Where to Eat in Rome

I simply adore Rome! 

(You can read about past lovely trips here and here) One of the things you must find when visiting such a nostalgic city is good food. Well good food and of course, a cozy little cafe where you can slip in unnoticed, blend in with the locals, and sip on a glass of house wine or chilled limoncello. Trust me, you want to get away from restaurants that beckon you to come in and offer "tourist menus." Find that little hole in the wall with creaky doors and dusty, exposed brick ceilings. Or, if you happen to know someone who has been living in Rome, follow them around for the weekend! That's what we did, and Ben introduced us to some wonderful restaurants and local bars. 

Here are my food notes from our February trip to Rome:

We had breakfast twice at the Bakery House ROMA. Their food was so fresh and it was reasonably priced! We each paid under 10Euros for coffee and a sizable breakfast. My favorite meal at the Bakery House was their eggs benedict with ham and asparagus. I couldn't leave without trying one of their homemade cupcakes too. I know, I know, breakfast of champions! It was totally worth it! 

"When in Rome"

Perhaps I should rename this post "Ben in Rome" because our fantastic guide, Ben, treated us to two days of non-stop sightseeing, limoncello, coffee and Italian pizzas! After working in Rome for a couple years, Ben sort of owns the city! I have to say that it was refreshing to walk around and actually see the sights as opposed to having my nose buried in a map. Rather than pick a restaurant based on a random recommendation, we confidently followed Ben into his favorite cafes and hole in the wall trattoria's. On this trip, we were followers, and Ben made sure that we saw as much as possible on our short weekend in Rome. 

 I had visited Rome in July with a couple of our friends from Kentucky, but unfortunately Chris' job kept him home. Boo. This time around, I was not about to take the trip without my hardworking Hubby! I knew that all of the books and shows surrounding ancient Roman civilization would spring to life once Chris saw it all in person. It took two short hours to fly from Brussels to Rome and since I was familiar with the route from the airport to Termini Station, we had no problems finding Ben's metro stop. 

Pompeii, Italy

View of Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento, Italy. 

Oh silly me! I completely forgot to post pictures of one of my favorite summer excursions! The Morris’ and I had just spent several glorious (sweltering) summer days in the Italian cities of Rome, Positano, Sorrento and Capri, and the day had come for me to fly home and reconnect with my hard-working Hubby. 

(Lovey-dovey side note – I am always bummed when Chris’ work schedule doesn’t allow him to hop on a plane with me every single time I get the travel urge, but I am beyond blessed - and spoiled - that he gives me freedom and trusts me to sight see on my own, meet up with friends and spend his hard-earned dollars wisely. What a man!) 

Evan mentioned that next on the Morris’-Italian-travel-agenda was a trip to see the ruins of Pompeii and that darn Mount Vesuvius. Since I would pass Pompeii on my way back to Rome, I decided to enjoy one last excursion with my dear friends before parting ways. I'm so glad that I did! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed seeing the Pompeii that had before only existed on the pages of my middle school textbooks. 

Cinque Terre Italy

One of my favorite shots of Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre, Italy.  This is where we stayed!

Cinque Terre Italy (The Five Lands), that mythical portion of the Italian Riviera that has, for centuries, lured travelers in with the promise of fine Italian wines, charming local flare, breathtaking views, and romantic hikes uninterrupted by passing vehicles. I had a good friend who had hiked The Five Lands with his wife several years ago, and after seeing his pictures, I instantly added the destination to my "bucket list." I know it is a super "touristy" place to visit in Italy, but I am a tourist, and I want to tour as much of this amazing world as possible!

Kayla and I were blessed with fantastic weather and cheap flights in mid-September! We did book about three months ahead, so perhaps a little advance planning helped us stick to our budgets. Even with three months notice, it was a struggle to find a comfortable, budget friendly B&B with an available room. If you are planning to spend some time in Cinque Terre next summer (2013), I would suggest contacting B&Bs now! A lot of places are already booking up for June, July and August. You will need to contact most places via email when requesting a reservation. 

I learned while researching that there are a few (super expensive) hotels in Cinque Terre, but the most common thing to do is to get a room at a guest house or family run B&B. I used Trip Advisor as a reference, and decided to book four nights at Locanda Ca da Iride in Riomaggiore, the first of The Five Lands. Our little B&B was nothing spectacular, but it was clean and the family was friendly and accommodating. Riomaggiore was a great home base from which to explore all of Cinque Terre. A lot of B&Bs only accept cash payments once you check out, so as a rule of thumb, contact your accommodation several times before you arrive to make sure they indeed have your booking. 

We had such a great time in Cinque Terre, and even though I can now check it off my "bucket list," I want to get back there some day with my Hubby! Enjoy a few of our pictures and if you are interested in any of my notes from the trip, I will list them at the end of this post. 

First picture of both of us in Cinque Terre! Rocks make great tripods!

Riomaggiore - Cinque Terre, Italy.

It's really this beautiful!

You just cannot stop taking pictures of Riomaggiore, Italy!

Via dell'Amore (Walk of Love) Kayla is looking for a lover. 

Mimosas on the hike at Bar dell'Amore. 

Grapes off the vine in Groppo, Italy. 

Wine Tasting in Groppo, Italy. 

We hiked up to Corniglia, but we didn't eat or drink here. 

Entering Vernazza, Italy. This was our favorite of The Five Lands

The views of Vernazza, Italy just take your breath away!

Two girls in Vernazza with a mini bottle of wine and a lovely sunset. 

The umbrellas are the restaurant Baia Saracena where we had some great pizza. 

Our last day was stormy and we spent it in Monterosso al Mare. 

We had the best sangria at Enoteca del Eliseo in Monterosso al Mare

The owner of Enoteca del Eliseo treated us to his homemade grappa and limoncello. 

As promised, I will leave you with a list of our Cinque Terre "loves." 

Riomaggiore (Where we Stayed):

Breakfast - Every morning we picked up fruit at a local co-op (store) on the main street. We stuffed our bags with fruit and munched on it along the hike. 

Dinner - La Lanterna - A great, family run Trattoria right on the water. Great food and friendly service!

Hiking - You can start your hike from any of The Five Lands, and you will pay 5 Euro each day that you hike. The hiking fee is used to maintain the trails and is much needed after the mudslides last year. We started hiking from Riomaggiore, and whenever we didn't feel like hiking anymore, we just took the train. You can buy a daily hiking/training pass for 10 Euros. Also ask for a train schedule at any of the stations, the schedule is helpful since the times are pretty limited. 

Mimosas on a Hike?! - We hiked the romantic Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola, and about ten minutes into the hike, we stopped for mimosas at Bar dell'Amore. Why not?! It was a girl trip after all!

Manarola

A Little Dip - We were so hot after our (short) hike, so we walked down to the water and jumped in! There is no sand in Manarola, but stairs have been carved into the stone allowing you to easily reach the water. Once you jump in, little ladders are cleverly placed to help you get OUT of the water gracefully. 

Groppo - Manarola was pretty quiet, so we decided to take a friend's suggestion and hike up to the small hill town of Groppo. We meandered through cliff-side vineyards and grabbed handfuls of grapes as we passed. Eventually we found a place at the very top of Groppo where we could taste some wine. 

Vernazza (Our Favorite)

Picture Worthy Time/Place - Make sure to go out on the pier and get some pictures back on Vernazza as the sun is setting. This was my favorite bunch of pictures from the trip. You can also buy a half bottle (or a whole bottle) of wine at any little store and they might even offer to open the bottle and provide plastic cups so that you and a "glass" of vino can take in the majestic sunset. 

Dinner #1 - As the sun was setting, we had dinner on the pier at a little Pizzeria called Baia Saracena. The pizzas were good and the wine was cheap! What more do you need when in Italy?! We even made some local friends who invited us out for post dinner drinks. Salute!

Dinner #2 - We liked Vernazza so much that we decided to do dinner there a second night. It was a stormy evening, so we were forced to sit inside at Ristorante Pizzeria Bar "Vulnetia." The interior is very cozy with exposed brick walls and high, wooden ceilings. We had pizza and while it was good, we quite preferred our first dinner at Baia Saracena. 

Monterosso al Mare - (The Town with the Beach)

The BEST Sangria! - Kayla and I fell in love with the little bar called Enoteca del Eliseo in Monterosso! You will have to wind through lovely little streets to find this place, but once you get there, the cinnamon and clove Sangria is well worth the trip!

Take a Hike - Hike up the hill and get a view of Monterosso. The cemetery for all five towns is located at the highest point of the city. Random little fact. 

Lunch With a View - We had caprese salads for lunch right on the water at Nuovo Eden Bar and Gelateria. The food was nothing to write home about, but the setting was worth every single Euro penny!

I know that there is so much that we did not see and experience, so I will have to drag Hubby along for a second Cinque Terre adventure in the near future! As always, thanks for reading!

Cinque Terre on Dwellable

Posing in Pisa, Italy

The Leaning Tower of Pisa - Pisa, Italy. 

As Kayla and I were planning our 10-day-European-girlie-get-together, almost in unison, we exclaimed that seeing Cinque Terre, Italy was an absolute must! For centuries, that charming portion of the Italian Riviera has beckoned tourists to come and drink in the romance. We wanted to go and see what the big fuss was all about! 

From Paris' Orly Airport, we booked a super cheap (only $25 per person) Easy Jet flight to Pisa, Italy. The flight was uneventful and actually put us on the ground ten minutes before the scheduled arrival. Way to go budget airline! After landing in Pisa, we took a five minute bus ride to the main train station. Since trains headed in the direction of Cinque Terre seemed plentiful, we decided to grab a Pisa site map and check out that crooked little Tower that everyone reads about in history class. 

From Pisa's train station, it takes 20 minutes to walk to Piazza del Duomo ("Cathedral Square") where you will find the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa in Italian). Pisa is a small city, so there's not much to see there other than the Tower. I am sure that there are adorable, hidden cafes and restaurants in the city, but all that we had time to explore was the Piazza del Duomo. 

Construction on the Leaning Tower of Pisa started in 1173, and the famous tilt started in those initial construction stages due to a poor foundation. The tilt increased over time until the structure was finally reinforced in the 20th and 21st century. The tilt was actually slightly corrected during those recent reinforcements. I think she's leaning about as far as she ever will. Gotta keep that tourist attraction standing! 

Kayla and I had a great time and we were so glad that we took a little detour to see the Tower. We even  took a few of those ridiculously cheesy "trying-to-personally-topple-the tower" pictures that every tourist has to get when visiting Pisa. We also helped a few passing tourists frame and snap their own picture trying to push the Tower over. No one succeeded on that particular day. 

In Pisa, we made complete and utter fools of ourselves, and we were not ashamed. 

Santa Maria Della Spina Church along the river in Pisa before you get to the Tower. 

First glimpse of The Leaning Tower of Pisa as we entered the Piazza del Duomo.

Too cute!

Looks like I got caught trying to destroy the Tower. 

Pisa on Dwellable

Carried Away in Capri.

On our way to Capri, we saw Mount Vesuvius in the morning mist. 

While in Almafi, we decided to hop on a ferry and cruise on over to the Italian island of Capri. Because a little afternoon cruise to an exotic island sounded romantic and oh so "Italian-ish"! I was envisioning a sexy, intimate sailboat that allowed me to dance around deck with my long hair softly blowing in the wind (lofty dreams that I don't have the budget for!); instead, we squeezed onto an industrial sized ferry with 1000 other tourists all heading in the same direction. The 20-minute ride was nothing glamorous, there was no dancing, and my hair turned into one bit knot all for a whopping $40 (round trip). I didn't really do any research before going to Capri, so the ferry boat may not be the most economical way to see the island, although it was very convenient. Some day, I would love to get back to Capri, and perhaps hire a small boat and driver to show me and Chris around the Island. Now that sounds romantic, eh? Still dreaming when I should just be focusing on how lovely my first trip to Capri was!

Have you been to Capri? If so, how did you get there and what did you see? Did you hire a boat driver to show you around the island? I would love to hear your experience!

Capri really is stunning, it's truly one of those places you must see for yourself. My pictures just don't do Her justice! Once we got off the ferry, we hiked about 25 minutes up hill to the main Piazza in Capri town. There is a bus you can take, but why not choose the picturesque walking trail where you enjoy quaint homes blanketed in pink and purple flowers?!

From the Piazza, we found an information center and followed a route which took us through the Gardens of Augustus, gave us a great view of the famous Faraglioni rocks, wound us down Via Krupp and landed us on a wonderful little beach close to Marina Piccola. After lounging around and swimming for a few hours, we treated ourselves to the best gelato we have ever tasted! Buonocore Gelateria is close to Piazza Umberto, and while you wait in line, they're making your waffle cone! The gelato is delicious and that warm waffle cone adds just a little something extra to the whole experience!

View from the center of Capri town. 

The Morris' posing close to Capri Piazza Umberto.

Every corner of Capri is picture-perfect!

In the Gardens of Augustus - Capri. 

From the Gardens of Augustus, you get a great view of Faraglioni. 

Winding our way down Via Krupp in search of a beach. 

Our small little beach close to Marina Piccola.

Marina Piccola - Great looking beach, but you have to pay for your seats. 

Looking back on Capri harbor. 

I just love boats!

I'm dreaming about living in Capri. 

Hopefully this is not my first and only trip to Capri. Next time (if there is a next time), I want to hire a boat with a driver and float around the entire island! I know we didn't even scratch the surface here! There is so much more to enjoy and fall in love with in Capri.

Capri on Dwellable

Summer in Rome, Italy

Me and Lindsay sipping our first coffee in Rome. 

"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, 

continue firm and constant." - Socrates

My dear friend Lindsay is one of those precious, constant, and irreplaceable souls. She cares deeply about people and protects that which she loves with fierce intensity. For seven years, Lindsay's been one of my closest confidants and she's never opposed to sharing a bottle of malbec or pinot noir. After all, isn't that a true test of friendship?

Lindsay introduced me to Chris, she has always spoken the truth even when the truth hurt, she's hosted several birthday parties for me, played an important role when Chris' proposed to me, and she supported me as my Matron of Honor when I married the man of my dreams.

You can imagine my excitement when Lindsay announced that her and her Hubby would spend the entire month of July in Europe. Lindsay and Evan managed to take a month off of work, and since it had been Lindsay's dream to see Italy, that is exactly where they planned on spending the duration of their European vacation.

At the beginning of July, I booked a $40 round trip Ryan Air flight from Budapest to Rome, and the three of us spent two days seeing the sights, drinking coffee and sharing pizza in the ancient city.

Here are a few "Know Before You Go" tips from my trip to Rome:

- First off, the city of Rome is magical! It is a part of history that everyone must experience at least once!

- Some 7-10 million tourists visit Rome every single year, and I think most of them were there at the beginning of July. If you go in the summer, prepare for crowded metros, expensive lodging, and 2-hour lines to get into main attractions.

- If you want to avoid lines (and save time and money) for - say the Colosseum or Vatican Museums, plan ahead and book your tickets online.

- The metro is easy to use, so in order to save money on lodging, book outside of the city center but make sure you are within walking distance of a metro stop.

- That being said, there are numerous summer strikes that halt the transportation system. Ask your hotel if they know of any planned strikes while you're visiting so that you can plan your trip accordingly. When we were in Rome, there was a strike on the Friday we were trying to leave the city. That Friday, the city demanded that everyone must be able to get to and from work, so the trains, busses, and metro ran until 8:30am, shut down, and then started running again at 5pm for the evening commute.

- My friends, Jacob and Heather, showed us around the Trastevere neighborhood and that quickly became my favorite part of Rome. The metro does not run into Trastevere, but the busses do. It is worth a trip - trust me!

- It was ridiculously hot at the beginning of July (some people said we visited in the middle of a heat wave), so next time I visit Rome, I will avoid July and August. It should be comfortable (and less crowded) to tour Rome in the months of May and October.

- You will see ancient water fountains all around Rome - DRINK THE WATER! The water is clean and very refreshing! If you visit in the hot summer months, you will begin searching for those little fountains from heaven!

Enjoy a few pictures from our quick trip through Rome: