At the beginning of July, I decided to treat myself with a little vacation to Italy to celebrate the end of my Master’s Program. After two years of living in Europe, I was finally able to go to the land of pasta, wine, and art. The three cities I went to were Rome, Florence, and Pisa. I thought I would love Tuscany the most, but I ended up loving Rome much more than I could have imagined! Keep reading to find out the five simple reasons why Rome stole my heart.
1. Water Fountains
Okay, so this might seem like a strange reason to like a city, but when you are walking around in 90 degree heat all day, public water fountains are a godsend! These little fountains were everywhere and helped me to not pass out from heat stroke. I know Paris has fountains too, but not nearly as many as Rome has. P.S. A nearby woman laughed when she saw me taking this picture becuase it was something so mundane to her!
2. Trees
I wouldn’t really call Rome a “green city, ” especially because of all the cars, but it is full of trees! Nature and shade are important to me in an urban environment and Rome certainly had both of those (still a lot of sun though). Plus the funny Stone Pines are really unique and help add to the city’s character.
3. Piazze
Every time you turn a corner in Rome there is another pretty little street, beautiful terra cotta building, or a sun-soaked piazza with sparkling fountain. Piazze are the perfect place to sip your Aperol Spritz or scarf down some gelato before it melts.
4. Food
How could I write a blog post about Italy and not mention the food? The best dish I ate in Rome was a pasta dish from a restaurant near the Altare della Patria with a cream sauce and truffles. I didn’t like truffles before I tried them in Italy. Maybe because in the US, they put truffles on popcorn and french fries.
5. Tevere
I love a city with a river! Must be why I moved to Paris. I love the Tevere (Tiber) river in Rome almost as much as the Seine! The trees around it are beautiful. At night there was an open air cinema as well as little restaurants/bars and street vendors on it’s banks. 
Have you ever been to Roma? Did you like it as much as I did?
Ciao bella,
Cam
Baguettes and Bicyclettes 
Amazing photos! I’ve never been to Europe but I sure would love to visit someday! And yuuup, just the thought of Italy makes me go hungry. I do love good shrimp pesto and chicken alfredo. Absolutely yummy~ 💕
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I’ve visited Rome twice, the last time in 2017. I agree with you that it’s such a lovely city: crowded as it is, the atmosphere is electrifying as it’s filled with so much history, people, and delicious Italian food. Very glad it captured your heart, as it’d done with me!
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