Rome

After we visited Barcelona, we had the great opportunity to visit Rome, the "eternal city".. and wow.. what an experience that was..Let me start by saying that Rome is not an easy city; it is very overwhelming and very peculiar...not entirely convincing at first but it definitely has the capacity to suck anybody in....

We spent 5 wonderful days in Rome...5 VERY productive and busy days..such an amazing trip..

Rome is dirty, disorganized and very messy... it is not the typical city where everything is tourist like and commercial... Rome is all about history and tradition... most building look like they're falling apart and the streets are extremely overcrowded...

Some of my observations of Rome were:

1. There are more restaurants than people... wow.. there is a restaurant, cafe, gelato store, bakery or bar in every corner...and every place is always packed! The food is really good but it can be a bit pricey..

2. Pasta is usually an appetizer or PRIMI PIATTI as the Romans call it...a little bowl of pasta (spaghetti, gnocchi or any other) is usually served as a starter.. After that, whatever you order doesn't come with a side.. it's all separate.. (that's how it get pricey... get it?)

3. Bread isn't free at restaurants...you get charged 1 euro per person, even if you don't order or don't eat the bread! it's crazy!

4. Beer, wine and alcoholic beverages are so CHEAP... and soda is expensive.. on top of that it's usually served with no ice so it's not even worth buying...

5. People LOVE the metro and think the wagons have endless space... it's incredible how many people can fit in there.. and it STINKS if it's rush hour so walking is a better option most times...

6. Romans are very peculiar, but I found them to be a lot nicer than Barcelonians... they were always willing to speak English (or Spanish) and the customer service was way better than in Spain...

Here are a few pictures of Rome...

The first 3 are at the Colosseum, which is one of the most awesome spots in the city... so amazing!

...here's Iggy jumping at the ruins of the Roman Forum.. such an amazing place...

...this is the Ara Pacis museum.. a very interesting building..

...this is inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican... what an amazing place... it was one of the best experiences in Rome...

..this is us at Trevi Fountain...that place has such amazing energy and it's so beautiful..

and this is us at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican again...