ROMA

Rome is like one delicious piece of lasagna, to put it simply. Not only do the hundreds and hundreds of trattorias lining the streets all offer some version of this classic dish, but this metaphor was solidified for me on our first night in the city after biting into a large portion of this traditional Italian dish. The messy, magical, and meaty piece of layered pasta strangely reminded me so much of this city.

The city is filled with layers and layers of history and it seems as though with every corner you turn, there’s another monument or ancient ruin. Rome is one of the only cities in modern day Italy that doesn’t have an extensive underground public transportation system, simply because of the insane number of ruins that still lie uncovered under the city.

This classic city captured my heart back in May and I was so glad to get to visit it this past weekend again!

There were only four of us that went (which ended up being perfect!) and we got in late Friday night after classes. We had a late dinner near the Vatican and then walked through St. Peter’s square at night before ducking in for an early night so we could be rested for the next day.

We got up early on Saturday to hopefully beat the crowds at the Colosseum. Luckily we got there right before the hoards of tour groups showed up and we were able to walk right in! (Not mentioned: how I forgot our entry tickets and had to take a taxi back to the hotel after walking all the way there…..). It was a real Lizzie McGuire moment for me as Kayla and I walked through and sang “this is what dreams are made of.”

We wandered the city and hit almost all the monuments just on Saturday. All by foot too (thank God for my tieks!).  We hit the Colosseum, the ancient forum, the pantheon, the Trevi Foundation, and the Spanish Steps before we decided we needed a quick 30 minute nap prior to dinner.

After a yummy dinner (pizza of course!) we headed back over to the Colosseum to see it all lit up at night! It was so spectacular to see such an ancient piece of history all lit up at night. Not quite sure if you can beat that view.

The boy then insisted we go to an ice bar, I lasted about 20 minutes before I decided it was all too cold and had to leave before I turned into an icicle.

Sunday we had a flight back to Venice mid-afternoon, so we spent the morning at the Vatican listening to the Pope speak (!!!!) and going inside the Basillica!

Another great weekend spent exploring another great city. This weekend you’ll have to follow me on Instagram (@prepavenue) or snapchat (Shannon.hessen) to know where we’re headed next.

Hint: It’s not in Italy and another one of my favorite childhood Disney movies took place there! Any guesses?

Remember,

xoxo

S