Europe Trippin’ Part II Day 1: Singapore – Italy (Rome)

October 8, 2017 Holden

[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 16 March 2015]

25 October 2014, Saturday

It’s the day of our long-awaited trip, and we checked in at Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 12:20am for our Qatar Airways flight QR945 to Rome. At 2:20am, we departed Singapore and arrived in Doha at 4:55am (local time) for a stopover and leg stretching, before embarking on the flight to Rome at 8:20am. We finally arrived at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (aka Fiumicino) at 1:25pm. FYI, the time difference between Rome and Singapore is 6 hours.

On transit at Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar

Doha city somewhere far away in the background

Being the first leg of the trip, I did not want to take any chances, so I had arranged beforehand for a taxi to bring us directly from the airport to the Airbnb apartment, costing a cool 55 Euros. Granted, it was cheaper to hire a taxi at the airport but I was afraid that the driver might not know the exact location of the apartment. In comparison, an adult ticket on the Leonardo Express train from the airport to Stazione Termini in Rome city costs 14 Euros. The ride takes 30 minutes, and we will need to transfer to another bus and walk to the apartment. So having considered all of the above, I decided to play it safe and arrange for the taxi.

After exiting the departure gate, there were numerous men in suits holding up signs with names of their passengers. I searched for my name for some time before finally spotting my driver, to my relief. He was a big-sized guy and he looked quite intimidating. He was in a suit and he wouldn’t look out of place in a Mafia gang. He led us out of the airport terminal and to the carpark, where there were rows and rows of Mercedes vehicles. Ours was also a Mercedes and it was spacious and comfy. I took the front seat and confirmed with him the address, and off we went.

After about half an hour, we reached the city, and the driver began to snake his way through many of the small roads. I had no idea if we were near our apartment. He then drove through a small road that seemed to be a pedestrian mall, with shops on both sides, and the throngs of people parted as the vehicle made its way through. Suddenly, without warning, he pulled up in the middle of the road and announced that we had reached the destination. We were quite in shock because it didn’t seem like a residential area, but we obediently alighted and unloaded our luggage from the car, while passers-by looked at us with interest. The driver assured us that we were in the right place, and we paid him the fare. After he drove off, we were left standing there for a moment, wondering if this really was the right place.

Thankfully, we did not have to linger for long before a guy named Rod came up to us and told us that he was waiting to bring us to the apartment. The host, Ghily Guetta, was not available so he had arranged for Rod (the cleaner) to meet us instead. He opened the huge wooden door and we entered. The lift was not working so we had to carry our luggage up the flight of stairs. Luckily, the apartment was on the second floor.

Airbnb apartment
Address: Via dei Giubbonari, 74 1 Scala, Piano Primo, Lazio 00186
Host: Ghily Guetta
Cost: S$851.85 for 3 nights, for 3 pax

The apartment was quite small but cosy. It was reasonably well furnished and clean. There were two bedrooms, one living room and one bathroom. The bathroom was quite tiny and the heater was leaking from condensation so the bathroom floor was wet. Other than that, it was quite ok for me. The location was quite good as well as there were shops below and many eateries nearby.

After settling down for a bit, we ventured out on the streets for some sightseeing, nothing too tedious, just to get a feel of Rome. It was a sunny afternoon and the temperature was close to 20 degrees Celcius, so it was nice.

Ruins at Largo di Torre Argentina – also home to a cat colony

We walked to the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument (aka Altare della Patria), a monument built in honour of Victor Emmanual, the first king of a unified Italy. It is a massive structure, easily dominating the surrounding area, with its all-white, marble façade. It also houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with an eternal flame, guarded by two stoic men.

In front of the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument

Located just beside is the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, a grand looking church with ornate decorations on the walls and ceiling. We walked one round through it and emerged from a side door to the monumental staircase, where lots of people were seated, chit chatting away or just basking in the sunshine.

The staircase outside the Basilica of Santa Maria

Next, we walked to Capitoline Hill (aka Campidoglio), one of the seven hills of Rome. The square (Piazza del Campidoglio) is designed by Michelangelo and there is the Capitoline Museum nearby. We then walked further and had a view of the Roman Forum ruins. In the distance, we could see the majestic Colosseum.

We then headed back to the area near our apartment as it was getting dark, and also because we didn’t want to over-exert ourselves on the first day, with the jet lag and all. We found a small, nice-looking trattoria and popped in for dinner. I ordered a penne pasta and it tasted great.

Along the street of Via dei Giubbonari, where our apartment is located at

Had dinner at this trattoria near our apartment

Having our stomachs filled, we ventured around some more and found that the square near our apartment, Piazza Campo de Fiori, was actually quite happening. There were many restaurants around the square and also stalls selling fresh flowers of every colour and variety. It was very lively. I also had my first gelato of the trip. It was very satisfying.