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).
