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Trastevere ... where you can take gorgeous pics like this!
Rome is one of those cities that once you’ve been there, you’ll want to go back time and time again. But what is it that’s so appealing about it for young travelers?
What hooked me on Rome …
When people talk about Rome and how great it is, it’s nearly a guarantee the words “Colosseum,” “Vatican,” “Fontana di Trevi,” “Pantheon” and more. However, for me, Rome is a lot more than its historical landmarks.
I got off at Termini station after three hours on a train from Naples at 11pm. I was tired. I was stressed out. All I wanted to do was to relax a bit. I got on the Metropolitana (Rome’s name for the subway) and got off at Spagna, close to where the Rome apartments I was staying at were located. And then, as soon as I got out into the street, something came across me which completely got rid of my bad mood and tiredness.
The Spanish Steps.
The sight of the lit up square. There, the lively, but not too busy, Spanish Steps and the beautifully lit-up church of the Trinità dei Monti gave me a such a sense of happiness.
The next morning, I arose early and decided to go for a coffee in a nearby piazza. A cliché, of course, but I thought I might give it a shot. I ended up walking towards the Trastevere until I came across Piazza Campo de’ Fiori. I sat in a café and had my breakfast reading a copy of the daily sports newspaper ‘La Gazzettadello Sport’ (one can always improve their Italian) and then I took my eye off the paper, looked around and thought to myself ‘this is the life!’, a special moment that one can only enjoy alone.
A part of Rome that’s completely underrated is the Trastevere, the part of the city that’s on the other side of the Tiber river. With a fraction of the tourists you can find in the centre, this quiet area is beautiful and picturesque during the day and lively and exciting at night. Lunch in one of its quiet piazzas is highly recommended.
Italian people are very warm people. However, I would recommend at least attempting to speak to them in Italian, and not another language. If you try to speak some Italian, despite how bad it may be, they will see that you’re making an effort and help you with whatever you need. As a traveller, if you attempt to speak the language of the country you’re in, whether it’s Italy or Belarus, you will get a lot more help from the locals and it will make your stay a much more enjoyable and satisfying one. I have only good things to say about the Romans.
So, if you were thinking of travelling to a European destination for your next trip, choose to rent apartments in Rome and visit this wonderful city for the first of your many holidays there.
About the Author: Aleix Gwilliam is a 24-year-old from Barcelona who looks English, but thinks like a Catalan. He enjoys travelling, especially on old Czech trains, and trying to start conversations in Hungarian with people at Pecs station, even though his Hungarian is as good as his Bulgarian, in other words, not very good. He’s a trier.
