Tag Archives: rome

Oct22

Golf Cart Tour Of Rome

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Golf Cart Tour Of Rome

Hi! As you saw in yesterday’s post, our day in Rome continued after the tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica with a golf cart tour of Rome. In our tour’s itinerary, the evening was ours to do whatever our heart’s desired. You could fly solo or go out to dinner with the tour group. As we were prepping for the trip, my dad thought a golf cart tour would be fun and allow us to see all of the different landmarks in person as opposed to on the bus. We are all so glad he came up with this idea because it was SO much fun and the perfect way to see Rome! Check it out:

Our golf cart tour guide, Alessio, picked us up from our hotel promptly at five in the evening for a three hour tour of Rome. Johnny and I opted to sit in the backseat of the golf cart so we could face traffic and wave at everyone! As soon as we were buckled in, we hit the road and it was so crazy! I feel like there are no traffic rules when you drive in Rome and everyone just kind of does what they feel like lol. Our driver took us around with expert care but when we would go fast it was almost like being on a rollarcoaster! All we could do was put our hands up and enjoy the ride and we sure did. It was just really nice to do something on our own away from the group and it was so wonderful to take in the sights firsthand with the wind in our hair.

The first stop on the tour was the Colosseum and that was simply spectacular. We had seen it from the bus already but that is nothing like being outside and seeing it right before your very eyes. We spent some time taking pictures and marveling at such an incredible piece of history and then we stopped in a cute cafe for some gelato before we zipped over to the Trevi Fountain. This was my first taste of Italian gelato and the vanilla did not disappoint. It was so rich and vanilla-y and I couldn’t eat another bite by the time I was halfway done. How fabulous to see the Colosseum and have a little treat afterwards! 😀

The Trevi Fountain was our next stop and my favorite landmark of the night. I was expecting its location to be more pronounced like the Colosseum but the fountain actually emerged in the middle of a block filled with shopping. It was so random to see it in all of its glory in what felt like the middle of nothing! I don’t know if this is bad or not so you tell me but I had no idea what the Trevi Fountain looked like until that moment. I’m glad I didn’t, though, because it was even better than I could have imagined and I just wanted to dive right into the cool blue water!

After the fountain we made a few more stops at scenic areas for photo ops and ended at the Pantheon. By the time we got there, it was getting dark and it was beautiful to see the Pantheon all lit up. It wasn’t all beauty because someone in the square definitely got pick-pocketed – we could hear them yell “STOP! THIEF!” but when in Rome, I guess lol? Once we walked the space and took some pics, it was time to start heading back to the hotel and our tour guide recommended an excellent spot nearby to stop for dinner. We all could have used some real food after the gelato!

Alessio got us reservations at Terme Di Diocleziano and his recommendation was spot on. In fact, we all agreed that this was the best pizza we had in Italy, period. We got a veggie pizza, a spicy salami one for the non vegetarians, and a buffalo mozzarella and tomato which was my favorite. The crust was thin and crisp but the inside was soft, the tomato sauce was sweet, and the buffalo mozzarella was ooey gooey heaven. We barely had room for biscotti for dessert and basically had to roll ourselves back to the hotel. So worth it. 😀

Our whirlwind day in Rome concluded with a quick drink at the rooftop bar of our hotel before heading to Assisi the following morning. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

Tune in tomorrow for the next stops on our tour of Italy: Assisi by day and Perugia by night. See you then!

What is your dream vacation location? Have you been to Italy before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct19

Welcome To Rome!

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Welcome To Rome!

Hello!! My family and I enjoyed the most wonderful vacation in Italy and spent ten days traveling and city hopping. This tour was compliments of AAA and Collette and it really was a whirlwind adventure. Johnny, myself, my parents, and older brother went here, there, and everywhere with thirty-five other people and our amazing tour guide, Savio. We made forever friends, unforgettable memories, and fostered a love and knowledge for every location we visited and its surrounding areas. This was our first time out of the country and it truly couldn’t have gone better thanks to the meticulous planning and guidance of our beloved Savio. We may be back in the A-K-Rowdy, but Italy will never be far from our hearts.

Our travels began with margaritas at the airport at ten in the morning (obviously), a quick flight to Chicago where more margs were consumed (obviously), and an overnight flight that brought us to Rome for the start of our tour. Due to the other members of our group all arriving at different times, we were able to get ourselves checked into the hotel to rest, spend some time in the city, and have a big welcome dinner that evening. As soon as we made it to the Mediterraneo Hotel (I will be reviewing every hotel we stayed at), Johnny and I freshened up and made our way into Rome for some shopping as his sunglasses broke on the flight. That is when our adventure really began…

Johnny and I emerged onto the streets of Rome with no other plan then to find him some sunnies. We decided to ask the first people we saw who looked close to our age and learned that they were not from Rome but Austria. We chatted, laughed, and made up in the air plans to meet up for drinks after our welcome dinner. Rather than keep asking for help, we took it to the streets and hit up a bunch of different stores. Johnny and I found sunglasses and I also purchased a GORGEOUS purse which you will see later! After our shopping we returned to the hotel to have some drinks and wait for our dinner featuring regional specialties.

Our welcome dinner was absolutely delicious and I was so appreciative to the attentiveness of our tour guide to ensure that my mom and I always had vegetarian options. The meal started with a yummy flatbread and a rich pasta with veggies. Next was a divine pastry filled with cheese (I was in heaven) and the most tasty pistachio ice cream for dessert. It was actually one of my favorite sweets we had on the entire trip! And, of course, the wine flowed freely as we dined and got to know all of the other guests who felt like family within days.

After our meal, the fun didn’t stop because Johnny and I hit up the rooftop bar at the hotel to meet with our new friends from Austria. Guys… We got absolutely wasted and spent hours drinking Prosecco, sharing stories of our respective countries, and laughing hysterically. One of our new pals wants to visit us in Ohio for a “hillybilly time” of drinking moonshine and shooting guns and we’d love to make it happen lolol. We are still in contact with them! As much as we would have loved to keep the night going, Johnny and I were beat and had an early following day filled with sightseeing. This day set the vibe for the whole trip and it promised to be fabulous. I can’t wait to tell you all more about it so stay tuned because lifewithlilred is having an Italian takeover!

In under two weeks, Italy felt like home. We are thankful beyond measure for this beautiful time with friends and family and I am so excited to relive it all here with my dear readers. Keep it posted!

Have you been on vacation this year? Where did you go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah