Whenever Rome comes up in a conversation, I am instantaneously overwhelmed by a thousand different feelings, tastes, sights, sounds, smells. Perhaps the reason why my instincts are telling me to type this at the moment is because the eternal city has communicated directly with my soul. And each and every sense of mine has responded to its calling.
It is even odder for me to be writing this because I visited Rome in February, on the rainiest week that the city had ever experienced. Naturally, that resulted in empty streets on weekends, three - yet still insufficient - layers of clothing, difficulty in exploring open-air attractions. However, that did not matter even a tiny bit. I eventually figured that the Roman spirit vibrates in its mild air all year long.
Exploring Rome by foot is, undoubtedly, the only way to become part of the city. Stroll along the cobbled streets, stop for the most intense espresso you will ever drink at Tazza D'Oro, eat what is considered to be the best gelato in Rome at Giolitti, climb circa 500 steps to reach the top of the Basilica San Pietro, enter each and every church that you encounter, interact with italians, gaze infinitely at Fontana di Trevi at night, admire Italy's ode to its history by contemplating Altare della Patria, enter small shops to smell leather goods, see how time stands still inside the Pantheon, observe the diverse, neutral palette of Roman buildings, feel like an opera character at Castel Sant'Angelo, experience "la dolce vita" on Via Veneto...
Regardless of what you choose to do, always keep your eyes open, Rome will capture your heart completely. Only one famous saying can define the Italian capital: "La vita è bella".
Photos via my Pinterest account
Xx, Andreea
