Leaving Italy was probably the saddest I’ve ever been about leaving a country. To say the trip was magical is an understatement and I know for a fact I will visit the country again in the near future. To follow up on my previous post, I am sharing a full recap and review of everything we did on our trip. Keep in mind I travelled with one other person, my coworker, just in case the number of people involved has any bearing on the review. In most cases it does not. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet since I know I could go on and on about this amazing trip.
Housing
Over the course of the week, we arrived and stayed in Rome, traveled to Florence, and then travelled back to Rome for a night before our flight. From our initial housing search and overall housing experience, I would recommend staying at an AirBnB as they are affordable and great quality. The entire trip we were able to have two separate bedrooms which was an ideal set up.
- “Manzoni Home Near Colosseum” Based in Rome, this two bedroom apartment was about a 15 minute walk from the colosseum. It’s spacious, clean and easy to access by metro. The only con is the shower is in a bathtub with no curtains so it was necessary to finesse so as to not get water everywhere. Otherwise I’d recommend this space. Keep in mind there is a 3.5 euro a night city tax in Rome that you pay upon checking in to the Airbnb.
- Home Near Florence City Center: Based in Florence, this two bedroom apartment was about a 10 minute walk from the Duomo which is located at the city center. The accommodations were lovely and there was a beautiful little courtyard. I highly recommend this apartment.
- Generator Hostels: For our last night in Rome we opted to stay in a hostel. I am familiar with the chain as I had previously stayed in their Paris and Barcelona branches. Nothing special to be honest. The private single I stayed in was fairly small. It did get the job done for what I needed which was just a bed and a bathroom to keep me for the night. Rome city tax applies here as well.
Day Trips & Activities
My favorite days and activities of this whole trip were the day trips! We took two day trips, one based in Rome and the other in Florence. I highly recommend going on at least one day trip as there is so much to see in Italy.
- Day Trip to Pompeii & Amalfi Coast: On the pricier end of the spectrum because it was a relatively long journey to the Amalfi Coast and because it was a small group. It was beyond worth it to see the Amalfi Coast even if only for a few hours. Seeing Pompeii was pretty cool but not a must see if you aren’t a history nerd.
- Tuscany Sightseeing Tour: The highlight of this trip was lunch on the vineyard. This day trip is a great way to see cities that are notable but not worth spending more than a few hours in, at least in my opinion. It made stops in Siena and Pisa. Note the tour is based from Florence.
Food
There are way too many amazing food options. I’ll limit my mentions to spots that absolutely stood out on our trip:
- Mizio’s: The first place we went for lunch in Rome. It was so good we made sure to make it the last stop for lunch on our final day. It’s a small sandwich shop with no room for seating, just grad and go. The sandwiches were very affordable at only 6 euros but huge and very filling.
- Osteria da Fortunata: Amazing pasta that you can see being made in the front of the shop. Another restaurant that we loved so much we went on our first and last night on the trip. The tiramisu is also well made. The first night we went (on a Saturday) we waited for almost two hours to sit at a table inside. I’d suggest making reservations when possible or just going for lunch to avoid a crowd.
- Ba’Ghetto: I had my favorite meal in Rome at this restaurant located in the city’s Jewish Quarter. The ambiance feels very intimate and familial. The food provided a much needed break from all the pizza and pasta I had been eating. My top dinner recommendation for a trip to Rome.
- 4 Leoni: A Florence based restaurant that was recommended by our AirBnB host. It’s visited by both tourists and locals alike in a charming part of the city.
- Gelato: There are too many amazing gelato options. There are stores on virtually every street. Gelato standouts from this trip include Venchi in Rome and Florence, Galeteria Dondoli in San Gimignano, and Gelateria Millenium near the Vatican.
Nightlife
Just like food, there are so many nightlife options in Rome. Here are some standouts:
- GBAR: Went to this bar twice during the trip. The owner is really cool. The music is pretty much exclusively hip hop. It’s a tight space but a good time.
- There was also a bar called coffee bar that was playing pretty good music. I would provide a link however it’s pretty hard to find the website of a place in Rome called Coffee Bar.
Attractions
I won’t provide a breakdown of all of the attractions in Rome and Florence to see. It’s pretty easy to determine what the major tourist spots are. My biggest advice if you’re going to any museums or places that have ticketed entry is to secure your tickets in advance! There is no need to be waiting in an hours long line when you can avoid that by going with a tour group or getting tickets ahead of time.
Black Girls Travel Too Addendum
So of course when you’re traveling as a black woman, there’s an element of “traveling while black” that you have to consider. I had heard various myths about Italian men loving black women that I low key wanted to see for myself. Others mentioned racism on the part of white Italians. Here’s what I have to say from my own personal experience:
There weren’t men throwing themselves at me and my coworker with every step we took. There also were’t people yelling racial slurs at every corner. What I can say is we definitely stood out. There were plenty of stares either from men in a fetishized way, or perhaps in shock from children, women and the elderly. That certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying our trip, but it did get annoying when I started to notice the stares more.
Final Thoughts
If you made it to the end, you are a real one. I’ll keep it short and simple and say that you should visit Italy! I know I will be back for sure.
“But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” Acts 23:11
