Caffe Propaganda

Waking up in Rome felt different than I had expected. I've wanted to visit for such a long time that I could barely believe it was happening while I was really there. The city seemed almost mythical to me with architecture from copious centuries interspersed throughout the city. 

As per usual, when I feel out of place, I inevitably have to return to comfort foods, and by that I mean any type of carbohydrate you could possibly picture, but to make it easier for you to picture dear reader, I took pictures of my meal of course, because I love you so very dearly. When we walked into Caffe Propaganda (which is literally in view of the Collosseum, and it doesn't get much more Roman than that honestly) I felt transported back to New York, more specifically Williamsburg in Brooklyn, I mean let's face it, this place isn't remotely Roman apart from their excellent food. In keeping with virtually every single meal I had in Rome, I had to have Cacio e Pepe pasta, but let's be honest, you can't really go wrong when in Rome.

Find them here the next time you're in Rome and craving a restaurant void of tourists:

 

Sunday Snapshots - Vatican City

In order to avoid the crowds that storm Vatican City and especially St Peter's Basilica every day, we got up at 6 am and ended up being the first people climbing to the top of the dome. The light was still slanted creating a beautiful haze for these pictures. Standing at the top of the dome, Rome truly felt like an eternal city, with gorgeous rooftops as far as my eyes could see.

Rome Shortlist

Roma, where do I begin.... I felt such a strong affinity towards this city as soon as I arrived, brushing up on Italian and getting to know the place my dad grew up in, not to mention the stunning food and gelato at every corner. Any country that serves huge portions of pasta as casual appetizers is good in my book! I love the way history is interspersed with city buildings and you drink your coffee at the bar with cornetti in the mornings.

Where to stay... the beautiful Hotel de Russie with its stunning courtyard and beautiful views over Piazza del Popolo.

Where to eat... My favorites were Roscioli (Make sure you try all the types of prosciutto and parmesan. Obviously.) and Caffe Propaganda for lunch and Dal Bolognese, Alla Campana and Al Ceppo for dinners. As for gelato you can't really go very wrong, but you can check my post on Don Nino Artisan Gelateria here.

What to see... My favorite view was actually from the top of Castel Sant'Angelo, because you can see the entire city and have Vatican City at your feet. Other favorites include the Pantheon, the Forum Romanum and the Pallatine Hill and of course the Collosseum. Vatican City is a must see for any Rome visit, read on for how to avoid crowds below. If you have the time, wander through the small streets and see all the different Piazzas to get a feel for Roman life at its best.

Avoid the crowds.... When it comes to visiting Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica, you definitely want to avoid the crazy crowds and either prebook tickets with a guide, letting you skip the lines or get up really early to enter the Basilica at 7 am when it opens (we actually went up the dome at 7:30 when it opened and got to enjoy the view all to ourselves, which I highly recommend).

Gelateria Don Nino

If you follow me on instagram, you'll already know that I've been in Rome for the past few days. I can't believe it's taken me this long to visit this incredible city. My dad was born in Rome and is fluent in Italian, so walking through these beautiful streets certainly felt like home. I have more detailed posts on what to do and see here, but I quickly wanted to share this cute little Gelateria near the Pantheon with you. I've sampled my fair share of gelato while here and there are a lot of really good ones out there, but I really loved the interiors here and the Bronte Pistachio and Creme Caramel flavors at Gelateria da Nino near the Pantheon were simply to die for. That being said, you can't really go too wrong with gelato anywhere in Rome, and let's be honest, Pizza is great but there's nothing better than strolling through little cobblestone streets, gelato in hand (even if mine may or may not drip all over myself in a much less picturesque manner).

I'd love to know what your favorite things about Rome were! Have you been to Rome?

Find them here: