Rome wasn't built in a day

The last stop on our Italian adventure was Rome.

I studied Roman Architecture at University and getting the opportunity to see some of the monuments & structures discussed in theory was really exciting. The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Vatican, The Trevi Fountain… I was bursting with excitement at the thought of seeing all of these historic places.

Our accomodation was hidden away amongst a maze of cobbled lane ways in the Trastevere. We stayed in a little studio apartment that opened up to a variety of restaurants and bars. It was a perfect location for dining out and for walking to all the quintessential roman locations.

The first thing we did was find a quaint little restaurant for some food and wine, before exploring the area. We were spoilt for choice and in our final week, we managed to discover some great little gems.

This, the last leg of our trip, was just as jam packed as the rest of our adventure. Apart from visiting the main attractions, we walked along the streets following the river as it meandered its way through the city. Whilst the city was filled with such beauty, homelessness was also prevalent. It was especially noticeable around the river with makeshift shanty tents set up. Other things that stuck in my mind was walking through the Jewish Ghetto and seeing small humble plaques as a reminder to those who lost their lives during Nazi occupation.

For the last part of our trip, we wanted to do something a bit different. So, we took a cooking class. We had the best day with Chef Monica and Elizabetta. Being the off season, we were so fortunate that it was only the two of us in the class. Monica and Elizabetta were both lovely and helpful, they made us feel very welcome and at ease. We got to experience the sights, smells and tastes of Rome as Monica showed us around the Campo De’ Fiori market, sharing with us some of her favourite places and food stores.

From the market, we walked back to the cooking venue, during the walk Monica explained some of Rome’s customs and history. It made the day even better, as we had not seen some of these areas and local knowledge is always invaluable.

We were very much looking forward to the cooking class and we were not disappointed. We had so much fun and learnt a lot, with the menu selection being really thought out and delicious. We had the best day. We were completely stuffed when we left - after eating three pasta dishes; a veal dish; tiramisu; crostini; plus, wine and water.