Rome, Italy
Streets of Rome
When I travel, I like to do a lot of research and make itineraries for my trip. They are a rough guide for me to use when I’m exploring a new city. Its impossible to get a bad slice of Pizza or Pasta. I love being in a new city with no time limit as to where I need to be and just stumbling upon on small local gems such as boutiques, food spots and churches.
If you are going to go to the Colosseum, make sure you go as soon as they open in the morning. I made a rookie mistake of going at around 4pm, and luckily I only had to wait for an hour in line. Be careful of scammers, as there are many all standing outside and offering ‘skip the line’ tickets, which aren't a real thing. What’s crazy about this entire situation is that the people who are selling these tickets wear ‘unofficial’ Colosseum staff uniform that they went and made themselves. Also, it’s not really skipping the line. You basically pay extra to line up in another ‘shorter’ line. I guess it also depends how much time you have and how badly you want to go see it. Luckily, I’m not a huge shopper while i’m on vacation, so I decided to stay in line. One lady behind us said she paid $300 Euros online for a ‘skip the line’ ticket only to find out that she had to wait in a long line just like everybody else.
For dinner, I wanted something a bit more local and authentic. I felt like every place I’ve eaten at has been a tourist trap. I found a place called Trattori Perilli - I was lucky enough to drop by without a reservation. The restaurant had a very local atmosphere to it. It was a date night for some, a family dinner for others, or friends hanging out for a nice evening. The restaurant was about a 15 min cab ride from my airbnb. At this point, when I'm traveling and dining out, I usually just go with the restaurant’s recommendations. Oh, and also a quick instagram stalk helps!
I had a fantastic airbnb in Rome - location is priority #1. There were plenty of nice restaurants, cafes, and gelato places around the block. Even though this apt was situated in the center of everything, it was located down a side street where it avoided a lot of noise.
Also note to self: never get pancakes in Italy. Just don’t. Also, ice coffee does not exist here.