A much needed trip aboard with the boyfriend, destination: Rome, Italy.
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| Rome 2016 |
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| TeamNBLT |
Wednesday 7th September 2016
It was an early morning flight so we had to get to Gatwick relatively early. We got a cab which cost around £55/£60 with two pick ups around 5:15am. We arrived at Gatwick South terminal by about 6:30am. Everything went smoothly through security and we was soon at the gates waiting to board our flight. We took the opportunity to do get some breakfast and had a nice hot english breakfast, which was satisfying. We boarded our flight which was with easy jet and with their strict 'only one bag' rule, at the gates, I had to put my handbag back into my hand luggage. This wasn't too much of a problem but a memo for next time if I travel with Easy jet. The flight was good and the weather for Rome looked promising. We played cards on the flight and also took a nap. There was a slight delay but we ended up in Rome close to estimated time of arrival. Once we arrived, we managed to find the train that we needed and we purchased the tickets. We found our way to the hotel by public transport and by foot. Our first impressions of the area was that it looked run down and didn't look or feel as safe as we would have hoped, but perhaps it was because we was unfamiliar with the area. Plus, our hotel was slightly on the outskirts from the town. We stayed at the H10 Citta Roma, which was located in the district of Traverse; about 50minutes away from the Colosseum. Once we arrived around 3pm, we checked in, unpacked and had a discussed a quick plan for the day. We had booked Escape Rome for about 17:50pm, so we had some time to explore. We planned to walk to the Colosseum from our hotel and check out the route. When we came out of the hotel, it had been raining. This wasn't the best start to the holiday, but at least it was light rain and still warm. This stopped quite quickly and the walk was a bit of a struggle. It was a route that didn't feel safe had it been dark. We finally arrived at the Colosseum which looked amazing and took a few pictures before heading for the Escape Rome. We found a small cafe and stopped off for a coffee break just before doing the Escape room. The Escape room, which cost 40 Euros in total was my 4th Escape room experience. I have had some good and some bad reviews for these, but decided to go in with an open mind and it was the first time doing this with my boyfriend. The lady was really friendly and explained things clearly and off we went. We played the 'bodies' room which I felt was similar to Amsterdam, perhaps a little better but I felt she had given us too many answers. When there was times for needing clues or tips, instead of giving clues like look closer at 'X' area, there was several times where it would be the exact answer, which to me felt a bit spoiling the fun. I still feel Athen's escape room was the best by far. I'd rate this room about 6.5/10. It was quite small too but for a first time, it would have had a higher rating, nevertheless pretty fun. After this, it was still relatively bright so we decided to check out a sight known as the Giardino deli Aranci (Garden of oranges). This was a nice small little beautiful park/garden overlooking rome. We stayed until the garden closed and we decided to walk back to the hotel. We wanted to try out the McDonalds and we had found one close to where we was staying so we decided to pick some of this on the way back. We also took a stop at the supermarket and bought some water and some snacks. I tried the double chicken cheeseburger which I must say, tasted amazing! It was really enjoyable.
Thursday 8th September 2016
Today was a nice day with 30 degrees and sunshine all day. We had planned this day to be a day trip to Anzio. I was excited as this year I had not visited a beach, and it was lovely weather too. We took advantage of the shuttle which the hotel offered for 3 euros pp one way OR 5 euros return, which took us into the centre of town and saved us 50minutes of walking. We headed to buy some water and found the station we needed Termini. It was really easy buying tickets using the self ticket machines (which was everywhere!) and took the train there. It took about an hour journey but it didn't feel too long. Once we arrived, we walked along and found a quiet place on the beach. It was not crowded not busy and so it felt really relaxed. We went into the sea and had some time on the beach and just soaked up some vitamin D. After a while, we decided to get some lunch, we tried a fish restaurant and I ordered a really delicious dish. It was Gnocchi pasta. So good! Once we finished eating, we also took the opportunity to have our first Gelato as we walked back to the station. We bought our train tickets and off we headed back. We ended back at the hotel and we showered and cleaned off all he sand and sweat from the day. After which, we decided to check out the hotel pool as it was about 8.15pm and the pool closed at 9pm. It was empty and so we decided to go back to our room and get changed and have a 30 minutes swim. It was such a good 30minutes of just having the pool and Jacuzzi to ourselves. Looking up, I could see the stars and although the pool was a little cold, we soon warmed up once we was in. It was lovely, and great fun. We headed back to the hotel and showered again and then headed out for some food, we decided to try to local pizza which was a great idea as it was delicious and did not disappoint! It was stone baked and only 5 minutes away from our hotel. We ate this but had felt so bloated!
Friday 9th September 2016
Today we had pre booked tickets to the Vatican and we planned a heavy tourist day. Again, we got the shuttle into the centre. Our day consisted of Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Ponte d'Angelo, Castle, Vatican City, stopped off for some early dinner at Fisherman Burger and then headed towards Pincio, Villa Borghese and finally the last stop the Trevi fountain at night. I was amazed that despite covering a lot of the tourist attractions, I didn't feel as tired as I thought I would. It was good fun and lots to see and learn. It felt like a productive day yet one that wasn't rushed. We went into the castle and although there wasn't much learnt, the views from the terrace of the castle was breath taking. I would recommend that, just for that. After visiting all those places, we still had some time spare, so we decided for a coffee and ice cream break near Vatican City. Vatican City was also quite a nice place to be, it was a little long and definitely pre book tickets for that and guided tour, I personally would not recommend. Audio guide self tour is probably the best and remember to cover knees and shoulders. It was just lovely being in the Sistine chapel learning about the paintings and it felt I got to know Rome a little better. The weather had been good and was quite hot at times, but it was quite nice. I also recommend visiting towards the late afternoon, we booked tickets for 2.30pm and the last entry is 3pm. Though the museum close around 6pm. So, when we finished the place was almost empty. On the way out, the skies had started to turn dark and a short spell or rain started. We dodged some of it by visiting souvenir shops but again the rain didn't last too long. It had brightened up again soon after. I was recommended Fisherman's burger as a place to eat, which didn't disappoint. It was really nice and the staff was friendly. Quiet place just passed the bridge. Another great day. We decided to get the train back from Termini to Trasvere and walk the last 10minutes home which wasn't too bad.
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| Pantheon |
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| Trevi fountain |
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| Yummy |
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| Vatican City |
Saturday 10th September 2016
We planned to visit the Colosseum today and wanted to go inside but around 10.30am, the crowds and queues were just unbearable. I heard it was about 2 hour wait. We decided to get some breakfast and then head over to a department store first before returning in the hope that the queues would be shorter. We ended up near a little quite area with some benches and grass area which was nice. We sat and chilled for a bit as the department store was a let down. It was very small and nothing compared to what you see in London. We headed back to the Colosseum by foot and when we arrived the queues were shorter. It took altogether 45 minutes and we also opted in for the audio guide. The weather as forecasted didn't look promising. It started to rain and thunder and lighting followed. The rain got heavier and the thunderstorm drained the sound on my audioguide so it was disappointing. I didn't quite get the experience i was hoping for but at least I got to see what the Colosseum looked like from the inside. We headed out and decided to head towards the station back to the hotel as the weather didn't look like it was going to improve, we went for dinner near Termini before heading back.
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| Colosseum |
Sunday 11th September 2016
Early morning and it had already been 5 days since we arrived in Rome. It was time to go home. We spent the last few hours just having some lunch and exploring the area of Trasvere which was nice but it was hot. Especially that we was in jeans. We got a taxi to the airport and got there in good time. It had been a good holiday and though the plane was delayed almost an hour, we managed to do some last minute Instagram posting and filled our stomachs with some food. I didn't manage to sleep as much on the plane and we played cards. Before I knew it, we was back in London. Eventually we got home and reality resumed. Until the next adventure...
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| Pizza |
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| Gelato fix |
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| Until next time |
