Will it be a win for Rome?

Last night we arrived in Rome on a plane full of Scots!

I came to Rome by myself around 7 years ago for about 3 or 4 days, and did not enjoy it at all. I think it was a combination of: staying in the grottiest hostel I have ever been in; feeling slightly homesick and lonely as it was the first place I visited by myself; and thinking that it wasn't an entirely safe and welcoming place.

I am very happy to give Rome a second chance though. Gone is the grotty hostel replaced with an apartment near Campo de'Fiori. Possibly the best part is that it is on Via dei Cappellari (below), which is the street of the hat makers!! This is a good sign surely! Plus there is a bar a few doors away that sells Fosters. I feel at home already.

Well, I can't say that I entirely took advantage of my first day in Rome, as I slept through most of the morning with a headache. But I did manage a bit of a wander around Campo de'Fiori, where there were fresh fruit and veg markets on. Had a good lunch of antipasti and pasta. We visited a palace that used to belong to two cardinals and had a look at a lot of old paintings. Mainly, I was just excited about how brilliantly warm it is. This afternoon Scotland played Italy in the Rugby, which accounts for the Scots on the plane. Italy won.