Rome is an incredible city to visit, but when the temperatures rise, it can become quite stifling which can be a challenge. Rome had been experiencing a heat wave, but with our luck the heat was not too bad on our layover. Marianne and I came up with a good solution, always walk on the shady side of the street and this helped immensely.

First things first, we needed to get a slice of pizza before we got under way to roam the streets of Rome.

We found a great pizzeria! In Rome, you pay for the weight of the pizza, not the slice. It’s fun because you can have as many small slices you want and this enables you to taste all the scrumptious flavours.

Who couldn’t resist trying French fry pizza, along with prosciutto and cheese. To our amazement, we realized that adding French fries cut thin on a pizza is very yummy!

We will definitely go back to this pizzeria. So many more types of pizza to try.

We continued our walk through the city. Of course, we saw a line of people up ahead and had to find out what they were all doing. We immediately got in line; we shortly realized the crowd was waiting in line to be let in to see a gorgeous cathedral.

The Church of Saint Louis of the French

The Church of St. Louis of the French was built since 1518 to welcome the increasing French community in Rome. The interior, divided into three naves with five chapels on each side and a rich central choir decorated with marbles, is a true jubilation of  baroque art.

We were fascinated with all the exquisite artwork. Marianne and I were glad to have found this hidden gem in Rome.

Next, we decided to head over the river to visit Trastevere. Trastevere is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Rome.

Trastevere never disappoints. We enjoyed our short visit to this neighborhood. We could not stay long because we were meeting 2 other crew members for happy hour. We were going to try this new rooftop bar that Camaryn had told us about.

We took a different route back and came across some interesting monuments and beautiful views.

So much to see, but we were running out of time. It was Happy Hour Time.

Colonna Palace Hotel

The Colonna Palace is located in front of the Parliament, in one of the most characteristic and ancient districts of Rome. It has a beautiful roof garden that has a solarium and a jacuzzi, in which we could cool our hot feet in, while we enjoyed sipping a cold beverage.

It was so delightful soaking our feet. Two other crew members, Jose and Will met up with us at the Colonna Palace.

We had a grand time at the rooftop garden enjoying the view. It was time to go to a nearby Italian Restaurant to have a fabulous Italian dinner.

The food was absolutely delicious. I had a plate of carbonara and Marianne had a pizza.

A day in Italy is not complete without finishing your day with gelato. We went to Gelateria La Romana, one of Rome’s best places for Italian ice cream. It was a bit overwhelming with so many scrumptious flavors to pick from. We changed our minds many times, but in the end we were all so happy with our final decision.

It was a grand day roamin the streets of Rome. We never know what kind of adventure lies ahead for us on our layovers. It’s fun to walk the little side streets, find the hidden restaurants and shops. A walk through these streets is a journey through time, an immersion into the life and soul of one of history’s greatest civilizations.

Life is like an ice cream. Enjoy it before it melts!