Rome

Took a weekend trip to visit Kevin's cousins, Billy, Annie, and baby Millie (almost 1), who are in Rome for the fall while Annie teaches organic chemistry for one of her university's study abroad programs. This was our first trip out of Spain since arriving and quite a spontaneous decision for us, but seeing family was the perfect motivation to get us out of our comfort zone. 

Billy, Kevin, Me, Millie, and Annie in Trastevere

Saturday, November 9

We flew from Barcelona to Rome in the mid-morning and arrived in about 2 hours- such a quick flight! From the airport, we took a bus to the city. Bus tickets were about 7€ per person vs. about a 50€ taxi, so we were happy to save a bit of money and use public transport. We chose to stay near Billy and Annie in Prati, which is very close to Vatican City, and our first hotel was Pope themed. Regrettably, there are no pictures, but believe me... they went all out on decor...

By the time we dropped our things, it was time to grab a late lunch. After a quick Google search of things in the neighborhood, we decided to go to Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale. Google mapped us to this beautiful, pedestrianized street in the Prati neighborhood, and to a restaurant with a line out the door. Despite our extreme hunger, the reviews were good, the line seemed to be moving, and the host was very charming, so we decided to stay. 

Absolutely picturesque Borgo Pio

After about 30-40 minutes, we got seated inside and had incredible pasta. Kevin ordered the pesto and I ordered carbonara (a Roman classic), and we split them between the two of us. It was probably the best pesto I've ever had! The playlist was 80's rock and the vibe of the very cozy but quaint restaurant was perfect. I understood why the reviews were so good and couldn't recommend this place enough. We finished up our lunch, grabbed some gelato down the street, and then headed to Billy and Annie's.

Still thinking about the creamy pesto at Borghiciana Pastificio Artigianale

Millie was still napping when we arrived, but that gave us some time to catch up and play a game or two before going out for drinks. We walked around their part of Prati and had dinner in their neighborhood. It was fun getting to see their favorite local spots and how they've been living for the past few months. After dinner, we played a few more games and headed home for the evening. 

Sunday, November 10

In the morning, Kevin and I grabbed some coffee and pastries, checked out of first hotel and walked a few minutes to the next place (no theme, which was great). Unsure of what to do next, we decided to take a stroll into Vatican City. Having both been to Rome before, we weren't necessarily rushing to do all of the touristy things, so taking a walk in Vatican City sounded perfect. When we got to the border, we noticed some lines, but found another entrance and got through quickly. Almost immediately after entering, we started hearing a voice projecting from a speaker. I looked over and noticed that everyone in the crowd was looking toward a building and then we saw the Pope! Not sure what he was saying, but it was cool to see him, even from afar. 

The Pope in the top right corner

After he finished speaking, we walked around and headed to Trastevere to meet up with the cousins. It mapped us right by the Tiber river and through some beautiful streets. Barcelona is beautiful, but Rome is a different kind of beautiful. We met at the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola (apparently the fountain that inspired the Trevi), enjoyed some spectacular views of the city, and then headed back down to find some lunch. We landed on Tonnarello, had some great pasta, and celebrated Billy's birthday.

We Ubered out of Trastevere and headed back to Billy and Annie's place for Millie's nap time. It was nice to rest, and we played Double Solitaire and The Game and ate Kit Kat balls. When Millie woke up, we had play time, chatted with some family, and then got ready to go out to eat. We had some dinner at a place in their neighborhood and had a great time. Millie needed to get home and Kevin started feeling unwell, so we headed back to the hotel.

Monday, November 11

Kevin woke up feeling like he had a cold, so he decided to stay in for the day. I went out, grabbed us some pastries and sat at a coffee shop in the neighborhood while I planned out the day. Again, having been here several times before, there wasn't a lot of pressure for me to see ~everything~, so I just made a rough plan of where to go. 

Before heading out for the day, I picked up a few things we wanted to take back to Spain, like farro and Avène and La Roche-Posay skincare, and sandwiches for me and Kevin. Kevin still wasn't feeling well, so I went off on my own. 

My first stop was the Colosseum and the metro got me there pretty quickly. It was quite miraculous to walk out of the metro station and just see it with a perfect blue sky as a backdrop. For me, it was just as shocking to see this time as it was the first. I spent time just admiring it, Face-timed my parents, snapped a few pictures, and then started walking towards the city.

In tourist mode

I didn't really have a plan, but just walked to the Forum and kept going following the flow of foot traffic. It was fun to think about previous visits and memories made with different people along the way. My summer study abroad trip to Arezzo, Italy, was my first international trip, so Italy holds a special place in my heart and I enjoyed having little flashbacks. 

Bonus: Throwback to my first trip to Rome in May 2012

And my second trip with Andrew in 2016

I continued toward the city, stopping at different shops, Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain (under construction for the Jubilee), and Piazza Navona and enjoyed the familiarity I felt. Lights started to illuminate the small, narrow streets, and I had a nice walk across Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II (a bridge with beautiful statues across the Tiber) on my way back to Prati. Kevin was feeling well enough for dinner and we made our way to Cacio e Pepe with Billy, Annie, and Millie for their weekly visit. They ran into some students, the restaurant staff all loved baby Millie, and it was nice to live like the locals. It was a great meal to end a nice trip to Rome. Billy had a work call and headed home, and Kevin and I stopped to get tiramisu on the walk way home.

The Roman Forum

Pantheon; I have fun memories journaling with my friends here

Tuesday, November 12

It was time to leave Rome and not only was Kevin not feeling 100%, but I woke up nauseous with an ache in my stomach (turned out I had caught a stomach bug). Then, our miserable trek back to Barcelona began... first with a bus ride to the airport, then time waiting in the airport lounge, then the plane ride, and finally the taxi home. This was by far the worst travel day I have ever had, but the only thorn to a fun weekend in Rome. Excited for more adventures to come!