And we're back! Sorry for the silence over the last few months, but we moved to a different flat and it took us 2 months to get internet at our new place. Good ole England.
Anyway, J and I have been meaning to go to Rome since May, and we had to cancel this trip twice now so I was pretty much in disbelief when we actually arrived at the Hotel Majestic on Via Vittorio Veneto with our baggage in tow.
First things first - when in Italy, the first thing you must do is eat! Unfortunately, we arrived at that funny time after lunch but before dinner when most of the restaurants are closed. Our hotel concierge directed us to a trattoria nearby that happened to be opened, and we walked to Antica Trattoria Tritone where J kicked off our holiday with an Italian beer.
We pretty much ate non-stop for two hours, and J could hardly walk after his spaghetti carbonara and dessert. He ordered the dessert after spying some locals eating it, and we still have no idea what it is except that Gorgonzola cheese was involved somehow, and it was heavenly. I put in a good effort as well, and we decided to waddle our way to the Trevi fountain after stuffing ourselves full of delicious Italian fare.
Apparently, we weren't the only ones to have that idea as there was quite the crowd admiring the fountain. The thing that surprised me was the sheer scale of the thing - I knew it was big but it seemed absolutely huge in person.
We decided not to throw a coin in to ensure our return to Rome as the guidebook advised that scammers come at night to scoop them up. I'm not sure how true that is, but between the full belly and the huge crowd, I was happy to continue our walk to the Spanish Steps at Piazza Spagna.
We were still too full but managed to force ourselves to walk up the many stairs to check out the view from above, which was pretty cool. It was possible to see all the way down Via Corso, where all the high end designers and jewelers set up shop.
We made our way back down the steps and checked out some of the stores like Bulgari. Someday, this necklace and I shall meet again.
We were pretty tired by then but we were so close to the Piazza Popolo that I couldn't resist a quick saunter north. It wasn't as impressive as some of the things we had seen earlier today, but the wide open space was free of the crowds we had encountered everywhere else.
The day had started pretty early for us so we were dead on our feet by the time we started heading back to the hotel, but I couldn't help marveling at the fact that something amazing would pop up when I least expected it. You couldn't walk anywhere without stumbling on an archaeological site, a famous statue or an obelisk!
I thought I'd sleep like a log between all the food and walking, but I was so amped up by what I had seen so far and the prospect of Vatican City the next day that I ended up wriggling all night with anticipation of what tomorrow would bring...
Anyway, J and I have been meaning to go to Rome since May, and we had to cancel this trip twice now so I was pretty much in disbelief when we actually arrived at the Hotel Majestic on Via Vittorio Veneto with our baggage in tow.
First things first - when in Italy, the first thing you must do is eat! Unfortunately, we arrived at that funny time after lunch but before dinner when most of the restaurants are closed. Our hotel concierge directed us to a trattoria nearby that happened to be opened, and we walked to Antica Trattoria Tritone where J kicked off our holiday with an Italian beer.
We pretty much ate non-stop for two hours, and J could hardly walk after his spaghetti carbonara and dessert. He ordered the dessert after spying some locals eating it, and we still have no idea what it is except that Gorgonzola cheese was involved somehow, and it was heavenly. I put in a good effort as well, and we decided to waddle our way to the Trevi fountain after stuffing ourselves full of delicious Italian fare.
Apparently, we weren't the only ones to have that idea as there was quite the crowd admiring the fountain. The thing that surprised me was the sheer scale of the thing - I knew it was big but it seemed absolutely huge in person.
We decided not to throw a coin in to ensure our return to Rome as the guidebook advised that scammers come at night to scoop them up. I'm not sure how true that is, but between the full belly and the huge crowd, I was happy to continue our walk to the Spanish Steps at Piazza Spagna.
We were still too full but managed to force ourselves to walk up the many stairs to check out the view from above, which was pretty cool. It was possible to see all the way down Via Corso, where all the high end designers and jewelers set up shop.
We made our way back down the steps and checked out some of the stores like Bulgari. Someday, this necklace and I shall meet again.
We were pretty tired by then but we were so close to the Piazza Popolo that I couldn't resist a quick saunter north. It wasn't as impressive as some of the things we had seen earlier today, but the wide open space was free of the crowds we had encountered everywhere else.
The day had started pretty early for us so we were dead on our feet by the time we started heading back to the hotel, but I couldn't help marveling at the fact that something amazing would pop up when I least expected it. You couldn't walk anywhere without stumbling on an archaeological site, a famous statue or an obelisk!
I thought I'd sleep like a log between all the food and walking, but I was so amped up by what I had seen so far and the prospect of Vatican City the next day that I ended up wriggling all night with anticipation of what tomorrow would bring...
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