Hey fellow travelers, we’re here on our first day in Rome for our Mediterranean tour and we can’t wait to spill all of the details. From the historic sites to the highly recommended restaurants, we’re going to share it all so sit tight for the play-by-play of our Mediterranean adventure.
We kicked things off in Miami at the crack of dawn with a 6 am flight to Philly for a 6-hour layover [a pitstop we embraced since we were saving a thousand dollars], followed by a 9 hour flight to Rome, Italy.
We used our layover time wisely to catch up on work and then we boarded our lay-flat throne in first class for the transatlantic stretch. Trust me, lay flats are definitely worth the splurge, especially on a flight to Europe. It makes a huge difference when you're able to sleep well on a flight. The flight crew treated us like royalty, and our sleep was amazing. Imagine a dim lit plane, with flight attendants only stopping by to offer you nuts, appetizers, dinner, and dessert. You get a pillow, blanket, and great selection of movies to put you to sleep. We averaged about 4-5 hours of great sleep before we were woken up for breakfast.
We touched down in Rome at 9 a.m. (3 a.m. EST time), and we hit the ground running. We quickly checked into the swanky W Hotel. The hotel has the contrast we desired, it has modern vibes in a city dripping with history. For us, that is a win because we love new accommodations. Plus, it is so close to Rome’s biggest attractions - the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps are literal steps away.
Lunch In Rome
Lunch was a TikTok-inspired adventure. I had the crazy idea to check out the coveted Italian restaurants that the Tiktok viewers raved about. Our Piccolo Buco attempt was aborted thanks to a line that went down an alley for what seemed like a mile.
So, we ended up at That's Amore for some margarita pizza. It may not have made it to Tiktok, but it is an highly rated and awarded restaurant on Trip Advisor. Our first stop at That's Amorre was brief because we had to get ready for our Rome excursions. Our meal was average. The water that I ordered had a mineral-like taste, which I quickly realized that I would have to stick to sparkling water in Rome because I didn't like the still, flat, or bottled water anywhere that I purcahsed it in Rome.
The pizza was okay. However, it tasted better after we dipped it in olive .... but hey, it's a different pizza world in Rome. So, we indulged and walked back to our hotel to greet our tour guide.
Crash Course in Rome History
Our whirlwind 4-5 hour Rome tour felt like a crash course for a final exam, but we caught glimpses of the iconic tourist attractions in Rome – the Coliseum, Vatican, Basilica, Trevi Fountain, and so much more! It was amazing to witness all these historic sites first hand.
Authentic Italian Pasta for Dinner
Evening dining led us to another Tiktok inspired restuarant, Osteria de Fortunata. The restaurant was won its claim to fame for having Italian women making pasta in the window of the restaurant. Since our lunch was mediocre, we were extremely excited to have dinner at Osteria de Fortunata. We ordered several appetizers and two pasta dishes.
Was it the best pasta we've ever had? No, far from it. It was a tad more al dente than our Americanized taste buds are used to, but we're adapting because we know that true Italian pasta has more texture. However, beyond the al dente kick, we weren't fond of the flavor and seasoning. Was this Italian food? The Italian food that we couldn't wait to try? The Italian food I dreamed of? There had to be something wrong. We agreed that we would stop listening to the Tiktok suggestions and go with the advice of the locals on our next visit [we planned to return to Rome in two weeks].
We ordered the tiramisu for dessert, but we were told that they were sold out. We thought our dinner was a bust, but one of the employees called one of their other restaurants and had someone get another dessert for us. Plus, they offered it as a complimentary gift. We must say.....even though the food did not blow our mind; the camaraderie of the servers, amazing tiramisu, and awesome hospitality really helped us to enjoy the experience.
We finished the night with an Uber back to the hotel, wrapping up day one of our adventures.