The weekend was quickly approaching so we had some sights, food, and adventures on our minds – specifically The Roman Forum and Trastavere!
Friday was pretty uneventful because we just slept, worked, and relaxed. However, the one highlight of that day was that we found a café called “C’era Una Volta il Caffe” which translates to “Once Upon a Time Café!” Isn’t that the SWEETEST THING!?
Speaking of sweet, they had a pistachio croissant. I don’t know if I’ve shared this before, but pistachio is one of my all-time favorite flavors so I was very happy to try this. It was divine. Pistachio custard is delicious!
Moving onto Saturday meant we had the whole day to explore. No work, no obligations – just adventures!
Overall, this was one of my absolute favorite days in Rome and, even months later, I would classify this as one of our top days of Nomad Life thus far!
Random Storytime…
Remember Luna, the little kitty who visited us after getting My First Real Taste of Italian Pizza? While I was getting ready, Steven brought the trash out the back door and little Luna was there!
I got so excited and went to go see her, but that sneaky sneaker tried to come INTO the apartment. So as an impulse reaction, I closed the door… and… IT LOCKED US OUT.
Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, our phones were locked inside, too. This was a huge mistake on my part, that’s for sure!
Thankfully, Steven kept himself calm enough to think straight (after we both had our mini moment of panic, of course) and he walked over to what looked like the main area of the apartment complex. Thank God there was a woman at the desk who was able to let us in. She spoke Italian but we were able to gesture the fact that we were locked out and she totally understood and helped us get back inside. PHEW! Must happen all the time.
Off to The Roman Forum!
So with that near-miss, we were back on track with our day! We finished getting ready, had some eggs and toast for breakfast, and then finally headed out.
Our walk began in the direction of the Colosseum and thankfully we were much more awake than last time we were here on Our Grand Arrival in Italy. These photos were from the park that lead straight to the Colosseum and this became one of our favorite walks to make – there’s just nothing like this view in the world!
Because we had total free range today, we wandered around and followed wherever our hearts lead us. There were pathways all around the city that provided a view of the Roman Forum from above, which was incredible to see!
We stood at different outlooks and stared at the Forum for a good long while. There is so much to look at, you could be immersed in it for ages.
Deep Thoughts Brought To You By The Roman Forum
It is unfathomable how old the Forum is to my little human/American brain. Seeing historical landmarks like this in person just hits me to my core – I never grew up seeing anything like this. It’s crazy to think about how this whole way of life existed in these exact spaces, and now the direct surrounding areas evolved into a fully functioning modern city and tourist destinations. It truly is wild that we are still living in the same world as those people from so long ago.
(does anyone else get into existential thought processes when they see stuff like this or is it just me??)
(Why yes, the current “The Road Jess Traveled” photos are from this very day!)
Going from view to view was as easy as taking a walk through the city. So along the way, there were gorgeous fountains and more buildings to admire.
We did a much more thorough visit to The Roman Forum later in the month where we got a combo ticket to see The Colosseum/The Roman Forum from the inside. But you can see so much beauty without spending a Euro! Like I mentioned before, Rome has a bunch of different outlooks that give you incredible views from above.
On the pathway down from this overlook, we passed a line of gorgeous colorful buildings! I could not resist having a mini-photoshoot here, it was calling my soul.
This whole day felt so surreal and joyful. I felt so happy to be alive. It was like my soul was coming back to life with sunshine, views, and love.
Checking out Trastavere
Next stop: Trastavere! The number of people that recommended going to visit this district was significant, so today was the day we wanted to go see what all of the fuss was about.
Upon arriving, I knew what people were referring to right away. It was a district with tons of restaurants and shops and good cheer… it felt very authentic to Italy as well!
As a result of walking so much today, we needed a little pre-dinner snack. Steven opted for some fried mozzarella and it was delicious. That’s one thing I love about Italy – you can just walk by a random grab-and-go restaurant, pick something up, and it turns out to be great quality. Everything is always so good!
And with that… we got in line for our restaurant of the night!
Come back next time to read all about our dining experience at Tonnarello – one of my biggest recommendations and favorite places we ate in all of Rome!
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