top.

LA CANNOLERIA SICILIANA

We found this place while exploring the neighborhood and out of the corner of our eye.
This bakery was probably one of my favorite spots to grab baked goods. Everything was very fresh, and they had a plethora of baked goodies (Sicilian style) including cannelloni, little cheesecakes, croissants, and excellent coffee and much more.

The croissants were entirely to die! Soft, flaky and buttery. We also got some with pistachio piped inside the croissant and ones with a lemonish cream filling. The cannelloni was a bit sweet for me. However, the pistachio cheesecake was a winner. Very light, and outstanding pistachio flavor, without being overly sweet.

TRATTORIA DAL POLLLAROLO

While visiting the Piazza di Spagna, area, where the Spanish Steps reside, we found ourselves famished and looking for a great place to eat. We found a great eatery called Dal Pollarolo 1936. This restaurant was in a touristy spot, but it seemed this place was popular with both locals and tourists.

We ordered the antipasti dish which included traditional fare of salami, prosciutto, and mortadella as a starter. For the main course, we ordered steak. Let me tell you, I’m not a steak eater, but this was one of the best steaks I’ve had in a long while. Juicy, tender, fatty in all the right places. It came with a side of some seasoned potatoes flavored with rosemary.

BORGHESE GALLERY

The next day we went to the Borghese Gallery. The museum is in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. It also is surrounded by gardens.

When you enter the gallery, you’ll have to secure your personal belongings (purse, big bags, etc.). You can get them after you’re done touring the museum. It’s recommended to not bring any large bags with you.

This museum houses many different sculptures and paintings many of which are religious. You’ll also find many famous works by Caravaggio, Bernini, and Antonio Canova. Bernini’s pieces are just breathtaking. Every line and crease of his artwork are masterful creations.

VATICAN MUSEUMS

What can one say about the Vatican and the accompanying museums? In one word, “amazing.” The vast amount of art surrounding the entire area is astounding. Everything is breathtaking, and this was the highlight of my trip to Rome.

We had a tour from a meeting point in Rome and walked to the Vatican. It was a small tour, and our guide was excellent and very informative. She spoke about some of the histories of the various art and artists, especially Michaelangelo. It was interesting to hear about how he was a stickler for his work, and while painting the Sistine Chapel, he did this while standing and the years it took to complete this took a toll on his health years later.

Of course, the Sistine Chapel is one of the most popular and one of the most visited places in Rome. It is breathtaking. You look up at the ceiling, and you are in awe of how intricate and detailed and lovely it is.
When you enter the chapel, you’re not allowed to talk (even though you’ll hear many voices) nor take any video or pictures. If you do, you’ll immediately get chastised by one of the many men working inside to prevent people from doing so.

It’s best to admire and take in the beautiful works for as long as you can.

COLOSSEUM

Even though we had advance tickets to the Colosseum, it still wasn’t worth the time in my opinion. (if it’s your first time, go once). We went around mid-morning and found ourselves waiting for over 2 hours. They only let a certain amount of people in at a given time, and you have to go through a couple of security motions to get in.

There are tons of people with vests saying “staff” or some variation. They seemed to be people from different companies, and the bulk of them didn’t work in an official capacity at the Colosseum. Some of these people are pretty aggressive in trying to get people to get into the Colosseum in a faster line by paying a certain “fee.” I suggest avoiding these people. You’re still going to have to wait in line.

Once you finally get inside the Colosseum, I feel it’s a letdown. I mean, it’s great to see this structure, and it dates back to 70-80AD, but it’s kind of like oh ok that’s it. The structure still looks good after all these years, though and you can kind of imagine what types of battles and other spectacles transpired here those many years ago.

Bottom line, Rome is a great place to visit (even though there are many, many tourists). There’s much to see, and you’ll experience exceptional hospitality and friendly people. Also, you’ll find something interesting around every corner.

BUSINESS INFORMATION:

–We Love Tiramisu
Via Appia Nuova, 131 00182 Roma, RM

–La Cannoleria Siciliana
Piazza Re di Roma, 10 00183 Roma, RM

–Trattoria dal Pollarolo 1936
Via di Repetta, 4 00186 Roma, RM

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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As detailed in my most recent post, we similarly took the train from the town of Liege to Bruges. It took about under three hours to get there and it costs about 44 Euros roundtrip.

I really appreciated exploring this city and the cobbled streets to take-in the architecture. After exploring the city and the various shops, we decided to get a bite to eat. There are a lot of restaurants and café’s here, but I find it’s always good to try a place that includes some local dishes to see what the region offers.

We decided to check out the restaurant Maria Van Bourgoundie which had traditional Belgian fare.

CHICKEN WATERZOOI

I opted for a lighter dish of the chicken waterzooi which is a stew dish and was originally made with fish. Today, using chicken is much more common. The dish consisted of chicken, a thickened vegetable broth, cream, egg yolk, and vegetables. The vegetables included: carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and some potatoes along with many different types of herbs.

I really liked this dish and thought it was perfect for a somewhat breezy and chilly day. The stew was not overwhelmingly rich, but had the right balance of flavors and after I finished it, I felt satiated and not overly full. I also always love the combination of the vegetables in this dish, so this was a winner for me.

CARBONADE FLAMANDE

My boyfriend ordered the Carbonande flamande, a traditional dish offered in Belgium. It’s a hearty beef and onion stew made with beer and is often accompanied with frites (or fries) or potatoes. He also paired the dish with a Belgian beer (of course) Kasteel. I don’t drink beer, but I’ve always heard Belgian beers are quite rich and have some of the best beers in the world (per my boyfriend, lol).

This dish is quite rich, but very flavorful and you can most definitely taste the bold flavor of beer infused throughout the meat and sauce. Thyme, bay leaves, and mustard accompany the dish. The dish has a slightly sour and sweet flavor. After eating this dish, you might want to go for a walk to loosen the tightness in your belly : )

After grabbing lunch, we decided to walk around the town to visit the various shops and the Markt square. There are a ton of shops to choose from and there are a lot of cute little trinkets and other things to pick-up for your friends and loved ones. Items in the shops were also reasonably priced.

Bruges is also known for their water canals. It’s quite lovely to view the many boats passing by. You’ll also see people being taken by horse carriage around the town. Tremendously cute and quaint!

Also, we happened to stop by a little park area where there were so many swans! I’ve never seen so many swans in one place.

To sum up, if you happen to be or are traveling to Belgium, Bruges is a great place to explore. Even though there are tourists here, it’s not quite as touristy as bigger cities such as Brussels. The town also has a very calming atmosphere and was one of the highlights of my trip.

Restaurant details:

Maria van Bourgondie

Guido Gezelleplein 1, Bruges 8000, Belgium

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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