Rome and the Vatican: An Unforgettable Italian Adventure

My European AdventureAfter years of dreaming about it, I finally decided to take a solo adventure through Europe. More than 30 days, several countries, countless walks, and many unexpected moments became part of a journey I will never forget.
I invite you to come along with me as I share the places I visited, the things I discovered, the little mishaps, and the memories I brought home.
And this is where my adventure begins…

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I took the plane from Barcelona to Rome. I was tired, but happy. I was beginning a new chapter of my adventure: traveling through Italy.
My first destination in Italy was Rome.
I was curious and excited to discover the city, although I was still dealing with one small problem: my sneakers! They were still bothering me, but by this point I had become a professional at carrying Band-Aids. I had tons of them in my bag, so I decided that between the sneakers and the Band-Aids, we would somehow survive Italy together.
I was also becoming much more experienced with European taxis. One thing I had learned during my travels was that Uber was not always the easiest option. In some cities, it seemed much better to download the local taxi app. I was also becoming more familiar with Google Maps, although Rome definitely put my new skills to the test.
Rome has so many little streets and alleys that sometimes you can stand at one corner and find five different ways to go. Google Maps tells you where to go, but then you have to turn around, look carefully, and figure out which of those five streets is actually the one you need!
My Mysterious Hotel
When I finally arrived at my hotel, I had my first little scare.
There was no obvious hotel sign. There was only a large, old door.
For a moment, I thought, Oh no… did I get scammed?
Fortunately, I had booked the hotel through a company I trusted and had carefully read the reviews before making the reservation, so I knew it was supposed to be real.
I started asking questions and looking very carefully around the building. Eventually, I discovered that the hotel was actually inside that enormous old door, on the third floor.
When I finally entered, I looked around carefully and found a tiny sign explaining that the hotel reception was on the third floor.
Thankfully, there was an elevator!
When I reached the third floor, there were two people there—but neither was the receptionist. An older man was looking at his clothes, and he spoke only Italian.
Until that moment, I had managed quite well with my English and Spanish, but now I was definitely out of my comfort zone.
My Italian is a little rusty. After all, my ancestors are from Italy, so you would think I should feel completely comfortable speaking Italian. But knowing a language and actually having the courage to speak it are two different things!
I can understand some Italian, and I know enough to get by, but I become a little shy when I have to speak it. Suddenly, all those Italian words that I thought I remembered seem to disappear from my mind!
The old man told me to wait.
So I waited.
And waited.
About half an hour later, the receptionist finally arrived. She gave me the keys, and I left my things in the room.
I was ready to explore.
My First Taste of Rome
One of the first things I discovered was a laundry. This was wonderful news because, after so many days of traveling, I really needed to wash my clothes!
After that, I was starving.
I called a taxi and headed out for my first exploration of Rome.
I visited Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon.
It was unbelievable.
The number of tourists was enormous. I had already visited several European cities filled with tourists, but Rome was on another level. There were people everywhere.
Even the taxi ride became part of the adventure.
The driver became very frustrated with people crossing the streets without looking. He got upset several times, and suddenly the traffic felt like another part of the Roman experience.
After walking around, I stopped to eat some pasta. Of course, I was in Italy—so pasta had to be part of the experience!
I decided that I would return to the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon another day, hopefully when there were fewer people.
The Vatican
The next day, I went to the Vatican.
I visited the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica.
The lines were unbelievable.
I went early because I thought that arriving early would help me avoid the crowds. Instead, I somehow ended up being sent to the end of the line three times because I was too early!
It was a little annoying at the time, but once I was finally inside, all of that disappeared.
The art, the architecture, the history, and the atmosphere were simply extraordinary.
And it wasn't only the Vatican.
The entire experience of Rome felt out of this world.
Standing in front of the Trevi Fountain, walking through the ancient Colosseum, exploring the Roman Forum, seeing St. Peter's Basilica, admiring the art inside the Vatican Museums, and simply walking through the streets of Rome all created moments that I knew I would remember forever.
There are places you visit and enjoy, and then there are places that seem to reach something deeper inside you.
For me, Rome was one of those places.
The beauty, history, art, architecture, and atmosphere touched my soul. It is difficult to explain exactly why some places affect you so deeply, but Rome did.
After leaving the Vatican, I ate at a restaurant across from it and then continued exploring.
I strolled along the Tiber River and visited Castel Sant'Angelo.
By then, I was tired, and I decided to return to my hotel early. As I mentioned before, the area around my hotel felt a little sketchy to me, so I didn't want to be walking around there at night. This time, I took a taxi, and I was getting much better at knowing where to find them and how to use them.
By six o'clock, I was safely inside my hotel.
Trevi Fountain at Six in the Morning
The following day, before going to the Colosseum, I decided to try something different.
I woke up very early—around six in the morning—and went back to the Trevi Fountain.
This time, it was completely different.
There were still quite a few people, but nothing compared with the crowds I had seen the day before.
I could actually see the fountain, take pictures, and enjoy the moment without being surrounded by a sea of tourists.
And, of course, I made a wish.
Standing there so early in the morning, I felt like I had finally discovered a quieter side of Rome.
After that, I continued walking through the city.
I explored Via del Corso, Piazza Venezia, and Piazza di Spagna. I walked through the streets, taking in everything around me, and then continued with my visit to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill.
There was so much to see and so much history everywhere I looked. Rome really does feel like a city where the past and present exist together.
You don't simply visit history in Rome.
You walk through it.
By the time I finished, I was ready for another Italian necessity:
pizza!
Walking… and Walking Some More
After eating, I was exhausted from all the walking and decided to take the bus back.
Simple, right?
Not quite.
I couldn't find the bus number I needed.
While I was waiting and trying to figure it out, I noticed two cute little cars and took a picture. Then I thought, You know what? I can walk.
So I walked again.
At this point, my feet were probably wondering what they had done to deserve this trip.
And yes…
Those sneakers were still bothering me!
Which made me wonder:
Could my feet actually grow from one day to another?
I know that sounds ridiculous, but after walking kilometer after kilometer every day, my feet certainly felt bigger!
Maybe it wasn't my feet.
Maybe it was the sneakers.
But I wasn't ready to admit defeat.
One More Fountain and the Pantheon
Somehow, I ended up near the Trevi Fountain again.
It wasn't planned, but I didn't mind. Since I was there, I decided to make the most of the opportunity and go to the Pantheon.
This time, I made the line to enter, and it took at least an hour.
But it was worth it.
Even with the crowds and the long lines, standing inside these ancient places made me stop and think about how many generations had walked through the same city.
That is one of the magical things about Rome.
You don't simply look at history from a distance.
You become part of the experience by walking through it.
My Last Morning in Rome
Before leaving Rome and heading to the train station for my next destination, Florence, I had one more place to visit.
I went to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
There, I was also able to visit the tomb of Pope Francis.
It was a quiet and meaningful way to end my time in Rome before continuing my journey through Italy.
Rome was a little crazy.
There were too many tourists, complicated streets, confusing taxis, long lines, a mysterious hotel entrance, and enough walking to make my feet protest every day.
But despite all of that, Rome was unforgettable.
It was beautiful, overwhelming, historic, lively, and full of surprises.
And perhaps that is what travel is really about.
Not everything goes according to plan.
Sometimes you get lost.
Sometimes your hotel looks like a scam.
Sometimes the taxi driver scares you.
Sometimes you wait in the wrong line three times.
Sometimes you cannot find the bus.
Sometimes you are too shy to speak the language of your own ancestors.
And sometimes your sneakers make you question whether your feet have suddenly grown.
But then you stand in front of the Trevi Fountain at six in the morning, make a wish, walk through the Colosseum, stand in St. Peter's Basilica, admire centuries of art at the Vatican, or enter a centuries-old basilica—and you realize that every little difficulty becomes part of the story you will remember forever.
Rome gave me plenty of stories.
It gave me history, art, beauty, surprises, challenges, and moments that touched my soul.
And even though my feet were begging for mercy, I was ready for the next chapter of my Italian adventure:
Florence.