Thoughts From Backpacking: Rome, Italy

This is an account of the first leg of my huge backpacking trip!

I chose to start my backpacking trip to Europe in Rome for a lot of reasons but honestly the biggest reason is because I wanted to avoid going to Italy in June. Thus I spent 5 days there at the end of May and let me tell you it was still too freakin hot.

I only had 34 days in Europe so why did I spend 5 of them in Italy? In the words of Hillary Duff, “Why Not?” I felt like Rome was one of those quintessential places that one has to see when in Europe and I knew I would regret it if I didn't add it to my list.

My first day in Italy I actually left and went to the Vatican City, but that is a story for another post. As for my first day in Rome I did a lot of touristy things and tried not to melt in the never ceasing sun. Okay so I knew the line at the Colosseum and Palatine Hill were going to be stupidly long because I researched it. That research told me to go to the Forum first and buy tickets there, saved at least an hour of standing in line doing it that way.

A view of the Forum from above!

 I went to the Forum because of the Temple of the Vestal Virgins which plays a big part in my favorite book 13 Little Blue Envelopes. First thing you need to know is that all ruins look basically the same which is why I wandered endlessly back and forth for HOURS looking for something that I actually passed 8 times. I want to write a post about how I did as much as I could of Ginny's journey in 13 Little Blue Envelopes so instead of writing about the Virgins I'll tell you about what else I did at the Forum and on the Hill. Since I had spent hours looking at the ruins I figured I would rest and spend some time just soaking in my surroundings. I sat under an olive tree (I knew it was an olive tree only because some guide kept yelling about them) and watched the people around me. I also started to collect plants and tape them into my journal, like a poppy and a daisy.

I had to do it, I couldn't resist!

After getting completely lost trying to leave the ruins I was ready to call it a day and go back to my hostel because I do not to well in the sun and by that point I had had more sun than I had my entire life, but I couldn't because I hadn't been to the Colosseum. I couldn’t go to ROME and not see the COLOSSEUM. I took it extremely slowly and gained bits and pieces of its history by eavesdropping on several different tours. My dad loves the Colosseum so I made sure I got a ton of photos from the inside for him. You aren't allowed to go down to the floor but you can see it which is cool.

My second day in Rome was spent walking the city with Stefano from New Rome Free Tour and a nice group of people. The tour was wonderful, especially Stefano who was a great guide! His two stand out features were being incredibly knowledgeable and was a fan of SHADE! The tour started at the Spanish Steps (which were under construction at the time), went to some churches, to the Pantheon, and ended at the Trevi Fountain (which had a million people there). He took us on a winding path down a lot of tiny alleys and I loved that because it felt authentic. Stefano was great and took that theme of authenticity to heart and taught his tour how to be a proper Roman by showing us how to use one of the many fountains around the city. IT IS A SECRET THOUGH. I promised I wouldn't tell, but let me tell you that I was spoiled with those fountains. They are revolutionary and every city in the world needs to follow suit.

I really liked Trevi Fountain, but jeez the crowds!

Day three found me dying with a cold but with a MISSION to do some shopping! I had a few things that I wanted to get from each city: postcards, coins, Harry Potter books, smashed pennies, and patches! Success for all of them! I enjoyed having no real goal other than seeing what there was to see and of course that brought me into some odd situations. Like sketchy grocery shop owners and scammers trying to put bracelets on me and giving me random elephants. I will never understand street scammers. I loved the bracelet though it had a sea turtle and the elephant would have looked great on my shelf, but I know their game. They aren't being nice, they want your money and I did not have any to spare!

Picture it: Rome, my last day there, me in some random park CRYING because I was so lost. I just wanted to go to the art gallery but instead I got lost in a sea of trees. I am so bad at navigating parks. I was so tired and so hot that I gave up on Rome. I went back to my hostel, grabbed my pack, and headed to the main train station to rest for a while before my train to Vienna where I would catch another train to Prague!

My general memories of Rome are warm, both because I was always sweating and because of the colors of everything. Rome wasn't one of my favorite cities but I would go back again, but in the winter. I never want to feel the boiling hot sun of Rome again. I still want to see the Capitoline Museum, the Capuchin Bone Crypt, the Appian Way, the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Cimitero Acattolico! 

(I know, there should be a lot more to this account right? Like the food I ate, where I stayed, the amazing people I met, and how I got around! No worries those are all going to be rounded together in blog posts of their own!!)

~Laura!