"Gelato, Monuments, Gelato, Rome, Gelato, Oh My" Italy by toosahn

When I went to the US to visit my family last Christmas, I did not plan to go to Rome on my return trip to Turkey. But I had a two hour layover and decided, why not stay a while? So I changed my two hour layover to six days. I'd never been to Italy and was really excited to finally go there. I also have a friend who lives in Rome, so I was excited to see her.

Pasta at a market in Rome

Italian food is a favorite of mine and I was excited to finally eat it as it should be eaten. In Italy like Italians eat it! This means I ate standing up a surprising number of times and I had to walk a lot to walk off all the gelato and pizza I ate. There is so much good food in Rome it is distracting. One of my favorites was a sandwich I ordered by weight. It was huge and I said, "I want this much" and showed her. It was a big sandwich. I paid 1.50 euros.

My beautiful friend Lorenza at Ostia Antica

I have an Italian friend in Rome who I actually met in Turkey and we had a great visit while I was there. She has a car and she spent a day with me going to visit Ostia Antica which is about a hour drive outside of Rome. Not sure I would have gone there if not for Lorenza. And she showed me the best Gelato place - and oldest - in Rome! I got four huge scoops in a waffle cone for 1 euro! And it's not in my guidebook! How can that be? I am so grateful to Lorenza for showing me the best place for gelato and for taking me for an appertivo, another experience I wouldn't have had on my own.

• Pros:Easy to navigate, great food, great everything!
• Cons:none that I could see
• In a nutshell:Must return