Rome: the review
Last week, I travelled to Rome for a holiday. Here are the highlights for you!
Best Place - St Peter's Basilica
The old cathedral in a massive square - I swapped Manchester's St Peter's Square for Rome's St Peter's Basilica for the afternoon. I had a tour, and our guide was very informative and full of interesting facts. After passing the security checks, I saw sights that I will never forget in my life. My favourite part of the entire break was seeing Michelangelo's sculpture in the Basilica. Michelangelo was renowned for being a painter but was a sculptor first. He arrived in Rome aged 22 and created this sculpture in the third image, which remains his only signed piece of work. Michelangelo became so famous that he did not sign his work, so seeing this sculpture was a one-of-a-kind experience. Also, being reminded of what Michaelangelo did at 22 made me think of what I wanted to achieve in the next few years - some good inspiration!
Best Food: Caffé Vaticano
This was my all-time favourite food from Rome. I had a bad experience with food in another country so I stuck to being pescatarian and found a really nice seafood linguine. It came with mussels and prawns, and was absolutely delightful in taste. It had a nice flavour and I chose some Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top. The lovely cafe had outdoor seating so I sat right outside the Vatican and enjoyed the sights of people walking by. The price was also reasonable and I would definitely recommend having lunch there instead of the Vatican cafeteria, which looked overpriced and had poor selection. My friends also had a classic margherita pizza as well as a creamy mushroom pasta, both splendid in flavour.
Best Tiramisu: Mariotti Gelateria
I had three tiramisus in Rome and the best one was the second one. It was a close call between the first and second but the second won. The tiramusu's texture was soft but spongey, not too mushy in its structure. The appearance was enticing with chocolate powder, and when breaking into it with a spoon, the coffee liquid could be felt, but it accompanied the taste and didn't overpower it. I found lots of alcohol-free tiramisus which I wasn't expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise! The place is an ice cream cafe and the tiramusu was halal because they have a Muslim staff member who makes it, so definitely check before ordering. It was absolutely divine!
Best Ice Cream: Don Nino
This ice cream was the best one I had in Rome, the consistency was not too runny and was very flavoursome, leaving a nice aftertaste. The flavour I liked was black cookie, similar to Oreo in taste. Also, don't get mint chocolate chip ice cream! This is my favourite flavour but for some reason, it does not taste anywhere near as good as the UK's, it is much more toothpaste-like in taste and quite an unappealing bright colour. I was actually surprised that I didn't like the coffee ice cream as much as I do in the UK, it was a strange taste for me personally but is a popular flavour for locals. You can ask the seller to give you a sample of the flavour so you know what you'd be buying!
Best area: Via Portico D'Ottavia
A lot of people online recommended the Trastevere neighbourhood for being a funky place with must-see shops but I found it empty and uneventful. I believe the best place to be is Via Portico D'Ottavia, the shopping central hub of the city. There are so many nice shops there to look into, as well as walk around. I went on a Friday night, and there were lots of people around as well as performers on the street. I liked having the atmosphere around to see locals and tourists enjoying themselves and seeing what they were up to. There was a chestnut stall, there were some designer shops, and there were some locally-owned shops. A bit of everything for everyone, and right next to the infamous Spanish steps too.
Final Comments
So there you have it! My trip's recommendations in a nutshell. I was fortunate enough to see many of Rome's key sights despite being there for a short break. I would recommend visiting as a city break especially for those interested in history and culture.
Feel free to comment if you want any other reviews on other sights in Rome!
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