Early Roman Mornings
Similar Dress || Similar Shoes || Hat || Earrings
I have one very simple piece of advice if you find yourself visiting Rome. Get up early! Each morning, our alarm would go off at 5 o’clock sharp. This might sound a little ridiculous for what’s supposed to be a relaxing vacation. When we did this, we got to see a completely different city and experience Rome without the chaos that tourists brings. Imagine, being able to wander the quiet streets of Rome and having all of the sight entirely to yourself. All I can say is thank goodness David and I are both morning people.
We walked aimlessly through Rome taking in the city. I had some destinations in mind, but we weren’t too concerned about how or when we got there. We decided to make our way to the Spanish Steps, but bumped into the Pantheon along the way. This was the best treat! You never really get to appreciate how big a building is until you get to see it for yourself. And I kid you not, we were literally the only people there. There was no photo shop or angle magic with my pictures. We had this place all to ourselves.
We kept on our walk to the Spanish Steps down the Via dei Condotti where the most exclusive designers in the world make themselves at home. Hermes, next to Ferragamo, across from Gucci… I’m sure you get the idea. When we reached our destination, at around 6:30, there was already a little bit of a crowd, but probably no more than ten people. David and I were able to soak it in and have some fun as we took our pictures, even climbing to the top and get the real view. I don’t think as many people do this as they should, but don’t miss out!
I know getting up early isn’t the preferred way to travel, but I do have two pieces of advice to make your tourist time as enjoyable as possible.
- Wear comfortable shoes. I only brought two pairs of shoes to Italy. These strappy sandals from Sam Edelman were great for the hot days, but probably weren’t the best for walking over the many cobblestoned streets. If I had to narrow it down to one pair, I would highly recommend any espadrille from Soludos. They had just the right amount of support and comfort for miles and miles of walking.
- Take a nap. This probably isn’t the advice you would except when you’re a tourist in a new city, but if you have those early morning wakeup calls, it’s crucial. Each day, after our early bird walk, we would come home and take a few hour nap to reboot the system. Afterwards, we would feel refreshed and ready to go. Because we already did our sightseeing, we didn’t have to stress about where to go. It meant more time to eat pasta and drink wine at the local restaurants.
As a huge disclaimer, the pictures we got to take are by no means ‘typical.’ You just have to know when to wake, not press the snooze button too much, and have an amazing travel partner to brave the early morning with you.
Love from Florida,
Katie
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