Rome, Italy
It was wonderful returning to Rome, The Eternal City. The weather was around 65 degrees & sunny the entire week. I went in February so that felt very mild compared to the NYC winter weather. It wasn’t crowded & the comfortable temperatures made walking very enjoyable. I love Italy so much, I am 80% Italian and whenever I am there I feel so at home and close to my heritage! The Italians make EVERYONE feel welcome and at home in their beautiful country.
I love to travel, I create travel and fashion content for my business Theparishouse.com , scout locations for photoshoots, meet wonderful people, take incredible informative tours, bring home local recipes & fully immerse myself in the culture. Travel is my greatest passion and I love to share our adventures with my readers. I am a luxury travel writer, however all trips can be curated and enjoyed at every budget.
Day 1 -I flew from the NYC area nonstop to Rome
I stayed at Hotel Splendide Royal, located across from the Borghese gardens & in walking distance to Harry’s Bar, museums, restaurants & more. It is also a quick ride to all the Roman highlights! The concierge at the hotel were excellent and made my stay very enjoyable. I would highly recommend Hotel Splendide Roma. Enjoy breakfast with a view of the Vatican and cocktails on their rooftop with a view of Vatican City. It’s gorgeous.
Tours- https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House/posts/a8d66d28-951d-11ec-a91d-0242ac110002
Day 2- I took a floral design class in Rome, it was lovely. I own a Floral and Event Design Business and love to style with other designers on my travels around the world. Its so fun to share and learn new ideas. Martina hand-selected each flower at the local flower market, in the loveliest shades. The seasonal tulips, ranunculus, and flowers she chose were in the prettiest hues! They looked so pretty all week in my hotel room.
(This was a private class & I had a driver arranged by my hotel. We can plan all your excursions for you and have linked all our tours here & below in our “shop this story” section ).
Day 3 - We began our private tour at the Underground Coliseum - The newest attraction to the Coliseum is the fascinating underground, which was not open the last time I was in Rome. It was incredible to see the mechanics of the elevators, which were used to bring the animals up to the arena, many of these pulley systems are still used in various ways today. It’s interesting to see and learn about the masterful architecture, aqueducts and designs by the Romans. Of course the history of the Coliseum dates back to nearly 2,000 years and if not for the earthquake, would still be fully in tact. Like the saying goes “they don’t make them like the used to”!!! It is quite shocking to be there and try and picture the barbaric games that drew thousands of spectators -and the occasional hungry animal who escaped up into the spectators section!! I also highly recommend visiting at night when it is illuminated in light, it is spectacular and a perfect spot for photos. Rome is indeed the Eternal City. More on that below.
Then it was off to the Sistine Chapel with Bea my guide for the day. Bea was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about everything we did that day! (This was another private tour & I had a driver arranged by my hotel- taxis and public transportation are also readily available).
Seeing this Masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo never fails to leave me in awe.
Day 4- I took a private tour of the Borghese Gardens & Villa Borghese (I booked this with Viator, I always enjoy their tours and guides)
Marco was enthusiastic & incredibly knowledgeable. This was a quick pleasant walk from our hotel ( we popped into Harrys Bar for a late lunch and bellini before our tour). We have linked all of our tours here & below
Tours- https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House/posts/11047ace-9817-11ec-a066-0242ac110004
Day 5- Evening walking tour with Amira
Amira was a ray of sunshine, she was an absolute joy from the moment she picked me up at my hotel. We drove to see all the famous spots at night, Amira went above and beyond to ensure we had the most wonderful evening.
We began our tour at Piazza Navona, built in the 1st century AD on the site of the Stadium of Domitian. We then went to see the Vatican illuminated in evening lights, we visited the Pantheon, The Coliseum, The Mouth of Truth (which you might remember from Roman Holiday) Theater of Pompey where Julius Caesar was murdered, the Temple of Hercules, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain and Amira pointed out many more sites along the way. We had the most delicious dinner outside in piazza Navona, the Cacio e Pepe and red wine were incredible! I returned to my hotel around 11 pm and had sweet dreams of the most enchanting evening in Roma.
The Pantheon at night https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House/posts/11047ace-9817-11ec-a066-0242ac110004
Temple of Hercules
Coliseum
Mouth of Truth
Trevi Fountain https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House/posts/a8d66d28-951d-11ec-a91d-0242ac110002
Tour Links - https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House/posts/a2f0dade-980a-11ec-9aa4-0242ac110002
Day 6- explored Rome nearby by the hotel, had lunch on the Spanish steps with pizza & Campari Cocktails at the top of the steps.
Campari Spritz
Top of The Spanish Steps
Delicious fresh fruit and sorbet
Day 7- returned to Newark
Scroll to bottom to shop this blogpost, we have added many fashion, beauty, and travel items.
https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House/posts/5b1ccb13-98aa-11ec-94a1-0242ac110003
https://www.shopltk.com/explore/The%20Paris%20House
I plan all our trips & excursions. I studied travel & tourism in college my first semester in college and I am a professional travel planner & who can assist you in your future trips!
Fashion
Be mindful of the cobblestone & bring comfortable shoes. I love heels so I opt for a chunky heel boot, wedge, espadrille, fashionable sneaker, etc. I’ll wear my high heels in the hotel typically at the rooftop bars.