After a long 13 hours flight, we arrived into Italy via Rome, our first stop. As we disembarked the airplane and took a few steps to the airport shuttle, the cold morning fresh air greeted us and that was really the start of our holiday, the cool weather playing a big part in our whole holiday experience. I recall my surprise, observing how fresh and energetic the kids were, despite the minimal sleep on the plane. Wayne was fantastic throughout the flight, totally independent, while Amanda a bit more difficult. She had a scary 30 minute meltdown on the plane when she had difficulties falling asleep at 330am in the morning, but apart from that, she was generally manageable. The day flight on the way back was a lot easier though! It didn't help that the plane had a 3-3-3 seat configuration which meant I was alone with the two kids, while the husband enjoyed his solo seat an aisle across much to my envy. But still, suffice to say, I think I'm ready to take on a flight to the States anytime soon!
Accommodation in Rome
Accommodation in Rome was a lovely apartment located along the shopping district of Rome and just a few steps away from the Spanish Steps. It was the only apartment-style accommodation we opted for throughout the trip, it was recommended by a relative and we highly recommend it as well. It was a beautifully decorated, cosy home (which even had a piano and bathtub!), conveniently located and of a very reasonable price. There was a small super mart just round the corner, where we purchased our bottles of mineral water and fruits, a great coffee takeaway place and quite a few pizzerias. It was also located just next to this bistro called Ciampini, which served really good breakfast and pizzas. We saw ourselves dining there quite a few times in our four day stay. The owner of the apartment stays in the same building, and was a friendly, hospitable host. It was a bonus that we were able to check-in at 930am in the morning, having had touched down in Rome at 7am, despite the official check-in time being in the afternoon, and that made our experience all the more pleasant.
Moving around in Rome
One of the ticks for us in Rome, was purchasing the two-day CitySightseeing hop-on hop-off bus. It was a superb way for us to see Rome without having to walk too much. It covered all the sights we wanted to see and also allowed us some resting time in between the sightseeing. No doubt, with two kids, it was the best mode of transport around Rome for us.
Sightseeing in Rome
Rome was a surprise for me. While there was no doubt we would love Florence and Venice, I didn’t think we would enjoy Rome as much as we did, being a busy city and made up mostly of ancient ruins. I was wrong. Rome was a delight to wander around, and we certainly enjoyed the sight-seeing, from the shopping streets of Via del Corso, to the famous Spanish Steps and Trevi fountain, both of which were unfortunately under renovation; to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, the majestic sights of St Peter’s Basilica and Square, and finally to ancient Rome, discovering the Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hills - we loved them all.
I was glad I factored in 4 days and 3 nights to explore this beautiful ancient city (any shorter wouldn’t have been enough), although the only reason in my initial planning for the 4 day stay was to allow us to recover from jet lag, since Rome was our first stop in this 18 day adventure. On the subject of jetlag, it was pretty mild, both for us and the kids. Apart from the very first day where the husband and I crashed out in the afternoon (we landed in the morning), and the kids skipped dinner because they knocked out and slept at 6 in the evening till the next morning, we were pretty much operating on European timing by the next day.
We survived the long plane ride!
Accommodation in Rome was a lovely apartment located along the shopping district of Rome and just a few steps away from the Spanish Steps. It was the only apartment-style accommodation we opted for throughout the trip, it was recommended by a relative and we highly recommend it as well. It was a beautifully decorated, cosy home (which even had a piano and bathtub!), conveniently located and of a very reasonable price. There was a small super mart just round the corner, where we purchased our bottles of mineral water and fruits, a great coffee takeaway place and quite a few pizzerias. It was also located just next to this bistro called Ciampini, which served really good breakfast and pizzas. We saw ourselves dining there quite a few times in our four day stay. The owner of the apartment stays in the same building, and was a friendly, hospitable host. It was a bonus that we were able to check-in at 930am in the morning, having had touched down in Rome at 7am, despite the official check-in time being in the afternoon, and that made our experience all the more pleasant.
Our lovely home for 3 nights
(photo credit:http://www.rentalinrome.com/spagnastepsapartments/dellagengapalacebapartment)
Moving around in Rome
One of the ticks for us in Rome, was purchasing the two-day CitySightseeing hop-on hop-off bus. It was a superb way for us to see Rome without having to walk too much. It covered all the sights we wanted to see and also allowed us some resting time in between the sightseeing. No doubt, with two kids, it was the best mode of transport around Rome for us.
Sightseeing in Rome
Rome was a surprise for me. While there was no doubt we would love Florence and Venice, I didn’t think we would enjoy Rome as much as we did, being a busy city and made up mostly of ancient ruins. I was wrong. Rome was a delight to wander around, and we certainly enjoyed the sight-seeing, from the shopping streets of Via del Corso, to the famous Spanish Steps and Trevi fountain, both of which were unfortunately under renovation; to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, the majestic sights of St Peter’s Basilica and Square, and finally to ancient Rome, discovering the Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hills - we loved them all.
One of the sights I was really looking forward to was the magnificent St Peter’s Basilica, for which admission was free, but had a snaking queue that looked like a two hour wait. With the two kids with us, we decided to give it a miss, given that it would have been such a challenge to keep them in queue for two hours. We ended up still having lots of fun at the Square, with the kids running around and playing in the big open space.
It was on the third day, that we explored the old Rome : The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hills. I loved this day the most as the weather was so glorious, with the blue skies and sun out in full force. One tip for all parents traveling with kids, is to really plan ahead and purchase tickets in advance for sites you want to enter cos the queues can really be oh-my-gosh crazy kind of long.. and for us, because we purchased the entry tickets to the Colosseum back home, we skipped the line and were in in less than 15 minutes. It was awesome.
Rome for kids
While the kids were a little too young to appreciate the historic sites, it was also filled with some memories that the kids loved.
It was in Rome where this princess, insisted on well, being a princess. Princess Aurora to be precise. She bought her princess gown and crown at the nearby Disney store, and wore her crown throughout the day, much to her delight and the amusement of fellow tourists gushing at this cute little Asian girl.
As for Wayne, he declared Rome his favourite city at the end of the trip, because it was here that he bought two toys which was good investment really, because it kept him occupied during train rides, meals and in general, when we were on the go and he was bored.
Another lovely treat for the kids was to the Magnum specialty store just behind where we stayed, where they got to choose and decorate their ice cream. Amanda was sleeping, hence Wayne did all the choosing, but what a delight Amanda had when she woke up.
So that was Rome for us in three days, and mid-morning on the fourth day, we headed to the Termini train station to continue our next leg in Florence!
