Roman Holiday (Style File 9-01-12)

 Ok, so... I'm way behind on this, but here is one last style file from our vacation. These photos are primarily from the Colosseum.

 It was super HOT in Rome. My strategy was to dress cool, so for me that means dresses. Plus dresses are easy to pack and wear with little thought in the morning. Who wants to spend precious Rome time figuring out what to wear? Not me! You've seen this dress probably multiple times; it's a workhorse in my wardrobe and I wear it a lot.

 I also chose to pack flat sandals. Now, by the end of our time in Rome, my sandals had rubbed some raw spots on my toes...but for the most part they worked for me. I chose sandals because they're fairly comfortable, kept my feet cool, and looked good with my dresses.

  In addition to it being hot, we did a lot of outdoor sightseeing. This made a hat necessary, because I have fine hair and fair skin. Sunburnt head is the worst! I actually bought this hat from a street guy, so it's probably of dubious legality... but it was cheap and kept my head from being burnt. Which is very important to me! Also, this photo is from the Castel de St Angelo

Lastly, my sunglasses were also a must. So sunny all the time! This photo was taken near the Spanish Steps.

So to wrap up my thoughts about vacation, I thought I would give some tips for each place.
London:

• Bring an umbrella and a jacket, no matter the time of year. It was pretty cool and rainy when we were there!
• It takes longer than you might think to travel around, so make sure you have extra time.
• Take a tour first thing!
• I found the food to be kind of so-so. I know good food in London exists, we just didn't have much luck finding it!

Paris:

• Umbrella again!
• Be prepared for some people to be rude about not speaking French. Don't take it personally and don't let it bug you. It's just the way it is there! learn a few phrases, showing you tried will help! 
• Try to stay somewhere centrally. 
• The Metro can be confusing, but using it is way less expensive than the taxis. That said, during rush hour, don't expect to be able to just zip around the city. It takes a lot of time and is very crowded.
• There are pick pocket schemes out there. If anyone wants you to sign a petition (esp. in a tourist area) don't do it. They work in teams, one is distracting you with the petition, the other is picking your pockets. Think about it, why would they want a bunch of tourist signatures anyway? Another scheme is a street vendor coming up to you and braiding a bracelet on your arm, but then not letting you leave until you pay a lot of money.  
• The Paris pass was wonderful if you're going to a lot of the monuments and museums.

Rome:

• Pickpockets are also out in Rome, but if you keep your stuff close to you, you'll be fine.
• Don't be afraid to use the bus system. They don't have an extensive Metro system, so the buses are actually way more accessible. 
• Get the Roma Pass. You can use any of the public transport for free. Plus you can skip lines and get discounted entrances.
• Eat a lot of gelato. Drink Ceasanase wine; it's only grown in Rome.
• The Trevi Fountain is always always busy. Just one of those things!
• Walk around a lot. Explore. That's the point of Rome!

All Three Places:

• Sunblock. Why ruin your vacation with a wicked sunburn?
• Public transportation is the cheapest option, always.
• If you don't want to stick out like a sore thumb (as a tourist), dress nicely. People in Europe don't wear t-shirts and jeans the way we do in the States. Tennis shoes are also not really something they wear. That said, no matter what you do, you're going to look like a tourist. Especially in places where English is not the language.