Overlap/repeat of overview from parts 1&2
3 posts for our trip to Italy - one for each city we stayed in, 4 nights, 3 full days each.
I should also note that this was my sixth trip to Italy and my husbands fourth. Having already hit the big 3 and their major sights in the past, this trip we mostly focused on food, day trips and just relaxing.
Links to parts 1 (Firenze) & 2 (Sorrento):
Arrival in Roma
We arrived in Rome at 5pm via fast train from Naples and took a taxi to our hotel in Trastevere (€12). We were assigned a room on the third floor overlooking the interior garden, great view. A few steps from our door were the steps to the rooftop terrace, so once we were settled in we headed up for a quick pic. There were no other guests on the terrace which wasn’t too surprising considering the heat and lack of shade. Great view but better for evenings after peak of the heat.
We were glad we arrived early enough to explore the Trastevere neighborhood before sunset. It was our first time staying in this part of the city and I was a little nervous (looking at maps in advance) that it may be difficult to get around. We asked the hotel front desk if it would be easy to walk to campo di fiori and they said “oh yes, it is very easy”; they were right, it was super easy to navigate. We made our way to the city center, through campo di fiori, by the Pantheon and through Piazza Navona. It was a good 20-30 min walk but didn’t feel like it was that long given we were taking in the sights.
By this time we were ready for dinner, so we strolled a few blocks from P. Navona and I was pleased to find my beloved Osterio da Mario open (one year when we were here they were closed on holiday); note this restaurant was found as an RS recommendation in 2014. And so, we were seated outside and were surrounded by locals, always a good sign. The tables were a little close together for my liking (I need my personal space, haha) but we enjoyed it, there was a good vibe as we settled in for what would be a fantastic dinner.
We started with bruschetta and a half liter of wine to share, followed by the Roman chicken for me, and the hubby chose gnocchi with sea bass. The chicken was just as amazing as I remember it. We ended the meal with an espresso, for a total bill of €41,50 (including bread and acqua naturale) - not an expensive dinner at all!
After dinner we made our way back through P. Navona then back to Trastevere where we enjoyed a performance with the young crowd at Piazza Trilussa. There was quite a crowd including a few that were just circling around the band dancing. One dude was getting down I couldn’t resist videoing some of it (and later when re-watching the video I zoomed in to watch said dude rocking out when I realized and said to my husband, “he’s lighting a doobie”. Ahh people watching …) it was a great way to end the night.
While Trastevere may have been known as more of a local neighborhood in the past, it seems to be the new lively hotspot these days. We knew on night one we made a good choice in where we decided to stay this trip.
Continued in comments…