24 hours in Rome

I was reminiscing about my trip to Italy last year and wishing I could close my eyes and be back there! So in order to relive these great memories I decided to write about them.

Rome is a big city and getting in and out of the Leonardo Da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport by public transportation was very easy.

I met my friend at the Airport and we flew to Alghero, Sardegna on the same day, but when we returned to Rome we had a little over 24 hours there before our retuning flights.

As soon as I arrived in Rome, I was desperate for some pizza so I had to get a slice of this bad boy right before we boarded for Alghero but, none the less it was still Rome and worth mentioning!

Another interesting fact is that as soon as I got off the plane in Rome, I was greeted by a cash machine and a kiosk selling SIM cards for a smartphone. I thought this was so convenient and it saved me the hassle of not having internet or force me into the city to find a SIM card.

After a week spent traveling and tanning in incredible clearwater beaches along the northern coast of Sardegna, we flew back to Rome to prepare for our returning flights.

We got to Rome very early in the morning but lucky we were able to leave our bags at our hotel in order to start exploring the city.

It was still pretty early so my friend and I got breakfast which was this yummy sandwich and freshly pressed fruit and veggie juice. We walked around trying to find a place that we would like and ended up finding a small coffee shop with a few healthier options. At this point in the trip I had tried many delicious foods but I was craving some fruits and vegetables!

After eating we started walking around and getting to know Rome a bit more, La Fontana di Trevi is something I was really looking forward to, it is honestly very beautiful and filled with details, however when we got there it was so full of people we could barely get one decent picture. If I go again, I made a mental note to try going earlier and hopefully get a great picture. Another bummer was that there was no water in the fountain, maybe because we were still abiding by COVID restrictions, I am not sure.

Afterwards my friend and I did some shopping visiting some local fashion stores including the so talked about Kiko Milano. I sincerely love the European style, I think people are less into fast fashion trends and more into using fashion as a way of expression finding items that compliment their personal style.

We were already getting pretty tired from walking, and I needed an urgent change of shoes so we went back to the hotel to rest because we had been up since very early.

I suck at resting during the day, it is just not something I do often and I honestly feel like I am wasting the day, specially trying to rest while on vacation... So I did freshen up and a wardrobe change and now on my own I went back to the streets.

I stopped quickly for lunch and to get out of the sun, I had been walking quite a bit and I felt desperate for a refreshment. If you haven’t been to Europe this is the classic European drink “Aperol Spritz”. I have found in the US at French or Italian restaurants but this alcoholic beverage is a must try in Europe. I also ate a smoked salmon salad and then continued on my exploration.

As I looked ahead on the street there it was The Collosseum, I cannot describe the feeling of seeing it for the first time, it is much bigger than in pictures and the whole area just has a special historic vibe. I am a sucker for history so I ended up spending a few hours here observing the area that has birthed Western Civilization.

Obviously it was still packed with tourists but I was able to get a clear picture.

NOTE TO SOLO TRAVELERS: If you do travel on your own and you fear setting up your camera or tripod in the middle of the road, look around to find another solo tourist or a family and ask them to take a picture of you and in exchange you can take a picture of them! :)

I feel very fortunate that while I was walking around the Colosseum I found the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, which were Saints my grandmother used to tell us to pray to because they are supposed to protect children and adolescents.

This is the garden inside the Basilica where I met a priest who was very kind to tell me more about the history of the Saints. It was a very emotional place to be in since I lost my grandmother in the previous year so I decided to leave a donation in her honor.

Leaving the Colosseum area, I took a taxi to the Vatican because it was too far away. The taxi driver was supper helpful telling me more about the city and giving me tips of places to visit next time!

Just outside the Vatican, near where he dropped me off was this cute cafe filled with books so I randomly have to share it!

By the time I got to the Vatican it was pretty late in the afternoon and my friend and I had dinner reservations. I am so sad I didn’t have enough time to go inside but this means a certain return to Rome!

In the year 1506 the Saint Peter’s Basilica was build and even though I wasn’t able to go inside, I still felt so happy to get a beautiful picture of it. I mean look at that sun setting in the background?! Priceless!

In this picture is the bridge that leads to Castle Saint’ Angelo, I am standing in front of the Castle with was used by the popes as a fortress and is now a museum. Allegedly, this area and the Vatican is filled with underground passages that were meant to protect the Popes and other authorities in its history.

The bridge as you can see is incredibly rich in details and as the sun was going down I could not miss this photo opportunity to capture the details that make Rome so famous.

Later on I met back with my friend and we sat outside for dinner, because this was truly the last Italian supper of the trip I went all out getting the appetizer and the entree.

I hope you enjoyed seeing more of my trip and if you want to see more content like this, let me know in the comments below! :)