Day Trip from Rome: Visit Castel Gandolfo and the Palazzo Pontificio
Hello my beautiful ladies and gents. It took a while, but at the end of January I finally treated myself to another day trip from Rome. In between exams and everything else, I felt like it was the perfect moment to get inspiration and, of course, take you along with me.
Castel Gandolfo has a little bit of everything, from beautiful nature to cute shops and restaurants, and of course the Palazzo Pontificio and its gardens, which I will tell you all about. In my opinion, Castel Gandolfo is the perfect budget friendly day trip from Rome, and after reading this article, you will understand why.
The Best Tiramisù in Rome for Takeaway
In my opinion, you cannot come to Italy and especially Rome without trying tiramisù. This classic Italian dessert is made with coffee soaked ladyfingers and a creamy mixture of mascarpone, egg yolk, and sugar, all dusted with cocoa powder. While you can find it on almost every restaurant menu in Rome, tiramisù has also made its way into the street food scene. The city now has several small, hole in the wall takeaway spots where you can grab a daily sweet treat while wandering the centre of Rome. In this blog post, I have tested all of these places for you, so you can skip the ones that are only hype and go straight to the best takeaway tiramisù in Rome.
Where to Go Ice Skating in Rome (And Not Only During Christmas)
For some people, this might come as a surprise, but I used to be a figure skater. I say used to because I haven’t been training for a couple of years since I quit, but after so many years on the ice, some of that skill will always stay with you. From time to time, a wave of nostalgia hits me and I get an intense craving to put on my skates again. So when I moved to Rome, I started my search for an enclosed ice rink that is open throughout the year.
In this blog post, I will share my favourite places to go ice skating, and obviously you don’t have to be a figure skater to enjoy these rinks. Skating is fun for all levels and ages, with friends or with family, and with this article I hope to inspire you to put on some skates this winter.
Christmas World Rome Review: Is It Worth Visiting?
If you already know me a little, it is no surprise that I am more of a summer than a winter person, and my mom and I have a yearly tradition of counting down the days until spring. The only thing that really keeps me going during this time of year is, of course, nothing less than Christmas. Christmas is, especially for someone who lives abroad, truly something to look forward to, and I am always ready to immerse myself in the Christmas spirit.
This year in Rome, in Villa Borghese, you can find Christmas World, a Christmas village that is, according to their website, the biggest in Europe.
On the 13th of December, my friend and I went to visit Christmas World to have a day filled with holiday joy and, of course, to review it. Since we are both from the Benelux, and my friend even lived in Vienna for a couple of years, we considered ourselves worthy of judging a good Christmas village. You can visit Christmas World in Rome until the 11th of January, and by the end of this post you will know whether I think it is worth going or not.
Where to Find the Best Freshly Made Mochi in Rome
Now, I don’t know about you guys, maybe I’m just a little weird, but when it comes to food cravings, I definitely go through phases. I’ve had my double-stuffed Oreo phase, my salty popcorn phase, my sour candy phase, and my latest one is oddly specific too: mochi.
If you’re not familiar with it, mochi is a soft and chewy Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice that’s pounded into a smooth, sticky dough, which is then used to make the most delicious desserts. Personally, I’m obsessed with the chewy texture, and I used to always buy the boxed ones from my favourite Korean supermarket in Rome. For research purposes, I went on a hunt through Rome to find the best freshly made mochi by bakeries and pastry shops, and I can tell you, I was not disappointed.