If you’ve been following me long enough, you might remember that the first time I went to Italy I had an amazing time but when it was time to go home, it turned into chaos and had to spend a sleepless night in a little Italian town in the middle of nowhere, sitting on a cardboard with two new friends, listening to Bon Jovi and Miguel Bosé.
If you speak Spanish, you can read that interesting story here.
Anyways, this time was no different, but let’s start with the nice part: after more than a year, I was able to see some of my family!!! 🥹 Two of my aunts, my cousin and her family. Ahh, my heart is full.
I still can’t believe I hadn’t seen them in that long. But it felt amazing to be able to laugh and joke in Spanish and just have family time like we used to when we were all living in México.
Anyone who has travelled with family before, can understand how chaotic it may be trying to accommodate to everyone’s taste, pace and palates, but also how fun it ends up being!
Now, let’s dive into this short but heartwarming (and also exhausting) trip.
Get your notes app ready because I will drop a lot of food recommendations!
A little disclaimer: After the trip was over I noticed I didn’t take as many food photos as I would’ve wanted, but it’s okay because I was too busy enjoying the food and the company of my loved ones.
DAY 1: Vatican City and Trastevere
On our first full day together, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica and I was finally able to see the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. Just wow.
We did had a tour guide which was amazing to skip the line and get different explanations and more detailed information, so in that sense I recommend it, but the downside is that I felt it was way too fast (I love to take my time looking at eeeeverything). Although it’s comprehensible as it’s packed all the time. Would I go again? Maybe. It’s so beautiful that I really want to see it all again, this time with less hurry. Even though the crowds seriously make me rethink it, it’s totally worth it at least once in your life!
After that, we had lunch at La Vittoria. And oh boy! What a treasure! Delicious food and friendly and hilarious service. Can’t explain how nice it was to exchange Italian and Spanish and still understand each other. Something that can’t really happen with Finnish, hehe.
Here I was finally able to try something I had been craving since I watched Eat. Pray. Love for the first time: Prosciutto e melone!
Oh. my. god. Lived up to all my expectations and became my obsession for the whole trip, haha. I think it also had to do with the fact that we don’t really have melons in Finland, so being able to taste its sweetness again made it even more special.
10/10 would recommend. Also our waiter was HILARIOUS, we joked, we laughed we had a great time.
In the afternoon we went to La Trastevere, and toured around its gorgeous streets. There we found a photo exhibit from André Kertész, which came at a perfect time because days prior I was wondering if I should continue to pursue photography or have a major career shift, hehe. Safe to say it made me keep trying.
Saint Mary of Prayer and Death
We also encountered a very interesting church: Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte. As the photos may point out, it has do to with death. At first I though about “The Holy Dead”, but it turns out that it was built by an association that took care of abandoned corpses and overall people that no one took care of.
At the entrance you can read ” “Hodie mihi, cras tibi”, i.e. “Today for me, tomorrow for you”. Cool, isn’t it?
We ended the day having dinner at a restaurant near the Airbnb and can you guess what I had?
Prosciutto e melone, of course.
Day 2
One of my favorite places in Rome is without a doubt, La Fontana Di Trevi. It’s just mesmerizing. I love to sit and observe its beauty I could do it for hours (with a gelato in hand), but it’s a place that is as iconic as is crowded. That’s why we decided to get there at 7AM on a Sunday, but to our surprise: it was still crowded!!
Of course not was much, but wasn’t as easy to get a nice photo. So get there early or be prepared for the crowds.
After that we went on a hunt for breakfast and I tried the BEST Pistacchio cornetto ever at Gelateria Pasticceria Caffetteria DI NOTO, just in front of the Column of Marcus Aurelius.
Sadly I don’t have picture as I was too busy indulging in it, but my mom shared this one of my cousin, haha.
Anyways, the cappuccinos and pastries are AMAZING. It’s more of a grab and go place, but it’s totally worth it.
After that we went to The Pantheon and since it was still very early, the line wasn’t as bad and started moving quickly as soon as it was open.
If you’re hungry and in the area, I highly recommend stopping by the Antica Salumeria, there you can find mouthwatering paninis (I tried the mortadella one and I loved it so much I went back for another on my last day). I also bought some parmigiano to bring back home, hehe.
When in Italy, of course a lot of food happens, so another reccomendation is Trattoria Dal Cordaro. You might find a cranky lady (that yelled at us in Italian more than once), but their Spaghetti all’amatriciana was to die for.
Surprise, surprise
During this trip I noticed that I spent a lot of time out of social media and my phone in general, and although I do regret not taking more videos with my family, I did fully enjoy the moments we spent together, so no regrets on that!
But fortunately, I did post one Instagram story that led to one shocking surprise: seeing one of my best friends!!!
WHAAAAAAAT.
Andrea and I became friends in high school and reconnected during the pandemic. After that, we have worked and traveled together and I’m forever grateful for everything she’s done for me, and not only her, but her family as well. I love you, mijis!!! Gracias por todo 💗
I’m honestly still in shock that we were able to meet, witouth planning it and in Rome of all places. Crazy to think that the last time we saw each other, we were still “single” and now we’re both married! In fact, that was actually the reason we were able to meet, she was in Rome to start her honeymoon!
Thankfully she saw my story and sent me a message and we were able to go for a coffee and then had dinner with her and her now husband at Il Corallo, exquisite place as well.
Sadly my phone was running out of baterry and didn’t take more phtos, but this memory will stay with me forever!
Up to this point, everything was amazing! Italy a dream, as always.
But stay tuned, because there will be a part two with a bit of Pompeii and then the grand finale that makes me think that Italy really wants me to stay there or truly hates me and doesn’t want me back.
I think after everything that happened, I might take a break from traveling for a while.
Or will I?
If you’re a foodie, this is for you:
Here’s a list of all the places that I highly recommend while visiting Rome:
La Saralicia 
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