As we boarded the train to our final city, I was less nervous but a bit more melancholy because our time in Italy was winding down. I had no idea what to expect in Rome, but Venice and Florence had taught me to remain open minded and receptive to adventure.
The train to Rome was crowded and full of people of all nationalities which made for amazing people watching; my favorite sport! I knew this was a foreshadow of things to come. Upon arrival, the train station was a-buzz with humans in motion. The ride was longer than I accounted for and I needed a restroom ASAP! So here’s the deal about restrooms in Italy, you have to pay to use public restrooms. That’s right, every time nature comes a callin’ you need to make sure you have 1 “€” euro on hand. I had been able to avoid the fee, but my winning streak had come to an end. I located a euro in my purse and well, the rest is history!

Once again, our hotel was in walking distance from the train station. On the walk I noticed the streets were crowed with people. Rome has a very New York city vibe. People move faster and you see more heads down with wireless devices in use. I began to feel a little crest fallen. I think it was because it reminded me of work back home. I really, really want to say things got better, but I value honesty and I imagine you do too; so, here goes. The hotel was horrific. It was gross and smelly. The walls had some type of old fabric on them that was severely stained and looked as it had never been cleaned. I was completely turned off by the room. It wasn’t just the room. The hotel itself was dark and dirty . The upside was this forced up to spend as much time touring the city. We took in some beautiful sites. The Colosseum was amazing; almost like an ancient movie set. The best part after more than a week of vacation time, I felt rested, full of new memories, and excited to go home and sleep in my own bed! We were officially ready to say “See you next time” to one of the most romantic countries we have ever traveled to.

So here are my final thoughts on our entire experience. We are so happy we chose Italy as our travel destination. It is a beautiful country. This may sound controversial but, being a person of color traveling abroad, I always have to think is this going to be a safe and receptive choice. Italy hosts people from all over the globe. I did not feel out of place or discriminated against. We did, however, stay in very touristy locations. The people we met along the way were kind and very helpful to us. So, would we travel to Italy again? Yes! I definitely would! When we travel there again, we plan on taking our kids. I have my eyes set on the Amalfi Coast our next go round. If you have ever traveled there, I would LOVE to hear about your experience.
I have truly enjoyed sharing our travel adventures with you! Make sure you visit my other 2 Italy blogs:

Florence- http://www.kimjagwe.com/florence-italy-love-at-first-sight/
Venice- http://www.kimjagwe.com/venice-the-first-stop/

Until our next epic travel adventure, may your life be filled with unshakeable faith, wealth beyond measure and laughter ’til it hurts.

Kim J.

Enjoy the photos:)
Photos and text , all rights reserved. To use with permission, contact Solomon Jagwe at www.sowl.com

Rome