In the span of just a few days this spring, my dad booked a trip to Rome for my sister and me and our daughters. He really wanted to go, but my mom wasn’t particularly excited to travel to Italy during the hottest time of year. My niece kindly offered to join him, which resulted in Emery, Alison (my sister) and I also tagging along! My nephew couldn’t miss baseball and, honestly, this is not the kind of trip Bodie enjoys. So Opa and the girls headed to Rome last Wednesday! We added Florence to our itinerary as well.

Off we go!

After an easy overnight flight, we woke up in Rome! The first day consisted of checking in to our home away from home (the St. Regis), freshening up, and wandering the area near our hotel. The girls actually went to some place they saw on TikTok to get blowouts while Alison, Dad and I enjoyed a beverage at the lobby bar. They came back with fabulous hair and we headed to an early dinner at Crazy Pizza. Crazy Pizza has multiple locations around the Europe and the US, so we figured it would be kind of touristy, which is true. However, it’s very entertaining and the food is quite good. It was a great way to ease the girls into the Roman scene.

Crazy Pizza

I only have a video of the crazy pizza dough performance, so these are snapshots taken from the video. I apologize for the quality, but trust me that it was wild and fun.

After dinner we walked to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. We wanted to knock out a few things and stay awake. We were tired, but didn’t want to go back to the hotel and fall asleep. The trick to acclimating as quickly as possible is to push through. No naps.

Trevi Fountain

We headed “home” for a good night of sleep so we could hit the ground running for day two.

Day two was BUSY: Italian charm bracelets, the Vatican and St. Peter, plus a pasta making class. We loved everything we did!

First FULL Day

Italian charm bracelets were brought to our attention by our cousin who was in Rome with her own teenage daughter just a few days before us. I’m so glad she shared this as it’s such a fun way to acquire a souvenir. We popped into the Lame location near the Vatican after breakfast. By the way, breakfast at the St. Regis is a thing of beauty. Emery and Kelsey slept in most mornings, but Alison, Dad and I enjoyed delicious leisurely breakfasts every day. I somehow have zero pictures, but it was a highlight of the trip. Back to the bracelets…we each chose a two tone band and then filled it with charms of our choice. Dad designed one for Mom, too.

Lame Italian Charm Bracelets

We weren’t super hungry before our Vatican tour, but we knew we needed a little something to hold us over during the three hour experience. We popped into a random restaurant not far from Lame and enjoyed a fabulous lunch. Turns out the Pope himself has eaten there! Possibly our favorite thing about Rome is that every single dining establishment is wonderful and takes great pride in their service and offerings. We didn’t have a bad meal our entire trip.

We scooted over to the Vatican after our lunch adventure and, although the tour was long, we were mesmerized. I’m honestly impressed with Emery and Kelsey, but I think the significance of the art and history are so indescribable that even they were captivated. No photos allowed inside, but Alison, Dad and I had to wave our ND flag outside. Our Vatican/St. Peter’s tour was booked through ItaliaTours.

The Vatican

St. Peter’s Basilica does allow photos, so enjoy this historical eye candy.

We went straight from St. Peter’s to our pasta making class, which exceeded our expectations (and our expectations were already high). This was booked through Viator at Holy City Pizza. The chef made everything easy and approachable…and delicious. I will attempt to recreate this pasta recipe at home next week. Stay tuned.

Pasta and Gelato Class

We went “home” and crashed after this incredible day. We had to catch a train to Florence the next morning!

Italy (and Europe as a whole) makes rail travel super easy. We had tickets to Florence on a high speed train, which took about ninety minutes. One of the reasons we chose the St. Regis is its proximity to the train station. It was an easy five minute walk.

Rome to Florence

We didn’t have much on our agenda in Florence other than seeing the David and visiting the Golden Goose flagship store. Done and done. The David is phenomenal. Truly impossible to convey the art we saw on this trip. Even if you’re not an art history buff (I’m not), you’ll thoroughly enjoy these masterpieces and learn SO much.

David and GG

A happy accident was stumbling upon the flagship Ginori store! Alison and I adore this porcelain. Emery and Kelsey each chose their wedding china. Hahahaha!

Ginori Store

Florence was toasty and we were eager to get back to our home base, so we hopped on an earlier train to Rome and were there in time for a late dinner. What can I say? Rome stole our hearts!

Our final full day consisted of a tour of the Colosseum. This tour was booked through LivTours and was just as fabulous as the Vatican tour. We were very impressed by the knowledge, professionalism and hospitality of all of the guides we encountered during our trip. Once again, our minds were blown by the history. Emery kept saying, “this can’t be real.” Travel is so important for giving context to the places and events that shape our world. Photos do not do justice.

The Colosseum

Our final evening took us to dinner at a little hole in the wall in the Trastevere area, Oste Nostro. Once again, this unassuming restaurant delivered a phenomenal meal and excellent wine. It’s remarkable how fresh and simple the food is in Italy. After dinner we wandered around and purchased some jewelry and soaked in the gorgeous little streets and alleys. Everything looks like a postcard in Trastevere.

Trastevere

Yes, Emery changed after dinner because she loved these dresses and was sad she didn’t get the opportunity to wear them both. So, she packed one for after dinner.

We made it back “home” for one last sleep before our early flight back to the States. *We had two rooms next door to each other, but not adjoining.

One thing to note: although we never felt unsafe in Rome or Florence, we were warned extensively about pickpockets. Emery, Kelsey, Alison and I were prepared with zippered crossbody bags and general vigilance. Dad kept his items of importance (passport and credit cards) in his front pockets at all times, but that didn’t stop a fella from trying to grab something out of his back pocket on particularly busy street near the Vatican. Thankfully, Emery realized what was happening and chased him off. We cannot stop laughing about Emery’s assertiveness. This scumbag was working in tandem with another guy who was getting close to Kelsey. Alison and I were distracted by that man while his buddy tried to steal from Dad. Jokes on him because he wouldn’t have gotten anything of value, but you definitely cannot let your guard down. It makes for a good story now, but a stolen passport or credit card would have been an inconvenience, to say the least.

Arrivederci!

I have the Italy bug for sure and cannot wait to go back. I’d love to return to Rome, but I also want to visit the coast and Lake Como. So many places, so little time!

Thank you, Dad, for the trip of a lifetime! And thank you, Alison, for being our fearless photographer.