Student Bloggers

The master of study abroad adventures Andy Steves paid a visit to UL the first week of school. He told us how to visit other countries on a budget and plugged his organization WSA as well. Weekend Student Adventures had numerous places to choose from and with the budget I allowed myself for this trip I was able to pick two. A group of friends wanted to go to Rome and seeing as I had never stepped foot in Italy, I thought that now was a better time than any to go. We booked our trip with WSA and in mid-October, I hopped on the plane to see the amazing city of Rome.

The city was gorgeous (in the sense of all of the history behind it and centuries old remains just about everywhere you walked). The weekend went by so quickly but it will certainly be one that I will never forget so here’s what I learned and what you may want to know if you are going to Rome:

• In terms of food, eat lots of Gelato. It is delicious and quite cheap. One of the best deals we had was 3 scoops minimum for €2,50! I can say that I am unashamed at how much Gelato I had that weekend. It was our reward for doing right in coming to Italy. That being said the next piece of advice is: Never reveal how many times you had Gelato. What happens in Italy stays in Italy. Your secret will be kept safe amongst the friends who joined you ;).
• In terms of food, be that tourist and eat all of the pizza and pasta. It is a must because you really have no idea how amazing and different it is until you get here! Spaghetti for example. I am not a huge fan of the taste of spaghetti sauce back at home but I will eat it with some good ground turkey mixed in. Spaghetti in Rome was different right down to the color. It was pink and tasted creamy, sweeter too. I’m no food critic so I don’t have the proper terms to tell you what I’m trying to express here. All you need to know is that you need to try it for yourself. As for the pizza, it is fantastic. When you get pizza, it looks huge and takes up the entire plate but you will eat it all, at least almost all. The bread is so thin from American pizza that you hardly realize you’ve consumed it all!
• In terms of the city, the Vatican will take your breath away. I about cried when I was in the Sistine Chapel and I did shed a tear in St. Peter’s Basilica. I, as well as my friends, were so moved by the beauty of it all, that we returned to St. Peter’s to attend the last mass of the day. That in itself I would highly recommend even if you are not Catholic. You hear the mass in Latin and sit in the pews of St. Peter’s! Honestly, could not top that day with anything else I did in Rome.
• In terms of the city, be prepared to walk so pack your good shoes. Don’t bother with heels ladies, as they will get you nowhere. The roads and sidewalks are old with cracks and gaps that will have you stumbling in sneakers if you aren’t prepared! And good shoes are a must because you will do quite a bit of walking. If you want to spend all your money on the metro, bus and taxi be my guest but it really isn’t that bad to walk to your destination. Yes, I did use the metro and bus a couple times but I also walked enough to probably burn off at least half the food I had that weekend! Thank goodness I had some good shoes to guide me through it!
• In terms of transportation, if you need to take a taxi, be prepared for the ride of your life! We took a taxi to a restaurant we didn’t know the location of exactly. We were almost sure the taxi driver we had was not a legitimate taxi driver until he showed us his documents. When we got in, I sat in the passenger seat and everyone else in the back. When he drove us to our destination I had a blast, but everyone in the back of the car felt differently. He drove much faster than the other cars and whipped past them in the lanes. As for lanes, they were so faded and nobody really followed them in the first place so he often weaved through lanes and if he found a space between cars he went through. When we were dropped off everyone was thankful that they were still intact and I wanted to have another taxi ride with him! We had another taxi driver who wasn’t as crazy later that night and I was a little bummed out. So be prepared when taking a taxi, you never know what they are going to be like and it could change your life!
• In terms of the people, watch out for the vendors and pickpockets! They could easily ruin your trip if you are gullible! I brought a coat with me that made it a pickpocket’s worst nightmare because I had hidden, buttoned pockets. So thankfully, I could walk around with ease. The vendors are everywhere and the closer you are to a tourist attraction, the more of them there are, trying to get your money. Now there are vendors with carts of touristy items and they aren’t bad. You can even practice your bargaining skills and get some good deals on their merchandise. The other vendors are the issue, some have animals with them, or a few items they are showing off. They are not afraid to go up to you and put stuff in your hand demanding money for that item. One was selling flowers and came up to us when someone was taking a picture of me and two of my friends by the Spanish steps. He kept trying to put his roses, or himself in our picture. As if that was going to entice us to purchase anything from him. If you deal with someone like that, keep your foot down, make it clear you will not buy and if all else, walk away.
• In terms of what I wish I had done before the trip, was to learn a little Italian. I never really thought about the fact that I was going to be in a country filled with people who may not speak English. I was (and still am) spoiled studying in Ireland where the difficulty was in understanding their accent! Thankfully, a friend that went along, took the time to learn some important Italian phrases that she told us how to say. She also learned some Italian to be able to ask for directions when coming across people who could only speak to us in broken English. A little bit will go a long way and they may even appreciate you for it! One of our waiters smiled when we ordered and thanked him in Italian. He even corrected the pronunciation for some of us. After that he visited our table more often and joked around with us making for a great lunch experience!

All in all, don’t be afraid to get a little lost too. As long as you can find your way back to your hostel/hotel you will be fine. You will find some of the best little shops and restaurants that heighten your trip experience when getting lost.

Take risks and try food you’ve never had before or if you are in a hostel, get to know the other people staying with you in your room. My group met a girl from California backpacking around Europe and a guy from Australia who just finished working for a farm in Italy and was now seeing the sights. They were extremely nice and we ended up taking them both to join us for dinner and a night out!

By doing these things I thoroughly enjoyed my trip much more than if I just saw the sights and left. So Rome in my opinion is a must see when abroad!