After waiting many years, I finally had the opportunity to visit the country from where many of my ancestors came. Besides having an Italian last name, I am not an Italian at all. I do not know any Italian nor do I know any relatives in Italy. Regardless, I was excited to go to Italy during my semester in Vienna. 

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I based my trip in Rome. I stayed in a great Airbnb and had a very helpful host who picked me up at the airport and told me how to get around Rome. Rome had the absolute worst public transport that I have seen in Europe. They have street cars and subways but they are not timed well and are always full of people. There were times that I had to wait for the next car because it was physically impossible for me to fit in. 

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My first stop in Rome was the Colosseum. I walked through a park to get here and I saw the Colosseum peaking out from over the hill. It was such a nice sight. The Colosseum is one of those landmarks that everyone knows what it is and wants to see. There were so many people around the Colosseum as well as people trying to sell stuff. Tip: never talk to these people and avoid them at all cost. They just want to scam you and or pickpocket you. It was expensive to go inside so I just continued on with my exploration through Rome. I came across the Roman Forum next which are really cool ruins from the Roman Empire. Walking down the street a bit further, I arrived at Altar of the Fatherland which was quite impressive. Next was the Trevi Fountain and then the Pantheon. I was so thrilled to finally see all of these famous monuments and attractions. The Trevi Fountain was quite nice but was very difficult to photograph due to the immense amount of people standing in front of the fountain. Rome is an extremely crowded city, almost too touristy. On the topic of attractions in Rome, I will fast forward two days. On the first Sunday of every month, all attractions in Rome are free. Thankfully, i was there for this Sunday in June. I used this opportunity to go inside the Colosseum. I waited for about an hour in line but it was worth it. The inside was very interesting to see. I wonder how different it looked during the Roman Empire. 

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After spending a day in Rome, I made my way to Vatican City. Vatican City is a separate country but I chose to include it within Italy. The subway in Rome runs right through Vatican City so it is not difficult to travel to. I loved Vatican city because of all the architecture and art. I was finally able to see some of the main works that I studied in an Art History course that I took. St. Peter's Basilica and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel were my favorite sites in Vatican City.

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The next day, I took a train from Rome to Naples. I was a bit disappointed with Naples. Besides the sea line, there was nothing to see or do. I actually got so bored that I went to the train station and switched my ticket back to Rome for an earlier time. 

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I spent my last full day in Tivoli. Tivoli is a quiet and small town. I enjoyed my time in Tivoli and saw two very cool places: Villa d'Este and Hadrian's Villa. Villa d'Este is a grand house with exotic gardens, waterfalls, and ponds. Hadrian's Villa is a large archaeological complex. I had to walk about 50 minutes to get to Hadrian's Villa, through dirt paths on very steep hills. The walk was definitely worth it. 

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I cannot talk about Italy without talking about food. I love Italian food and was looking forward to some authentic Italian food. The pizza in Rome is good but it was not how I imagined Italian pizza to taste. Roman pizza has thicker crust and is cut in rectangles. I was also looking forward to trying Italian pastries. However, they were so difficult for me to find in Rome. I finally found a bakery and ordered a flaky pastry with cream inside and I was not impressed. I was actually disappointed. Things turned around when I went to Naples. I had the best pastry that I have ever eaten at this bakery right outside the train station. 

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My time in Italy was pretty amazing. I would love to go back since there are so many other interesting cities to explore. I am also eager to immerse myself in Italian cuisine. Any food tips for Italy would be greatly appreciated!