Return to La Città Eterna

While 12 years have passed since my last visit to Roma, I saw very little reason to explore the city again. That was until many synchronicities and signs (and as some who previously didn’t believe in that, I have started more and more to believe you can be pushed towards certain paths and the more you resist the more you are driven there), I finally caved and booked a ticket. And it has allowed me to rediscover the beauty of the city around every corner, and leave feeling a sense of love for la città eterna.

Even before arriving at the train station just riding through you can already start to see the remnants of its historic past, and it only starts to increase once you are fully in the city centre.

Since I have previously been to the city this time around I decided on spending more time just eating my way through and checking out some of the lessen know spots, with of course stops at the popular destinations (more actually running across them on my way to other destinations).

My first stop was to Giardina degli Aranci, a beautiful garden that overlooks the entire city, and provided a nice resting spot. Along my route there I passed the Colosseo and rooks a rest in the sunshine at Circo Maximo.

After a bit of rest, it was time to eat so I opted for Sora Margherita, a hole in the wall restaurant close to the island. And the place was such a legit that the menu was hand written to represent what was available for the day, and the food was quite divine.

After such a nice lunch, I decided to head to Isola Tiberina and soak up some sun and take a mini nap. It was such a perfect spot to just relax.

As time progressed I opted to start my walk back to my hostel but deciding to take a different route than on my way in. As I passed the Piazza Venezia I was reminded of the strolls I took all the years ago. Even went back to the “hidden” spot to take a peak at the Fori. As I strolled through I admired all the added ruins that have grown around the area since my last visit.

In the midst of all this site seeing, my phone died. So not only did I continue to stroll, but I had to use what memory I did have to make my way back to my hostel. Needless to say, I did manage without much struggle. But it did add to the experience and forced me to really appreciate even more everything around me. Definitely something that is needed to fully appreciate Rome.

Once back to the hostel, I opted for a quick rest and prepped for my night! My goal for the evening was to enjoy an aperitivo and continue with eating my way through the 36 hours I had in the city.

As I headed to the aperitivo spot, I passed the Fontana di Trevi, Patheon, and Piazza Navona all which were neat to see with a different lens this time around, though did make me grateful for seeing them all those years ago (when tourism wasn’t as big).

As I sat down, taking in the last few rays of sunshine, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of bliss just being, especially watching the regulars just enjoying each other’s company.

When it finally came time for dinner I opted for a restaurant in the area, and had some amazing Macceroni Alla Carbonara! Following a lovely dinner I grabbed a quick gelato at Giolitti and headed off to bed for the evening.

The next day I decided to explore some other parts of Roma before heading back home. So after grabbing a quick bite to eat at Antico Forno Roscioli and a coffee at Gran Caffe Rione VIII, I opted to walk around Trastevere for a bit. Then I headed for lunch and settled on a cute little hole-in-the-wall restaurant I ran across during my walk.

Following that I continued to walk around a bit before heading off to grab my stuff and to the airport.

Overall the 36 hours were incredible and grateful for whatever brought me back so I could really see this city from a new lens.