Resolute Rome

We should totally just stab Caesar! My first memory of Rome is from the 2003 film: The Lizzie McGuire Movie. A prerequisite should be to watch this movie.

Rome's history is long, dark, interesting, and continuous. Walking around the city you will see 2,000-year-old ruins next to a McDonald's. It juxtaposes ancient civilizations and modern society.

Things to know: Humans have been occupying Rome for possibly 5,000 years. Rome has over 280 fountains, 900 churches, and the largest church ever constructed. The rumored founders of Rome were twin brothers Romulus and Remus who were raised by a she-wolf on the Palatine Hill after the king ordered them killed. You can find statues of the she-wolf with the famous twins throughout Rome.

Where have I stayed: Trastevere is my favorite area to stay in Rome. The first time I went to Rome, I made the biggest booking error of my Expedia account's life, choosing a small, gross, and loud hotel near the Trevi Fountain. Instead, if you stay in Trastevere, it puts you within walking distance of all the locations you want to see. There are great restaurants and even a fun nightlife. The Palazzo Baj Guest House in Trastevere was a nice option for my sister and me.

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Food and drink:

• Favorite Restaurant in Rome: Ristorante Sette Oche in Altalena. Gnocci is 10/10

• Papa Re in Trastevere

• Lucciano's Roma - Gelato

• PizzaRé

• Da Nina a Trastevere

• Osteria der Belli

• Ivo a Trastevere

• Da Enzo al 29

• The Hole Trastevere

• Delirium cafe Roma

• Otivm Roof Bar

Must see and do:

• Castel Sant'Angelo - The Castle of Angels that dates back to the year 200.

  • My favorite thing I saw in Rome.

  • Great view of the city near the cafe inside (see picture below).

• Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere

• Roman Forum at night

• Piazza Navona

  • Fountain of the Four Rivers

• Drink outside Pantheon (I think the inside is skippable unless there is no line). A lot of the original tiles are now at the Vatican. The Pantheon is almost 2,000 years old so it is fun to sip an Aperol Spritz and think about time.

• Ancient Pharmacy of Santa Maria della Scala

• Palacio Colonna

• Testaccio Market for shopping

• Trevi Fountain (hello Lizzie McGuire)

• Spanish Steps

• San Zeno Chapel at Santa Prassede

• Skip the Line tour of the Vatican

• Skip the Line: Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill Guided Tour

  • Other option: Colosseum tour at night

• Campo de Fiori

• Palazzo Spada

• Janiculum Hill

• Saint Peter's Square

• Villa Farnesina - Art Musuem

• Galleria Colonna

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Nearby Trip: We flew out of Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and instead of heading back to the city, our last day we did Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome. It is a less preserved Pompeii.

You can learn more here:

We then stayed at Hotel Isola Sacra. Renting a car for the second part of our trip, it was nice to drive to Ostia Antica and spend one last night relaxing at Hotel Isola Sacra. We ate at their restaurant and enjoyed the pool. It was a short drive the next morning for our early flight.