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Published: January 3rd 2011
First, may i ask that you ignore all of the grammatical/ spelling errors in the below. I'm writing from memory and it was a while back therefore i'm typing all that i remember before i forget..
Well i arrived alone and terrified and after a very sweaty ride on the Terrovision bus (where the air con consisted of a hole in the roof) I found myself at Termini station. Having no idea what to do next i walked around like a lost sheep for at least an hour, stopping at various panini stands- when in Rome!) September in the UK was wet and cold (not unlike the other months) and so i hadnt been prepared for the giant oven that was Rome. My backpack obviously added to the problem but i refused to take it off, having been convinced by my mother, my boyfriend and Lonely Planet that i may, no WOULD be mugged by everybody any time. With that in mind i was on high alert for the evil deadly Zingari i'd heard so much about.
As i made my way out i noticed a figure in the corner of my eye lurking behind me. I then saw the reactions of those in front of me and security bounded towards. Oh god, i was being mugged. When i looked behind me i realised that i wasnt actually being mugged but I was actually being flashed at by a very hairy, very dirty little man who had the stature (and penis) of an eleven year old boy but the face of an old man. Welcome to Rome.
Having recovered from my encounter with the pervy, italian equivalent of Benjamin Button i made my way to the Hostel, the only hostel i'd booked for the entire trip, womens only i might add (which i was actually quite thankful for given the circumstances). After accepting a lift from a stranger within the first 2hrs of arriving (sorry mum, although they were police officers) I eventually found my way there.
I dumped my stuff and set off straight away. I went without a map as Rome is the best place to get lost in and found my first pretty spot, Piazza Navone. This would later become my favourite spot as arriving there marked the real beginning of my trip as it was the first moment i didnt feel lonely, scared and homesick.
The next day i did the Vatican. It was beautiful and impressive but the queues were horrendous and i was forced to do a terrible thing... i paid 45 euros for a tour (entry fee included). Not really a backpacker thing to do especially from an American tour company, but i don't regret it and it was actually pretty good (plus I skipped 2hrs of queues to walk straight in).
The next day was the Colosseum which a lot of people i spoke to elected to skip due to queues but it was actually really quick to get in (get a Rome pass - the best thing i did) and it really is breathtaking. One highlight of the day was watching at least seven brides getting their photographs taken outside it, I wasnt sure if this was tradition, must google at some point.
I went to see the Trevi Fountain on the 3rd day only to realised i'd seen it already (and taken several photographs) Rome kind of does that to you. Everything is so beautiful, sometimes you don't know what you're looking at. I generally explored everywhere that day, which is why i had to throw away my beautiful sandals and replace with good walking shoes (both of which ended up filled with blood either way) damn Rome- too many sites! I also crashed a big fat Catholic wedding which was nice.
On the 3rd night i realised i'd been staying near to all the best bars in Rome (Trastevere way) and took full advantage of that with a British girl i met. Unfortunately while the bars stayed open until 6am, the Hostel closed at 12 and we were forced to sleep on a train to Latina that day (again, sorry mum!)
4th and 5th days were taken up getting lost again, going to beautiful Pantheon (that took a while to find as it looked alot like a building site and i'd walked past several times), walking very slowly up the Spanish steps and seeking out some of the smaller sites such as Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth to the Roman holiday fans) which was rather disappointing to be perfectly honest- you queue for 40 minutes to have 10 seconds of photograph time and be barked out by the guard people (and humiliated if alone like i was).
I also decided to take a stroll around the Roman forum, only to realise it was bloody huge- feet bled again, set aside a day and take a picnic.
Ok, so my tips for Rome-
1. Go for food outside of the Centre, most places are there purely for tourists and really arent authentic. I found other parts of Italy better for food.
2. Ponte means bridge. Seek out the bridges as often book-ended by lovely statues and river views are lovely. Visit Ponte Sant'Angelo (Bridge of Angels) if anywhere. Go at sunset, its really special.
3. Push in the queue at the Vatican. Go on, be a trashy tourist. Look up the Sistine chapel before you go, there are some interesting things to look out for such as Michelangelos cheeky revenge on a Cardinal and his own version of the last supper. Also, the art collection at the Vatican is much larger than people realise- do your research, there is so much there that you might otherwise miss.
4. Wear ugly sandals (and save your nice shoes for Milan and Florence) I learned the hard way.
5. Buy a Rome pass - saves worrying about bus ticket plus you can jump the queues and get decent discounts. It last 3 days and you can buy from most places.
6. Your Rome pass wont work in the Vatican (its a different country thicko)
7. Take water out with you - bloody vending men charge 5euros for a coke if far enough out!
8. Beware the Zingari (apparently) I was told this over and over by tourists and locals yet the only zingari i encountered weighed around 2 stone and stayed clear of me (although i weigh more than 2 stone and had 'scary angry paranoid' written across my face). The warnings must have come from somewhere so its better to be really careful (and carry a money belt).
9. Get lost. Don't take a map out for at least one day. I ended up in the Jewish ghetto which i wouldnt have otherwise taken a trip to.
10. Use the typewriter/ wedding cake as a reference point. The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II looks like a big wedding cake and is clearly visible to most of the city of Rome (therefore good for finding your way).
11. Sit down in eateries and pay the charge. It's only the same as tipping and if you're seeing Rome like you should be then you will need to sit.
12. Take a layer to cover your shoulders with - lots of Cathedrals etc. Must not offend god.
The hostel was Orsa Maggiore womens hostel - Can booked through hostelworld etc. - http://www.hostelseurope.com/hostel.php/23973_OrsaMaggioreforWomenOnly
The location was great (v near to the Vatican etc.) as were the rooms and staff. The bathrooms were weird with a communal school shower type set up but in retrospect it was a good place. The only issue i found was that it was a women only hostel. It wasnt the lack of men that was the problem, more that a lot of the women that elected to stay there were a little too reserved, I realised this moreso after leaving and meeting lots of people that were a bit more forthcoming.
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liliram
liliram
Welcome to TB
Those are great tips. Welcome to TravelBlog. Hope you'd find time to upload some photos to accompany this blog. Keep writing!