Gabriel and Leo, both 21, came to visit us in Rome in March 2022 for their university spring break. Gabe had visited Rome when he was a kid, but it was Leo’s first time. Over the week, they took guided tours of the Colosseum/Roman Forum/Palatine Hill and the Vatican Museums; and they went on Scooteroma’s Street Art Vespa Tour; visited the Galleria Borghese, St. Peter’s Basilica (and took the Scavi tour of the catacomb underneath it), the Pantheon, the Capuchin Crypt, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, Testaccio, and much more. They walked many miles, drank a lot of Aperol spritzes, ate a bunch of pizza and pasta, and enjoyed hanging out at night. Here’s their take on visiting the Eternal City.

 

 

 

What were your favorite things about visiting Rome, and why?

 

Leo: It’s one thing to read about history — another to actually see it for yourself.  Seeing the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill was awesome. With the guided tour, when you are there in the Roman Forum, you can picture what it once looked like, the same with the Palatine Hill. So, those were favorites. And, Michelangelo’s La Pietà at Saint Peter’s Basilica. I had studied it years ago for a school project and it was amazing to see it. And even more amazing to know he was about my age when he created it.

 

Gabe: For me, the Colosseum, as well as the guided tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, and all the art there. Also, the architecture of St. Peter’s Square and Saint Peter’s Basilica. It’s beautiful. And, the Bernini sculptures at Galleria Borghese.

 

What surprised you the most?

 

Leo:  Seeing the street art. It’s not something I thought about before we came to Rome. I thought of all the classical and Renaissance art in Rome, not modern art.

 

 

 

 

 

Gabe:  I’d agree, the street art. And, my haircut. Since we just got through with exams, I hadn’t had time to get a haircut and when we got to Rome I went to a barber near the apartment. At the end of my haircut, he was combing my hair and then lit a match and burned the ends of my hair! I didn’t know what was happening, but he seemed to know what he was doing, so I just went with it. He actually did a good job on my haircut, but it was definitely a little freaky. I found a video of a barber doing the same thing:

 

 

 

What did you think about the food and drink?

 

Leo:  I was surprised by the Aperol spritzes. They are really different from what we are used to, since it is a bitter. At first I wasn’t sure I liked it, but as you drink it, it becomes very refreshing. I’m ready for more of them this summer at the beach! My favorite meal was the one at Nino [dal 1934], the pasta, veal, and artichokes.

 

 

I also liked discovering some of the wines. The ones I liked the most were Barolo and ones from Sangiovese grapes.  

 

Gabe:  The food definitely lived up to my expectations. My favorite meal was also at Nino. And I liked the Trapizzino [bread pockets filled with good stuff] at Be.Re. on the day we went to the Vatican. They were delicious.  

 

Oh, can’t forget the gelato at Paloma, around the corner from the apartment.

Any advice for other college students coming to visit Rome?

 

Leo:  Read up before you go so you have a better understanding of what you are looking at, unless you are going on a guided tour, where they basically do the work for you. Both guided tours we took were really worthwhile, we got a lot more out of it than if we had gone on our own.  

 

Gabe:  Agree about the tours. Make sure to do the scooter tour, it was really fun, and we saw parts of Rome that we would never have seen otherwise.