Baklava 🤩

Oh my god! Look at those layers 🤩

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All roads lead to Rome!

Literally all roads lead to Rome! Capital of Italy, Rome is the 14th most visited city in the world! Rome is one of the cities in Europe that doesn’t go to sleep easily! You can get out of your hotel at 11 p.m. and still see the restaurants buzzing with crowd. Romans love socializing over a glass of red wine and some yummy, crisp pizza!!

Lets talk about some of my most favorite things to do here.

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Colorful Rome

Itinerary:

This is not an easy decision to make. There’s so much to see in this city that even a week’s time doesn’t feel enough. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day! However, we spent 4 days in Rome as it was part of our Euro trip in 2017. We took a train from Milano Centrale and arrived at Roma Termini in about 3 hours for just 20 Euros each. One of the busiest train stations I’ve seen so far!!

Hotel:

We stayed at Buonarotti Guest House (http://www.buonarrotiguesthouse.com/), which is just 20 minutes away from the center of Rome. Our stay was very comfortable thanks to the amazing staff. It is perfectly located between the Termini and the Colosseum.

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View from the guest house

Things to do:

  • Colosseum – The largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire has a long and a bloody history. It hosted gladiatorial combats and animal fights alike. Today almost 4 million people visit the site every year. Get your tickets online if you want a tour or prepare yourself for the long queue.
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Sunny Colosseum
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Perfect Backdrop
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Selfie game is strong!
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Arch of Constantine
  • Fontana Di Trevi – Any trip to Rome is incomplete without a trip to the Trevi fountain. Nicola Salvi’s Baroque masterpiece features a marble statue of Neptune at the center, surrounded by Tritons. Legend has it that anyone who throws a coin in the fountain will return to Rome. The site is over crowded with tourists struggling to get a perfect selfie but I suppose the perfect time to visit this landmark should be early morning or late at night so you can admire the magical view.
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The most beautiful fountain in all of Rome
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Wanna make a wish?
  • Piazza di Spagna – Climb the 135 Spanish steps to get a stunning view of the Piazza di Spagna. It is both democratic and home to the city’s fanciest boutiques on Via dei Condotti, Rome’s legendary shopping street! Some of the most popular brands also host fashion shows at this site and we were quite lucky to witness one!
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135 steps away!
  • Fori Imperiali – Julius Ceaser was the first to build in this section of Rome, it was a center for religion, economy and politics in the ancient Roman Empire.
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Roman Ruins
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Symmetry!
  • Have a million Gelatos – It is no surprise that there’s no shortages of gelateria in this city. Some of the them date back to the 1900s, each of those have some really incredible flavors! Some of my favorite spots were Angel’s House and Gelato di Procopio.
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Angel’s House
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il Gelato di Procopio
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Pompi
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Angel’s House
  • Roman Eateries – Your options here are unlimited! Starting with a thousand pizzerias at every nook and corner to some delicious local burger joints, you won’t go hungry in this city! Walk into any of the local pizzerias and have the most fresh margarita pizza with some gnocchi or ravioli that satisfies your senses with a glass of red or white to wash it down!
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Trattoria Pizzeria Vecchia Roma
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Ristorante Pizzeria da Michele

There are very few instances when I crave for a burger and what are the odds of that happening in Rome?!? So, we googled and found this place called The Perfect Bun, just 20 minutes away from Fontana di Trevi and I would say that it is a must visit!!

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The Perfect Bun
  • Explore the cobble-stoned streets of Rome – When you walk on the cobble-stoned streets, you feel that you’re walking on history! Explore the colorful streets of Rome, make it a point to walk because you never know what you find when you get off track in this beautiful city.
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Orange Hues
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Roma Store
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Bougainvillea
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Piazza di Trevi
  • Shopping in Rome: One of our favorite things to do when we travel is to explore the local boutiques, shopping streets and outlets. You’ll come across many streets with plenty of local boutiques and known brands all over the tourist spots from Trevi Fountain to Spanish steps and many more, also search on for the closest outlet mall. Shopping is fun in Rome and a different experience from low ends to the ultimate high brands. Make sure to take breaks in between, enjoy some gelatos or  Italian coffee and energize to carry all the shopping bags!

Things to do in Izmir

Izmir is the third largest city of Turkey which borders with the Aegean Sea. It is a little outside the tourism hot spot but we usually find the best places when we wander outside the touristy path!

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Wandering AR
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Smart Hotel

 

  • Visit the Kemeralti Bazaar: You can spend a whole day exploring the bazaar and still not see the entire place. Starting with freshly ground Turkish coffee, Turkish delights to the rugs, ceramic, and carpets. Anything you can possibly imagine at a much lower rate than Istanbul. The bazaar is open six days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on Sundays.

 

 

Vegetable shop
Turkish Delights
Fruity Delights

 

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On our way to Pamukkale – Basmane Station
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Magical Travertines – Pamukkale

 

  • Take a day trip to Ephesus: Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, is a tourist magnet, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. You can tailor a day trip to Ephesus without buying any tours if you’re on a budget. Best way is to take the train from Basmane Station, which brings you to Selcuk in about 70 minutes. From Selcuk station you can walk to Ephesus in 30 minutes or  walk across town to the bus station and ask for the minibus that goes past Ephesus. Another option is to take a taxi in the morning which will bring you to your destination in an hour. Unfortunately, we couldn’t plan a trip to Ephesus due to shortage of time but it is not to be missed!

 

  • Take a stroll at the Konak pier: It is located close to two of the city’s landmarks, Izmir’s famous clock tower and Konak square. Take a stroll by the walkway and enjoy the beautiful view of the Aegean sea. The walkway is lined up with some great restaurants and coffee shops, so it’s a perfect spot to unwind.

 

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Konak Pier
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A stroll down the pier
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Beautiful day at the Pier

 

  • Chill out at Alsancak Mahellasi: You can’t miss out on visiting Alsancak when you are in Izmir. Two large streets parallel to the coastline, called the First Kordon and Second Kordon form the main shopping center. Its bustling with locals and the best place to go are usually where the locals chill. Many restaurants, bars, cafes, discothèques and other entertainment venues are concentrated in this area.
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Orange picking on the way to Alsancak
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Alsancak Mahallesi
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Autumn colors at Alsancak Mahallesi
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Photoshoot in Alsancak Mahallesi

 

  • Izmir Eats: We had most of our meals at Alsancak, our favorite restaurant was Chick’inn, a fusion of Turkish & Chinese cuisine! We also tried authentic doner wraps around the neighborhood, a delight to your taste buds! Hunting for food is not that difficult in this area. The streets are lined with Turkish & fast food alike.

 

 

Chick’inn – Beef Kofte & Tavuk Fajita
Kuncu Firin
Nar Suyu – Pomegranate juice
Chick’inn
Dondurmali Irmik Tatlisi
Chick’inn – Stir fry chicken & Beef Doner
Tavuk Doner
Doner Wrap

 

  • Explore the streets of Konak: Autumn in Izmir is magical, though it was chilly but a prefect time to explore the streets and get to know the locals. People are very friendly around here and are always ready to give you helpful tips and suggestions.
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Winter layers in Izmir
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Konak Street
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Pastel buildings everywhere
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Autumn Layers

 

P.S.

I would recommend a 4 nights’ stay in this city only if you’re planning to take day trips to Pamukkale & Ephesus. You need at least 2 days more or less to explore the city and get a taste of the local lifestyle. 

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Happy Faces in Izmir