Roma!

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Before traveling to Rome, I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was a bigger city with more people than Florence, but I had no idea how big and busy the city was until we first got there. Rome had the same fast pace environment as Florence, so I could keep up with that, but the first thing I noticed is that people were not as friendly in Rome. I've came across some pretty nice people in Florence, but not in Rome. The lady at the hotel, a lady at a gelato shop, and a lady at the Roman Forum were very rude in my opinion. Another thing that I disliked while we were in Rome was how hectic the Vatican was. I thought the Vatican Museum was gorgeous and it was an awesome experience. But it was just so crowded and I felt I was more focused with keeping up with the group than being able to enjoy the tour. It’s something that couldn’t be controlled but was just a set back in me being able to enjoy the museum at it’s full potential. It was so awesome to be there and to be able to experience the key highlights around the Vatican Museum as well, like the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. I loved the walking tour we made through the city Saturday night, and how we got to see the Michael Jackson impersonator was a really fun time with everyone, since we all enjoyed it. It was also a great way to see more of the city. I thought the Pantheon was a beautiful building but I wish we could’ve seen the stars through the top of the dome area. I was surprised when we arrived at the Trevi Fountain because of all of the people there. I did not realize it was such a hot spot for tourists/natives. I was thinking it would be a lot less crowded but I still enjoyed it. The Spanish Steps I thought were beautiful even though I did not go up them or sit on them. The Roman Colosseum was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. To be in an area where so much history has taken place, was great to reflect on. I was shocked at how much of the colosseum was still standing on the inside and outside. The Roman Forum was an incredible experience and so cool to see the ancient part of Rome. I remember learning about these historic buildings and structures in middle school and I never would’ve thought I’d actually be seeing them in person. Being around those buildings made me imagine what life would’ve been like at that time period.



One of the differences I noticed between Rome and Florence was that the food in Rome was a lot more expensive. When we first got to the Vatican, I got a small cup of gelato which costed me 6 Euro. In Florence I can get a small cup of gelato for 3 Euro. We went to McDonald’s on Saturday for lunch and they charged a 10%!t(MISSING)ax on our food. I was a little surprised that the tax was so much. On Sunday we ate at a restaurant that I also felt was a little overpriced. In Florence, I feel like you receive better quality food for the price that you pay. I know in Florence I could spend 10-12 Euro or even less and get an awesome Italian dish. In Rome, I feel like you had to spend around 15 Euro or more to get a better quality meal at some places. At the place we ate at for lunch on Sunday, it was 11 Euro for a pizza and a water. I probably could’ve gotten 2 pizzas at restaurant in Florence for about the same price.



I noticed that most of the people in Rome dressed the same as the people in Florence dress. Both cities had their fair share of people wearing casual clothing. I do feel like I did see more people in Florence dressed nicer than in Rome. If we were there longer I probably would’ve been able to make better observations about the style of dress in Rome. I did not see a lot of families in Rome either. I feel like I mainly saw couples out together. I saw more of the family while we were at The Vatican, Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I do remember seeing more families at the Trevi Fountain as well. I did not see any big families while we were out in Rome and I also have not seen many in Florence. In both cities, when I saw families it usually was just two parents and one child. In the U.S., I feel like it is more common to see bigger families out and about. Overall, Rome was such a beautiful city and I’m glad we got to see all of the amazing sights whether it was busy or not. I wish we would’ve been able to spend more time in the city just so I could have a better opinion overall about it. I do think Florence is better and more of an atmosphere that I enjoy.



STEPS:

Friday (January 19^th) - 16,533 steps

Saturday (January 20^th) - 22,400 steps

Sunday (January 21^st) – 18,384 steps

Monday (January 22^nd) – 10,825 steps



Tuesday (January 23^rd) – 8,942 steps

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