To celebrate my big 3 and 0, I booked a 5 week trip splitting it between Italy and Germany, and what better place to start off than the Eternal City?

It was an interesting start to say the least. I realised not long before I was due to fly that I’d got my dates mixed up with the hotel booking. My plane was due to land at 00:50 on the 28^th (which landed at 1:50 as the flight was delayed) and I’d book the room for the 28^th, and of course as you’ll know check in is usually between lunchtime and the afternoon.

I arrived at the hotel at around 3:30 in the morning to be “greeted” by the receptionist, Radwan. He didn’t seem too pleased to see me and who could blame him? It was early in the morning and I’d probably be grumpy if I’d been woken up in the middle of the night.

After trying to explain my situation and asking Radwan if I could pay to check in earlier, he said I had to pay full price for a room. Having attempted to explain that I’d already booked a room, he asked me to leave and come back at check in. I clearly didn’t explain the situation properly.

Having tried to find a cash point and failed I went back and asked if I could pay on card. It seemed easier and quicker and at least I could rest. Unfortunately the card machine didn’t work. Due to a malfunction of the card machine, Radwan said he’d charge me 20 Euros for a room as long as I left the room by 6:30. At least I was allowed to leave my luggage before checking in at 11.

To be fair to Radwan he went beyond his call of duty to help me. It helped that we both spoke Arabic as he’s Moroccan. When I found out it was so much easier to explain my situation. It helps especially, and makes a huge difference when you build a rapport with someone. He risked getting into trouble with his boss by helping so I can’t thank him enough for giving me a room for a few hours to rest when he didn’t have to.

It’s 6:30 I’m out of the door, along with a croissant that Radwan let me have for free! My first stop would be the Colosseum. It was early and I thought it would be good to get it out of the way. By the time I got there it was still closed and the area empty, which meant a photo opportunity!

My first thought of the Colosseum? No matter how many photos I took (and I took loads) you couldn’t do it justice. If you’re planning to visit the first thing you’ll realise is how much bigger it looks compared to any pictures we’ve seen beforehand.

With time to kill before the Colosseum opened I made my way to Trevi Fountain. It was a 15 minute walk and the first thing you’ll notice is how perfect it is to sit and chill at that time in the morning. Of course there are photo opportunities but you have a short window at 7:30 for some clear pictures because within 15 – 20 minutes the area is packed. I never use to understand the obsession with this place but sitting there it’s easy to see why. You’ll find yourself lost in your thoughts and lose track of time without realising it.

And losing track of time I did! Once I got back into reality I rushed back to the Colosseum. I made the mistake of thinking it opened at 9 when in actual fact it opened earlier, either way I didn’t arrive until after quite a bit after that. The queue was already long but what do you expect for a popular tourist spot?

If you ever go to the Colosseum you’ll find a the people “warning” you that you’ll be waiting 2 or 3 hours in line if you don’t buy a guided group tour ticket. I was quoted different prices for the same thing, from 35 Euros to 75 Euros. I mean where’s the consistency!? The only reason I’m mentioning this is because they were pretty relentless and I thought it’d be nice to give you a heads up.

I waited no more than 20 minutes and paid 12 Euros for the ticket which also included entry to the Palatine Hill. The great thing about the combined ticket is that entry to the Palatine Hill is valid for an extra day. Basically if you decide after going through the Colosseum that you need a break for lunch or fancy visiting the Palatine Hill the day after…you can! It closes at 7pm so if you finish the Colosseum early enough you’ve got plenty of time to relax at your own pace.

The only thing is if you get the 12 Euro ticket instead of the guided tour ticket you can’t access the top of the Colosseum or the ground level which is the main difference. I don’t mind doing the odd guided tour here and there but I wasn’t personally bothered about doing it for this, and I’ve always preferred going around at my own pace.

You can’t appreciate how big or how good the Colosseum is until you visit. The pictures you’ll have seen beforehand won’t do it justice and I definitely can’t find the words to do it justice. There’s so much history and presence about the place that you’ve got to experience for yourself.

I’d been at the Colosseum for so long that I lost track of time and ended up arriving an hour after check in started! At this point I was very tired and was grateful for the chance to snooze and freshen up.

All rested and refreshed, I make my way down to Palatine Hill. I didn’t initially plan to visit but seeing as entry was included in the ticket, why would you not use it?

For those of you who don’t know, Palatine Hill is the centre of the Seven Hills of Rome in one of the most ancient parts of the city. It stands nearly 50 metres above the Roman Forum.

I didn’t know what to expect when I entered, I didn’t know enough about the place but I was impressed, again so much to learn and a lot of history. When you enter you’ll have the option of either turning left to go up the hill or right to the forum. I made the mistake of going down the hill to the forum, only because after a lot of walking and looking around it made the walk up the hill that extra bit tiring! It’s worth it for the views you get.

Finally it was time for dinner! I was told to try carbonara in Rome at a chain called trattoria. I was told a few days before the trip that carbonara originates from Rome. I’ve never really been a fan but my god was it good! I swear anywhere you travel to you’ll always find the food puts England to shame.

What I love about travelling is the opportunities you get to wander around, getting to know places. Evenings in Rome are chilled. There are many side streets with colourful buildings. If you get the chance to wander round and don’t know how to end your evening, I’d suggest finishing the evening at Trevi Fountain because it’s the perfect place to chill, definitely a lot better to visit in the evenings than in the daytime. Regardless of how packed it gets, you can tuck yourself away without being bothered or interact with fellow travellers if you wish.

There wasn’t much time to rest the next morning. I changed rooms and needed to leave early after several issues with the one I was given at check in. I had no choice but to go for a morning stroll as the new room I was allocated wouldn’t be ready straight away.

I decided to get out of the centre of Rome and head to Ostia beach. Door to door you’re looking at between 40 minutes – 1 hour. You’ll take a metro and then a train before a short walk. If you’re in Rome for several days, I’d suggest you buy a 48 hour ticket for 12 Euros. It’s valid for the metro, train and buses so you’re all sorted and don’t have to worry about buying extra tickets!

I didn’t know Rome had a beach before I came and I didn’t know that they had a private beaches either. I went to the public beach when I finally found it, it’s easy to get access to the private beach but there are people there to redirect you. I spent a few hours hours here it’s by no means the best beach you’ll ever go to but it was a good place to get away and recharge the batteries after a tiring couple of days.

It took until the evening of the second day before I finally got the chance to eat pizza in Italy! I ventured into the Trastevere area which is the place to go to in Rome if you want good pizza. I did some research before I went out and noticed Dar Poeta was one of the pizzerias with many positive reviews. How can I describe how good the pizza was? Well I feared before making this trip that I would become a pizza and pasta snob and so far it’s looking like my fear will become a reality, and I haven’t even made it to Naples yet!

I felt like I needed to walk the pizza off and went wandering into the night until I settled at the Spanish steps. In my honest opinion I think it’s a much better place to chill at than Trevi Fountain purely because there’s more space. I’d say there were more people about but because of how big the Piazza itself is there was more than enough room to everyone to have their own space.

Be warned! When you go to hang out at the steps, don’t take any food or take your footwear off. The guards are really strict and will pull you up on it straight away (I got told off for taking my flip flops off). Mind you I can’t blame those in charge for the food rule, you just know that there’s going to be people who’ll leave the area in a mess. I’m sure you’d agree there’s nothing wrong with the people of Rome for wanting to keep their beautiful monuments and tourist attractions intact from food and rubbish.

Two days had flown by and again I woke up really early and I didn’t even need the alarm. I went to the Spanish Steps because I knew it wouldn’t be packed and I could get some decent photos in there. I’ve always been one of those who likes a clear photo opportunity so I’m always willing to get up early if it’s worth it.

Afterwards, I make my way to The Vatican. As soon as you step on to St Peter’s Square, the only word that pops into your head is “WOW!”

The area looks really impressive as does St Peter’s Cathedral. Once again be warned that you’ll get people telling you that you’ll be waiting for 2 or 3 hours in line for the Cathedral because it’s free entry. And guess what!? I only waited like 10 or 15 minutes at most, and the queue stretched outside of the barrier which tells you how long the queue was and how impressive and efficient security was at getting people checked and through.

However, if you want to go to the museums, the gardens and the upper level of the Cathedral then you’ll need to buy a tour ticket.

Anyway back to St Peter’s Cathedral, never have I ever seen such a beautiful place, the inside is something else. My Sister was the one who suggested I go there (I probably would’ve done anyway) but I didn’t expect to see such beauty. I can’t describe it so I’ll leave you with the photos which I’m afraid won’t do it justice.

Before heading back to Trastevere for more pizza, I stopped by the Pantheon for a quick look around. I was going past it and it would be a waste not to stop by, especially if you’re not in a rush and you’re passing by somewhere which you could have a quick glance at when it’s free entry. It’s pretty small, even someone who is keen on extensively looking at every detail in a Church would’ve struggled to spend more than 30 minutes inside.

Anyway my choice of pizzeria this evening was Ai Marmi which, along with Dar Poeta was mentioned quite a bit after doing some research. What I liked about their pizza is how they got the crispiness of the base just right. The picture might not look appealing but trust me when I say it was really good. It wasn’t necessarily better than Dar Poeta, it was simply different.

From the previous day I noticed the Tervere Expo below the Sisto Bridge and decided to check it out. It runs during the summer season from 6pm to midnight. There’s places to eat, fuss ball tables and even small rides you’d see on the pier. I sat at one place and tried a Sardinian beer, Ichnusa which taste a bit sweet, I’m not a big beer drinker but it’s something I could drink again.

Still early times, I needed to walk off the pizza and beer and went back through Trastevere. I’d probably say it was my favourite part of Rome. What I liked about Trastevere is how authentic it is. For me the area is how I pictured Rome outside of the popular tourists spot. Even if you walked around the area for a bit and chilled in one of the Piazzas for an hour or two you’ll appreciate the peace. At night the locals are out doing something of some sort, whether it be in the markets or some kind of event. Trastevere in general has a positive vibe about it…not forgetting the delicious pizza!

Lastly a big thank you to Ylenia, a Roman native for helping me with some really good tips. If you’re travelling somewhere and you know of someone that is a local, don’t be afraid to ask them for tips. More often than not they’ll be more than happy to help and they know more than we do!