Italy: Rome

We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Italy this month! We spent 3 days in Rome and fell in love with its exquisite, ancient beauty.

We stayed in Trastevere, a family neighborhood southwest of the Tiber River and the historical center of Rome. We loved this neighborhood, with its daily farmer’s market outside our door. When the market cleared in the afternoons, the local children would flock to the park and begin playing soccer and other outdoor games until evening.

Our AirBnB apartment was in a square complex with a courtyard in the middle. We would see women hanging their laundry in the evening after work, and often heard Italian voices rising up to our room at night.

Trastevere has narrow streets and colorful buildings, filled with greenery, ancient churches and landmarks, and numerous restaurants. It is not, however, all tourist-driven and there are many signs of Roman life.

At night, the town streets are filled with walkers and entertainers, and young people drinking and socializing in the streets.

We walked 8-10 miles a day and saw nearly all of the historic Rome center. On our last day, we bought a bottle of wine and settled down in a park to soak in the birds, green grass and sunshine.