If you’ve ever had that experience of seeing a place for the first time that perhaps you thought you knew prior to visiting, then you’ll know how I felt when I visited Rome in 2019 with my family.
I had always wanted to visit and having started a tradition of visiting a European capital city for my birthday, (the previous year we visited Paris) when it came to deciding where to go, I knew instantly it had to be Rome.
I almost couldn’t believe I was going and that I was actually there. Driving from the airport and into the city, we got a glimpse of the Colosseum, it felt almost too good to be true. Being an incredibly old city, it felt like everywhere we turned we’d find something even older to marvel at. Walking the same streets that once upon a time gladiators, slaves, emperors and armies once walked was almost too much to believe.
A First Timer’s Viewpoint Of An Iconic City
If you’ve read Jo’s post 48 Hours In Rome, then you’ll already have an idea of how to get under the skin of this iconic city if time isn’t on your side. When I visited, we had 3 nights so plenty of time to see all the sights but as with any trip, there’s always more to see and no time in which to do so!
If you plan your trip carefully, you can see all of the tourist sights whilst still taking in the absolute magic which Rome possess. It oozes through every pavestone and architectural structure. I definitely felt that whilst walking around during my trip.
As a first timer visiting Rome, it can feel quite overwhelming / daunting arriving into such an iconic city and not knowing where to start, but I can promise you that whatever spots you visit, you’ll be left in awe and wonder.
One of the aspects of visiting foreign countries I love, is watching that place wake up. Usually when you’re planning your trip, there are early mornings involved to get to a particular tourist spot. This is where you really get to see the ‘real city’, how the locals start their days, where they go, the places they visit and which cafes are the busiest!
In Italy, the locals will go to a cafe, order an espresso and pastry and stand at the bar to drink / eat, before heading onto work. I definitely saw this in the cafe we had breakfast in, it was very popular with locals and tourists alike, which was good to see.
Rome is definitely one of those places which will always be busy with tourists from all around the world, no matter the time of year. (Of course, the world has since seen a global pandemic which shut down the world’s travel industry and indeed did lead to all the tourist spots being completely devoid of life.)
The history, which oozes so much from pretty much every inch of Rome, can feel intimidating and perhaps overwhelming for a first time visitor and rightly so, as it was founded in the 8th Century BC and is the third most populous city in the European Union. The key is to remember to absorb it all at regular intervals and imagine what life would have been like for those who came before.
By being so old, it also means you don’t have to rush around in a mad bid to ‘see everything’, as around each corner, there’s something new to behold. Take your time as you wander the streets, really savour each moment and you’ll come away really knowing understanding ‘The Real Rome!’
Thanks so much to SunshineSarahxo who runs the lifestyle blog www.sunshinesarahxo.com for this post. A blog which, in her words, ‘brings sunshine to your life and helps you feel better about life through posts on running, mental health, veganism and eco-friendly swaps.‘
Twitter – www.twitter.com/sunshinesarahxo
Instagram – www.instagram.com/sunshinesarahxo
Facebook – www.facebook.com/SunshineSarahxo