Hot and sweaty. The most repetitive words I have used to describe Italy during the summer, unless you are along the coast where it is breezy and cool. We brought wet cloths, reusable water bottles, wore summer clothes, and made sure to stand in the shade as much as possible; it does not cool you down. Be prepared to be hot and sweaty while you are touring the city of Rome.
Other than the city being one of the hottest places I have visited, its rich history is amazing to learn about. Most of the ancient buildings and structures we learned about from tour guides. They told us the history of them, what leaders ruled and decided to build them, as well as some secrets about the buildings and sculptures themselves.
Obviously when you go to Italy the food is going to be amazing, since Italians are notorious for their home-cooked meals. However, you need to be careful with the restaurants you get food from that are close to tourist attractions. These places are most likely going to be less delicious than other restaurants off the beaten path and you will likely be missing out on better restaurants. Most of the time the best food choices you are going to find in Italy are the home-made pasta places, the hidden restaurants around the corners, and the places that have good online reviews for years.
One of my favorite restaurants in Rome is called Il Bocconcino located in the Vatican City. This restaurant had the best Cacio e Pepe my family and I have ever had. The waitress offered for the chef to make us homemade pasta for the dish, as well as their family-used sauce, which was beyond amazing. Cacio e Pepe is a spaghetti pasta dish with a pepper-style sauce that makes the dish just a little spicy for your taste buds. We have tried to replicate this dish a hundred times since we had it at this restaurant and still cannot make it as good as they do. Il Bocconcino is definitely a restaurant you must eat at when visiting Rome.
Cajo & Gajo is another outstanding restaurant in Italy that I highly recommend. This restaurant is located in a small town called Trastavere, right outside Rome (about a twenty minute Uber ride). The town and space around the restaurant is gorgeous with flowers everywhere and a beautiful setting for sunsets. The food at this restaurant was extremely fresh. Most of the menu was made daily based on the fresh ingredients the cooks were able to get at the markets that day. I loved how personal they made your dinner, it made it feel as if the chef was only cooking for you.
Ristorante dei Musei is a wonderful Italian family-owned restaurant right outside the Vatican museums. The day that it was about one-hundred degrees we had a morning tour of the Vatican museum and right after we were starving. When our tour was over we were sweating from the heat and wanted any food we could get, thankfully this restaurant was opening at noon and they took us for lunch. The people that served us were the nicest people we meet on our entire trip. They asked us if we wanted freshly made pasta for our lasagnas and it was the quickest wait time for one of the best meals we had. If you plan to go through the Vatican or have a scheduled tour, this is the place to eat at as soon as you are done.
On top of the delicious foods that Rome has to offer, there are plenty of places to visit and learn about around the city. Just as most people do, we toured the Vatican and the Colosseum which I recommend considering how stunning it was. Aside from the main attractions, one thing I loved that a lot of people do not do is the Heart of Rome walk. This was one of the only things in Rome we did not have a guided tour for and I think it was the best decision we made. We got up early on our last day and did about four stops, before the heat started. The Heart of Rome walk has about fifteen stops total, not that you have to hit everyone since it would take a long time.
Since we only choose to see specific things we started from the back of the tour, with the Spanish Steps. The view from the top of the steps was breathtaking, especially around sunrise time. Watching the sunrise over the city of Rome was one of my favorite moments of our Italy trip.
Then my favorite stop we made on the Heart of Rome walk was the Trevi Fountain. Sadly, this was the most crowded structure on the walk, but to me it was the most beautiful. The statutes were gorgeous with a tremendous amount of details added to each piece. And the best part was throwing a coin into the fountain to ensure a return to the city of Rome!
The Pantheon is another must see on this Heart of Rome walk. A tip is that you need to have clothes down to your knees. I did not have on long shorts that day and we had to buy me a scarf to be able to go inside and view the duomo of the Pantheon. Definitely worth seeing and buying the scarf though.
The last place we did on the Heart of Rome walk was the Piazza Navona. The Piazza Navona is an open place which is famous for multiple art pieces including this detailed small fountain and tall building structure with intricate individuals sculpted throughout. This cute little square was a nice place for us to end the walk and had lots of options for lunch to grab food.
My last recommendation of something to see in Rome is the Knights of Malta Keyhole on Aventine Hill. This was one of the hardest things my family and I tried to find together in the sweltering heat, but it was beyond worth it. The keyhole is located on a hill through big green doors; there was a small line that only took about a ten minute wait. When you look through the keyhole you can perfectly see St. Peter’s Basilica which is shaped around the green bushes. The other super cool thing about the Knights of Malta Keyhole is that when you look through it you are able to set your eyes across three countries; Italy, the Vatican City, and Malta. As hard as I tried and many people did, no picture could ever do justice for what you will see through the keyhole.
Rome is one of my favorite cities I have visited over the years with my family. With both the food and historic landmarks it has lots to offer as a vacation spot. I hope that when you visit Rome you take some of my tips along with you and always feel free to reach out with questions.
