We were lucky to have several sets of visitors with us in Rome during the second half of the trip. By November, my husband was calling me “the travel agent,” and I’d gotten pretty good, if I do say so myself, at leading an introductory walking tour of Rome from our apartment in Trastevere to the Villa Borghese.
But, embarrassingly for a fledgling tour guide, it wasn’t until the end of November that I realized where I should have started my Rome tour all along: the top of the momument to Vittorio Emanuaele II, or the “typewriter” as Romans not-so-affectionately call it.
For 7 Euros, you can take an elevator at the back of the building up to the top floor. Sounds like a rip off, but when you get to the top, believe me: you’ll see one of the best, if not the best, views of Rome possible.
Using the printed skyline guides, you can figure out where everything you’d possibly want to see during a visit to Rome is. It’s so helpful to start with an aerial view of a city when you’re beginning your trip, I think. You become familiar with where things are in relation to each other, and you can start to map out an order for the sites you want to see that makes sense.
And, most importantly, above all the traffic jams and the noise, you can truly step back and take in the beauty of Rome. With that brief but powerful refresher of why you came to Rome in the first place, I guarantee that despite your jetlag, you’ll be energized for the trip ahead.
A Pinch of Salt 