Rome

Last December, I decided to pay a friend a visit, also an Erasmus student, in Rome. I don't know how I manage but I always arrive very late at night to the point where there are no more trains nor busses to make the trip from the airport to Termini Station. Furthermore, we are no longer in the East but in one of the most touristic capitals of Western Europe, which affects the prices.... Not being able to do otherwise I take a taxi (50euro, welcome to Rome! ) to arrive at Termini Station and find my friends. After several mishaps, I will spare you the details, I end up finding everybody and my week in Rome can finally begin. Beautiful night, under the Italian blue sky, nothing to add for the first night.

As in Bucharest, I discover Rome the following day! So I begin in the historic center which is truly impressive! Big slap when you arrive and you find yourself in front of a number of buildings, one more imposing than the other, blending different phases of history. You have the Parliament of Victor Emmanuel II, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum.

And of course if you get lost in the alleys of Rome, you will definitely fall on a number of buildings, churches and others... You cannot miss the famous Trevi Fountain. Tradition wants you to throw a coin, your back turned to the fountain and over your shoulder, seems it brings you good luck. I confess that it is probably the most important tourist attraction in Rome and it's packed with people. Therefore I propose you go at night, it is much less crowded and the lights are beautiful!

Another neighborhood of Rome that I adore is called Trastevere, filled with small alleys, many bars and restaurants of all kinds, it is the ideal neighborhood to have a drink, or two... or eat on a quiet night out. There is a very romantic and warm atmosphere, a bit like the Lady and the Tramp and the spaghetti scene.

Ok, that night we didn't stop there and being the good Erasmus students that we are we went to the San Lorenzo neighborhood for a festive atmosphere much more suited to student parties. We went to a bar called Tirabouchon. An ESN bar, very much Erasmus, cheap and very good! Very good atmosphere, the people are nice and the bar closes late! A bit too late, so when we left around 3 a. m. it was impossible to find a place open to continue the night! oops...

(a bit of a fuzzy photo, of a very late night)

After a good night of drinking, there is nothing better than an active next day to get you back on your feet. So we decided to do a Scooter tour of Rome. Despite the slow pace of the guy at the rental service we were able to rent a scooter at a reduced price (students prices are often available) for two hours with which we drove through the city and back! Amazing! Nevertheless be careful of the traffic and circulation which might be important in some places, but in any case there is no better way to discover the city!

That night, in order to take a break from two big nights out, we ate at a delicious small family restaurant. Regarding the restaurants, you will have no problem finding one in Rome. But it is often a good idea to check for reviews before choosing a place to avoid any bad surprises. So, I will give you a good one! It's a small restaurant on via Baullari called Hostaria Farnese. The servers are adorable and the plates are excellent. You should still make a reservation beforehand, though, since the place is small and very well known.

The following day, I went to visit the Baths of Caracalla. I wanted to visit the Colosseum and the Roman Forum but it was impossible, there was a waiting line of approximately two hours and the sites were filled with people. So we went to Caracalla. There were almost no people, the place was very peaceful and well maintained and on top of everything it was free! This can be done in 1 hour or a little less for those of you who are quick. During the rest of the day we walked a lot in the city and toward the end of the day we went up the Victor Emmanuel II Parliament. From the top of this building you overlook the entire city and at night the city light are magic.

At night we went to see a concert at C. S. A. Intifada, which is a kind of complex a bit broken down in a bit of a squat style but is really great for Reggae concerts! So we went to see a reggae concert with Kelly Junior. What is nice about this type of evening, is that you pay 10euro but it's for the entire night!

The next day I went for two days to Napoli! A great city that is much more traditional. This is everywhere, everything moves around you. There are plenty of people, sights everywhere, buildings everywhere, the streets are very narrow and very small until you find an immense square that appears out of nowhere. We visited the Underground Naples, really great to do. It allows you to understand why the city is as it is on it's surface. This very dynamic city is actually built on hundreds of years of different civilizations which absolutely makes her atmosphere so special.

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