For Matt’s birthday we planned a day trip to the island of Ponza. Ponza is an island off of the coast of Italy west of Rome. We decided to stay in Rome the night before and after our day trip out to Ponza. Rome is such a magical place. It is a big, cosmopolitan city but also has managed to retain its beautiful Italian charm. You really cannot beat the history in Rome. For history buffs, this is the place to be. In our trip to Italy in September we spent a few days in Rome and did not expect to be back so quickly. Life is certainly surprising. The train to Rome from Florence was super easy. The train system in Italy (Europe in general) is so convenient. Travel between the major cities is generally very easy. There are tons of trains from any major Italian city to the other frequently throughout any given day.
When we were in Rome in September, we had spent most of our very limited time there visiting the major Roman attractions- the Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, and the Vatican, etc. This time we had more time to just wander and explore neighborhoods of Rome. Friends of ours had visited Rome and told us about how they had loved the neighborhood Trastevere. This time around we booked an Airbnb right in this neighborhood and had such a good time here. Trastevere was literally covered with the most gorgeous greenery. I could not believe it. The whole neighborhood was just so lush. Trastevere is located on the west bank of the Tibee River and is known as the place where all the real Romans hang out and go out for dinner. The neighborhood is filled with tons of cafes and restaurants that just spill out onto various Italian piazzas. You can easily walk to many of the major attractions from Trastevere.
