Rome Wasn't Explored in a Day
- rehannrheel
- Mar 30, 2021
- 3 min read
I think pretty much every millennial girl went through a Greek and Roman gods phase, and I was certainly no exception. What’s the draw to mythology? Did we watch Xena: Warrior Princess or Disney’s Hercules too many times? Is it because the gods are so dramatic, as though they’re the cast of the world’s first reality TV show?
Whatever the reason, as we exit Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and step onto Italian soil for the first time, there’s a part of me that swears I feel the power of those gods rise up through the soles of my feet.
The city is a mixture of the ancient and the modern, the wild of nature and the order of civilization. Maybe our trip will be filled with a bit of both, too.
Attractions
The Colosseum: Obviously we’re going to the Colosseum. Afterall, when I think “Rome,” I think “Colosseum” right after. This structure is at the heart of both the city and Roman history—a spectacle of architecture and drama—and if I had to choose only one place in all of Rome to visit, the Colosseum would be it.
Pantheon: I’m not saying I expect to see my hero Artemis hanging out at the Pantheon, but we’ll never know that she’s not hanging out there unless we go see for ourselves, right?
Keats-Shelley House: Seeing this place mentioned as a top tourist attraction now has me wanting to create a Literature Geek’s Trek Across Europe, where we visit the former residences of famous writers. But in the meantime, let’s put These Words on repeat as we visit Keats-Shelley House!
Roman Forum: Normally if you asked me, “Hey, wanna go see some government buildings?” my response would be, “Well...I could do that. Or I could go get my teeth pulled, which sounds equally as thrilling.” However, the Roman Forum is definitely the exception to the rule.
Palatine Hill: My school covered a lot of different Roman myths, but the myth about Romulus and Remus being rescued by the she-wolf and the founding of Rome stuck with me. Possibly because wolves are my favorite animal.
Pasta-Making and Wine-Tasting: Some of my favorite memories of Seoul are from the Airbnb experiences, where you can go to somebody’s home or studio and learn how to cook or make a craft. So this pasta-making and wine-tasting experience sounds like a very delicious “must” to me.
Honorable Mentions
Restaurants
For traditional cuisine: Flavio al Velavevodetto. Look at this pasta—just look at it! If the picture alone isn’t enough to make your mouth water, there’s clearly something wrong with your eyes or your tastebuds or probably both.
For modern Roman cuisine: La Ciambella. While a country’s traditional cuisine might be unbeatable, I always find it fascinating how they take the traditional and modernize it!
For pizza: Sbanco. I’m going to make a confession here—promise not to judge me too harshly? I don’t like pizza. I know, I know; I’m a freak. But despite my feelings, I am fully willing to do as the Romans do and scarf down as many slices as my tummy can hold.
For gelato: Fatamorgana. Why are you looking at me like I’m supposed to say something about this? It’s gelato! What more could I possibly say?
For coffee: Caffè Sant’Eustachio. Coffee is my life-blood. Get between me and the Keurig, and you’ll know only pain. So while others might have wine tastings during their trip to Rome, I will instead be having a coffee tasting.
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