Rome if you want to

Marty: OK, I remember something about Rome. Rome. Rome. Rome. Romans live there, Audrey Hepburn took a holiday there. It’s the name of a B52s song.

Rory: Different Rome.

Gilmore Girls 

I don't know how I expected to feel about Rome before this trip.  I probably would have said the same things as Marty in the quote above.  But this city is so fantastic in so many ways and is starting to plant roots in my heart, as corny as that sounds.  The people, the food, the architecture, and so much more make it such a great place to be.

On our first full day here, we went on a food tour that I had booked on Vayable.  Our guide, Sophie, was an Italian-American who took us to some amazing spots around Campo de' Fiori.  Being from Rome and a food lover, she knew all the good places.  We learned a lot from her.  One example was that there are three different kinds of pizza you can get in Rome. I had no idea. It was such a fantastic experience, and I am so glad we did it on our first day because know we know what types of food to look out for other than pasta.

As far as ancient Roman sites go, so far we have made it to the Largo di Torre Argentina and the Parthenon.  In all fairness, the majority of the museums are closed here on Monday, and I didn't feel like fighting with the crowds at the Colosseum that day after having dealt with them elsewhere in the morning.  Instead, we spent time gawking at the dome in the Parthenon, seeing all the cats at Large di Torre Argentina, and walking the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj.

We also spent some time on the Piazza Navona and just wondering around.  Rome is a great city to just wonder in.   Between the hidden restaurants and the beautiful architecture, you could spend forever being contented with simply strolling about town.

Today, we spent our time in the world's smallest country, the Vatican.  Initially I wanted to write about it here, but I feel as though it deserves its own post. So I will leave you with some extra pictures.