Love, Rome (January 2015)

*This post was originally written by my husband.

Touring Europe has been one of our dream destinations as a couple and has been a part of our bucketlist since. We finally had a chance to go there just before baby Kristoff was born. Rome, Vatican, Florence and Paris were part of our itinerary last January 2015.

Before Travel

A visit to the Ob-Gyn

Since Krz was six months pregnant during our trip, we made sure that we had a green light from our Ob-Gyn to have her and the baby safe for travel. Our doctor advised that the second trimester of pregnancy is the ‘golden period’ and is the best period for travel because it is usually when the spells of morning sickness go away and the baby is not yet very heavy to carry (especially if a trip involves a lot of walking around). Luckily, Krz did not experience any complications prior our trip so the doctor just prescribed  her Isoxsuprine (Duvadilan) tablets in case she experiences belly cramps.

Visa Application

Since Rome and France are both part of the Schengen Area, we applied for a Short-Stay Schengen Visa. And since we will be staying in France longer, we applied at the French Embassy in Makati (when applying for a Schengen visa for multiple countries, one should apply at the Schengen state a) where the stay is longest OR b) in case if stay in each state is in equal days, where the first point of entry will be).

It is best to visit the Embassy’s website to get the most recent rules and list of requirements for the visa application and call for an appointment at most 90 days prior the travel date.

On the day of our application appointment, it was a good thing that we came in early because processing was on a first-come, first-serve basis. Priority numbers were given by the guard at the entrance, which will then be called by the assessors inside. The waiting area was cozy and comfortable. During our interview, we were asked about the details of our trip (when, where and why), details of our current employment status, and if we were able to be granted other visas before. Our biometrics were then taken. Our passports were left with the assessor and after 7 working days, we were informed that our visas were approved and were ready for pick-up in the processing center.

Here’s the French Embassy’s website for reference.

Getting Ready

Since we’ll be arriving in Europe during the winter season (the temperature went as high as 16C and hit the lowest at -3C during our stay), we carefully planned on what clothes to bring because there is no denying that winter wear are bulky and heavy to pack. Here is a list of what clothes we brought with us.

Rome

First stop on our 2 week vacation is Rome.

Colosseum. Pantheon. Vatican. These are just few of the iconic spots in Rome where we were able to visit. Truly, Rome was not built in a day. Not even a week.

It seems that we only just scratched the surface of Rome during our 6-day stay in the city. Fortunately, for us, we visited during winter, which meant less crowd of tourists, less lines. The only negative aspect of our visit is the 6-10°C weather on a daily basis.

Transportation

From the airport, we were supposed to take the train to Termini station and ride a bus to our hotel. This was the only option we had prior to arriving in Rome, and would cost us 25 euros each. But then, we found a cheaper alternative –  renting a van that will bring us directly to our hotel and would only cost us a total of 35 euros.

For the transportation within the city, we opted for the Roma Pass – a tourist card that allows you free ride for all public transportation within the city for 2 or 3 days, depending on the card you will buy. The 3 day pass is about 36 euros and also includes free admission to the first 2 attractions you will visit in the city – and discounted rates for the succeeding attractions.

Our hotel was located at Via De Chiavari, Rome

Attractions Visited

We checked in at Hotel Pomezia – a humble and affordable hotel that is centrally located in the historical center of Rome. There are a great number of hotels in Rome, both humble and lavishly priced. I tried looking up hotels through TripAdvisor for reviews and recommendations for places to stay and where to eat, and Hotel Pomezia was one of the hotels that was generously reviewed by guests.

Arriving on a Sunday, we decided to hear mass in a nearby church: San’t Andrea della Valle which was just behind our hotel.  We were fortunate enough to be just in time for the next mass. And guess what, it was in Italian! Churches were not that hard to find. After all, this was Rome, the city that played a great part in the history of Roman Catholicism.

Piazza Navona

After the mass, we just wandered around the neighborhood and found ourselves in the middle of Piazza Navona. If you are a fan of Dan Brown, you would know that one of the scenes in his movie Angels and Demons was shot in this place. In the middle of the piazza was the great 4 rivers fountain – one of the few fountains always filled with tourists admiring the magnificent architecture.

The Roman Colosseum

The ticket to the Colosseum was around 14 euros but this includes admission to the Palatine Hill and Foro Romano. This was the first museum we visited during our trip and was included in the Roma Pass.We visited the Colosseum next and it was huge! It felt great to be standing inside one of the well preserved ancient structures in the world. It was quite exhilarating to think that thousands of years ago, there were gladiators fighting for their freedom in the arena below. After an hour of walking and experiencing the place, we went to the adjacent attractions – Palatine Hill and Foro Romano. Upon stepping inside, we were excited and felt giddy. Just think, we were walking on the pavement where Julius Caesar once walked! Though only the ruins remained, you can still feel the history of the place – as if you could still feel the chariots running across the street and hear the Romans worshiping Zeus in front of his temple.

The Pantheon

The Oculus

Next stop, the Pantheon. The imposing structure of this great church within the center of Rome is one of the best preserved ancient structure in Rome. Standing in the center, you can see the Oculus, where the light of the sun passes through. We stayed for a bit inside to take in the reality and experience of being inside a once pagan structure turned church or you can stay outside in the piazza and watch people pass by. There is no fee for this attraction, just make sure you go early in the morning so you can see the magnificence of the structure without the crowds.

Castel Sant’Angelo

The other attraction we had visited was the Castel San’t Angelo (Castle of the Angel) – also part of the movie Angels and Demons. The castle had so much history it felt as if we had a crash course in Roman History. We learnt that this was used as a fortress by the Popes and had a tunnel underneath the surface connecting the Vatican to Castel Sant’Angelo.

Food!

Zaza Pizza

No doubt that when you are in Italy, you are looking for good Italian food – fresh pasta and pizza. We had our share of experiencing great Italian food while walking around and getting lost in the city. First we passed by ZaZa Pizza – a hole in the wall pizza place that serves freshly baked pizza that only cost 1.5 euros. This was the cheapest meal we had in Europe.

Another great find we had was near the Colosseum. I was actually quite hesitant at first as upon reading TripAdvisor, tourists were advised not to eat near the attractions as these are tourist traps. Cafe Cavour was the name of the restaurant and it had one of the friendliest waiters we had encountered as well as great dishes with reasonable prices. We ordered the Seafood Risotto and the Classic Carbonara.

Classic Carbonara

Seafood Risotto

Another restaurant where we had great gnocchi was Ristorante Il Cantuccio al Senato which is just beside Piazza Navona. This was another budget friendly place near a tourist attraction.

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If you want to read more about our trip, separate posts will be made available for Vatican City, Florence and Paris.

#familytravel #Rome