The Journey to Rome, Italy

Just spent three days at Rome with my best friend, exploring the historical sights of the beautiful Rome in Italy. Different from most countries I visited in Europe, Rome is a city made of the remains from as long as thousands of years ago. The company I had with me topped my holiday as we walked (until almost dead) to all the major sites, tasting Italian cuisine, and capturing beautiful photos. It is a city that I will return to.

 The City.

Compared to London, Rome remains an ancient city even until now. It feels and looks old. We hardly saw any modern constructions, and it is exactly that that disctinguished Rome from other major cities in Europe. Stato della Città del Vaticano, The Roman Colosseo, Fontana di Trevi kept its ancient taste to the max. Absolute love.

The Cuisine.

Spaghetti with clams and mussels

If you are more of a noodle lover than a rice one, than Italy is defintely the place for you. Most of the Italian pasta I have tasted were all handmade, cooked with olive oil and other sauces of your choice. My favourite was definitely the mussels and clams spaghetti, stuffed with garlic and butter. It was possibly THE BEST spaghetti I have ever tasted.

Another good thing about dining in Rome is that there is no service charge to your order. In most of the restaurants, they offer complimentary freshly baked plain bread. However, it might an Italian favourite that they do not provide any butter or cheese with the bread; nor is there any salt and pepper on your table.

I have also tried their fried fish and seafood salad. For myself the salad felt a little too oily and sour. It was soaked in olive oil which got a bit too much after awhile. The fish had too much tiny bones, the flavour didnt really get inside the meat and the skin was not properly cooked that it was almost impossible to take a bite without trouble. It was a little of a let down, but worth a try I guess.

The Traveller's advise.

Money is not a very big problem in Rome if you are going for a short 3-4 day trip. Prices of a decent meal ranges from about 15 euros per person. With it comes a good quality dish, whether pizza, pasta, cheese dishes or seafood. Transport prices are very reasonable (in comparison to London!). A three-day pass is 11 euros that gives unlimited access to metro, trains and buses, but it does not include the journey to the airport (which costs about 15 euros) Below are my thoughts and advises.

Tip 1: Bring Identification (Driving license, passports)- Most entrance fees are priced half of its original price if you are between 18-24 or over 60. However you must be able to present official ID. Speaking from personal experiences, student card does not count.

Tip 2: Be extra careful when you cross the road!- Italians are, in my opinion, quite aggressive. My friend described them as "passionate", but hmm. There are literally no rules when driving in Rome. People seem to be always in a rush and therefore cut across eachother in their little Smarts and Fiat 500s. They also drive through even if the light is green and people are trying to cross- so be careful!

Tip 3: Do not wear shorts or short sleeves when you visit the Vitican city. So holy religious they are that we had to follow rules. Your dresses or trouser must be at least knee length. They have signs in front of the entrance and they will not let you in :)

Tip 4: Ignore the perverts- Italian men must have quite a sex drive they like to stare at women (especially oriental) directly, smiling at you and "Ciao" you. But I guess that is just their character. They probably wouldnt do anything to harm you anyway :)

If you would like to miss out all the words...

Enjoy the video :)

Until next time my dear :)