This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links with no additional cost to you. This will only help us continue to deliver amazing content for our readers. We also only recommend products and services that we use ourselves.
The “Bel Paese” had always been at the top of our travel wishlist. We were about to experience Italy for the first time.
With our flights and accommodations booked, Hayley immediately dove into the itinerary side of things. Booking this trip on the heels of a slower-paced trip in Croatia had inspired a sightseeing-packed fury. To be fair, most of our trips are planned with little intention of returning to that destination. Although we never rule out a return, our plans are always to see as much of a single city during our stay. We were ready to take on Italy for the first time.
Another first; Ryanair and East Midlands Airport
Our flight into Rome left from East Midlands Airport, just over an hour’s drive south of Sheffield. For the first time since arriving in the UK, we did not have to commute to an airport by train. Instead were treated to a ride to the airport from our friend Ross, who just happened to be heading to Leicester. Not that we mind commuting by train, but it did save us some time.
East Midlands is much smaller than Manchester and it was quick to get through security. It is a well-appointed airport with shops and quite a few restaurants.
It was also our first experience with Ryanair. We had heard and read a lot of negativity about the low-cost European carrier. But for just over $150 CAD each, roundtrip, we were willing to take the risk. I guess the news is only worried about covering the side of travel that goes wrong. Our flight was on-time and the two-and-a-half hour journey to Italy for the first time was enjoyable. Nothing newsworthy to report.
We landed in Rome shortly before 9 pm and took the airport express train to Rome Termini. Hayley and I both noted that late-night commutes into a city we’ve never been to, sort of take away from the excitement. There’s not much to see out the window of a train in the dark.
Italy for the first time. Enter: Rome
Rome is a city covering almost 500 square miles and a history 28 centuries deep. We were keen to fulfill our desires to see the oldest of the old. We thought it would be the perfect place to start our trip to Italy for the first time. Rome did not disappoint. There wasn’t a corner turned that didn’t have reminders of ancient history. We did underestimate the sheer size of the city.
Walking is our go-to method of transport when enjoying a city break. There is always more to see when walking. It also gives us time to take in the surroundings or stumble across something unexpected. But boy did Rome push our feet to their limits.
I should note that for the first time, we both had issues with our feet that did make traversing the city more difficult. On the first morning, as I stepped onto the sidewalk and into the hot Roman sun, I heard a thud behind me. Hayley had missed the final step of the staircase and fallen hard on the unforgiving marble floor. Her ankle had twisted awkwardly and she got up limping. This was not a favourable start to the first day. Hayley managed to walk it off, but the discomfort was apparent. She is tough and wasn’t about to let it damper the day.
My issues with my feet came about after the second day.
We both had purchased new shoes for the trip. After a couple of weeks of “test driving” them, we were convinced that we had found the best footwear for a trip requiring a ton of walking. What I didn’t test drive were the bamboo socks in those shoes. I bought the socks with the idea that they would be cooler than cotton socks in the heat, as well as quick drying when doing laundry in the sink.
After two days of walking, the friction generated by the socks gave both of my feet sizable blisters. Not a great start to our first time in Italy. I eventually abandoned the socks totally and went sockless. This prevented the blisters from worsening, but the damage was already done.
Italy for the first time: Let the touring begin
The temperature in Rome did not help our comfort at all. It was hot. The shade did offer some reprieve, but what did we expect? We were travelling to Italy for the first time in August. It is also recommended that pants and long sleeves be worn in religious buildings like the Vatican and the Pantheon.
Despite trying to be as best prepared with light pants for myself and long dresses for Hayley, escaping the heat outside was almost impossible.
We did notice that not all of our fellow tourists dressed accordingly and that none had seemed to be turned away due to their choice of wardrobe. But the last thing we wanted was to show up for our time slot and be unable to enter, so we heeded the suggestion.
Our first day in Rome took us on a tour of Platine Hill, one of the most ancient parts of Rome dating back to the tenth century BC.
We chose to join a tour group through “Get Your Guide” to benefit from the “skip the line” entrance and get some information throughout the tour from a guide.
Tour groups are not usually our thing. We are normally happy to explore a site at our own pace. To make our sightseeing for the day more enjoyable and avoid long queues, we booked the tour above. Our guide was brimming with knowledge and it was great to get some real-time information as we toured Palatine Hill. We did find ourselves falling behind the group and out of radio connection as we stopped to take photos. However, we were able to catch up by chasing after the flag on a pole held by our guide.
The ‘skip the line’ tickets did save us a bundle of time when entering the Colosseum. We found ourselves overwhelmed with all of the information as we fought our way through the crowd. We did our best to keep up with the bouncing flag. At the end of the tour, we were left inside the Colosseum to wander about and take photos at a leisurely pace. We definitely recommend this tour to anyone considering visiting these sites on your first trip to Italy.
Our next stop of the day was a quick fifteen-minute walk from the Colosseum to the Baths of Caracalla.
After visiting the Roman Baths in Bath, UK in June, we felt prepared for more of the same. I can say unequivocally that they are not even close to one another. The Baths that we had visited before were amazing in their own right, but we were stunned by the Baths of Caracalla. We found the place to be less crowded than the Colosseum. In comparison, it was virtually empty, seemingly off every other tourist’s radar.
The monstrous complex built in the early third Century AD is mostly in ruins these days, but still gives you a sense of the unbelievable size of the Baths that could hold up to 1,600 visitors simultaneously. Mind-boggling to think that a place so massive was built without modern machinery, just for people to exercise and hang about.
By the time we had finished up at Caracalla, the hunger had set in.
There wasn’t a single restaurant or cafe on the way from the Colosseum (which is odd for such a busy city). Fortunately, we were able to find some options in a reasonable timeframe to stave off any kind of hunger-induced conflict. At this very restaurant, I had my first of many pizzas on my own personal “Tour of Italy through pizza”. Hayley had a salad…..
It was now later in the afternoon and there were still a few more stops that we wanted to make for photo opportunities.
Seeing as we were visiting Italy for the first time, the Knights of Malta Keyhole is a popular spot for iconic photos that we couldn’t miss.
Here we found a queue of about 25 people waiting to take a picture through a hole in a rather unassuming door. Had it not been for the gathering of people, we would’ve walked right by it. We patiently waited for our turn to take a peek.
Now, if you are going to take a picture, your smartphone probably won’t cut it. It is a great view through the hole of St. Peter’s Basilica to the naked eye. But capturing that in a photo is no easy feat. I struggled with my amateur photography skills to catch it on our DSLR camera. We actually purchased our Canon 4000D for our first time in Italy.
It was only possible to pull St. Peter’s out of the image once we were home and could use editing software. I’m sure a more seasoned photographer would be able to pull off such a great picture no problem.
It was now moving into the late afternoon and we had reached the furthest point from our hotel.
It was time to make the very long walk back. The route that we chose still had some points of interest to pass on our way. They were simply fly-by stops to take some photos and move along. The Temple of Hercules the Winner sits near the Tiber River and was built in the late Second Century B.C. This makes it the oldest marble building in all of Rome. While it is very old, it was not open to the public at the time and seems like it doesn’t get frequent visitors. I noted that the grass was long overdue for a cutting.
We made a brief stop for an Aperol Spritz before walking up to the Altar of the Fatherland.
This National monument is a massive, imposing structure built between 1885 and 1935. It sits in the centre of Ancient Rome and we were able to see it whenever we were at a high point of elevation, from every corner of the city. I can prove this with the many photos that were taken every time we were overlooking the city. Despite seeing the Baths of Caracalla and the Colosseum, I was blown away by the size of this building.
It was just awe-inspiring. The next time we visit Rome, we will definitely take a tour during opening hours.
It was now late in the evening and we required a dinner break. Our Apple watches let us know that we had covered just about 19 kilometres that day, a busy start to our trip to Italy for the first time. A tough feat for Hayley considering the condition of her ankle.
It was a slower pace after supper, but we managed to return to our hotel shortly after 10 pm. Both of us were exhausted. Our tickets for the Vatican were first thing in the morning and we had to be up early.
1 thought on “Italy for the first time”
Comments are closed.