This year I was very lucky as I got to visit somewhere I have always wanted to go. As a Christmas present to my partner, I booked us a four day trip to Rome. We have both agreed (especially after this trip) that for the foreseeable future instead of presents, that we don’t really need, we will gift each other with trips, experiences & memories.
Which brings me to Rome. If you haven’t been you need to go! If even just for the food and to see the architecture – both are just as amazing as each other, in fact as I sit here writing this all I can think about is the pasta!
My Top Five Tips for Rome
1. Read up on the History
If you have any interest in history and architecture you need to know the history as to who built it, why it was built and how it is still standing. A lot of the historical buildings will have been standing for hundreds, if not a few thousand years. Take the Pantheon for example which was built as a temple in 117AD. That was one mistake I made that I have sworn to never make again. I was too busy booking the holiday and activities that I didn’t do much reading on the history prior to going over. Big mistake, as the history is part of what makes Rome so amazing. Oh, and watch Gladiator before going to the Colosseum.
2. Get Lost.
Get lost when you want to see all the lovely side streets, get lost when you want to find delicious authentic Italian restaurants, get lost when you want to stumble upon some beautiful fountains or buildings as literally you will find examples around every corner and down every street.
3. Book for the Right Time
I booked our trip for the last weekend in March. I was expecting it to be warmer, well somewhat warmer than Ireland anyway, but fortunately for us, we got a really,
really good weekend where the sun literally never stopped shinning. March is also not peak tourist season, so most places were easy to get in and out of and restaurants and streets were easy to get around and last but not least all the beautiful flowers and trees are starting to bloom.
4. Cosy Shoes
See tip two. I advise getting lost and wandering for multiple different reasons, but in doing so, be smart and wear comfortable shoes. The paths in Italy range from hard concrete to battered historic cobbled paths. If possible, try to stick with flats and also something very cosy with good support – flip flops are not advised. This tip is particularly important for me as I suffer from fallen arches, meaning my feet need all the support they can get, but also my feet and legs get tired and sore very easily!
5. Expect the Expected
And the expected is gaining an extra stone from all the delicious food. Unless you are the world’s most controlled and disciplined person you can expect to come back with more than just extra weight in your bag. Rome is home to some of the world’s finest food and fine chefs and the two of those put together can only equate to some amazing mouth-watering delicious food. So please, don’t restrict yourself, bask, indulge and enjoy all the delicious food Rome has to offer.
Irish Mountain Child 