Rome: Top 10 in 10
I’ve been here 10 days. And I’m under the influence of a rainbow.
Yesterday, I had planned to visit the Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna in between client meetings and managing getting some work done from 7 time zones away. On a sunny mild day, I’d planned my bus route through the boroughs of Rome accordingly.
Except I never made it all the way there. I got carried away in the moment. At my transfer point, Piazza Venizia, I changed the course of the entire day. “There is no line at the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, this is my time!”
Now short on time for a proper museum visit, I lingered on the streets all afternoon. This is just how I travel, solo and with the flow. Hitting up some of the tourist hot spots. Dipping in an out of shops, churches and cafés. Catching any bus, just to see where it goes.
I ended up climbing another Roman hill just in time to catch the sunset at Terrazza del Pincio. While reminiscing about seeing this view before with Maman during our visit in 2011, I was touched by a brisk mist coming down from the always damp Roman sky.
That’s when I saw it. A fully expressed rainbow. Right on top of me. Like a sign from the universe that we are in alignment, together. Here in Rome.
That’s my #1 moment for this trip so far.
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But there is a lot more to this trip than this magically serendipitous turn of events on a random Tuesday. Here are 9 more observations about what I already love about Rome.
2. The Food. Obviously! It’s the best cuisine I’ve ever tasted. I’ve been alternating between pizza and pasta day + loads of coffee and dolci always on the menu. If you are foodie and you haven’t been to Italy, stop everything you are doing right now and put yourself on an airfare alert for any Italian city. You must.
3. The Weather. I don’t like crowds of tourists in high season, so I travel in February every chance I get. It’s not always optimal, but for Rome, it’s been delightfully surprising. Like early spring. There is a perma-moist in the air here that keeps me feeling cool. When the sun is high, layers come off. In the evenings, it’s my scarf as a blanket. Nothing extreme this time of year. But I’ll come back in July and complain about how hot it is, like everyone else.
4. The Language. I caught myself excusing myself in German at the beginning, like programmed for that “Entschuldigung”. In contrast to my struggle with that language, Italian sounds like music to my ears. I definitely have some familiarity with it because of my native French and it gives me a feeling of closeness to the culture. I try communicating in the language every change I get, completely unafraid to be corrected.
5. Italians. I gotta give it to them. I’ve found them to be warm, inviting, and playful. I’ve even managed to quickly turn a could-be-called-grumpy portiere in my building into a daily fist pump through the glass and a big smile on my way in or out. In shops and restaurants, they come at me with “Which country are you from?” as opposed to making the <correct> assumption that I’m American. Even an unexpected encounter with a Swiss-German left me enchanted with the influence of Italian people on everyone'’s état d’âme.
6. The Culture. This is the crux. I see the intersection of rich history and patriarchy, religion and art, architecture and fashion & philosophy and romance everywhere I look. Like a daily dance that’s been perfected over centuries. I’ve adapted quickly to slow mornings and later meals. To lingering in the afternoon and hitting up 4 different small stores across the neighborhood to get what I need. To slowing down in the name of quality time: my love language perspires here.
7. Le Paysage. Mountains in the distance. Moon rise every night. Tropical plants adorning the landscape. Typically Roman trees decorating breathless views for days. Birds signing. And the impact of the land on my fitness. It’s hills galore, everywhere I go. I’m game for skipping the gym this month and taking the stairs. Rome is a complete sensory experience.
8. Ever-Present Spirituality. Especially now, during the 2025 Jubilee. The city opens its Holy Door to Catholic and other devotees undertaking the pilgrimage to Rome for spiritual renewal and forgiveness of sins. Blessed with divine timing, I definitely came to pray. Leaving mass at the Vatican last Sunday (bucket list!), I observed 2 nuns in front of me, turning back to look at the altar, looking at each other, then touching their heart. Every 2 or 3 steps, the same: looking back, at each other, touching heart. A sparkle in their eye, an energy emerging from their collective experience, a palpable delight between them, as if they had just left a Taylor Swift concert. ✨
9. Shopping. I’m an away game shopper. Rather than shop in mainstream US-based boxes, abroad, I’m always looking for fashion inspiration, and make it with an edge. For exceptional craftsmanship. For luxurious fabrics. For classic lines, with a twist. For vintage-inspired styles. For unexpected details. For quintessential style. And it’s all here in Rome. In every single neighborhood. At all price points. I’ve stepped into places that have made me feel like I’m in a museum. Touched Fendi and Gucci, new and old. Caressed leather from all over the country. Slipped on intimates that make me feel like a goddess. Even had my make up updated to look at little more, well, italienne.
10. My favorite Roman-American. None of this would be possible without Linda’s invitation to help her take care of her fabulous Monteverde flat. She’s given me a front row set to her expat lifestyle in exchange, and a priceless unforgettable experience I’ll never stop being grateful for. And soon a 5th country for us to experience together. Grazie cara.
Feeling neither like a tourist, nor a local, here in Rome.
Turns out I’m the pot of gold at Terrazza del Pincio, Rome.
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Catch my Italy picture stories on Instagram at @thisisCaro.