Rome

We planned only a 24 hour layover in Rome. I juggled this decision back and forth in my head. Everyone raves about Rome. Did we give ourselves enough time?

YES. We are so over cities by this point. Sure it’s a really cool one. But enough already. And I can’t even with the tourists.

We stayed by Mercado Esquilino, which is in an amazing little residential neighborhood. The streets were lined with cheap clothes, hello kitty backpacks, and dusty electronics. There are little stores, some just about the size of a large closet, that we’re 100% sure are a front for something. We bounced from store to store, expecting to eventually be invited to the back room. Like New York’s chinatown, we thought the best knock-ff goods would be behind those shady doors, and that if we waited around long enough someone would usher us back. But what’s behind the doors is still a mystery. We never got asked to the back.

We thought about visiting the famous statues, monuments, fountains, and architecture. But fell into a total ‘fuck-it’ mode and ate Indian food instead. 

What we’ve found most on this trip is that you can’t plan your day based on what you’re supposed to do, see, or eat. We plan it based on what we actually are in the mood for. And yeah, we walked passed the Coliseum without hesitation to stop. I’m not ashamed.

Our first travel hiccup also happened in Rome. Ryannair canceled our flight to Marrakech 8pm, the night before our 8am flight. It was only €40—and because they only fly to Marrakech once a week, we wound up on a new airline for way more euros than that. But it’s amazing we’ve made this far until we’ve had to cash in on our travel insurance.