ROME! We made it with some help from Western Rise.
Finally arrived! Our first international trip in almost 2 years. After what felt like a LOT of stressful paperwork - we made it to Rome with what turned out to be very little fuss. So while it all seemed like a huge mess pre-trip (Gov information is disorganized, the airlines don’t really consider “layovers” or “transfers” in their information they provide, etc), at the end of the day, our paperwork was examined at check-in and that was it. No kidding. I was almost annoyed that no one at either the UK border (where we needed a test to transfer through) or the Italian (where we needed a vaccine card and test to get into) looked at anything. Not one. In fact, hilariously, we had to fill out a form on the plane from London to Italy for the border patrol and I swear - I kid you not - we almost had to convince the guy to collect it from us, haha. It was like, “I think you’re supposed to take this from us, Sir. Here. slides paper over to him”. But hey, all that matters is that we made it. So we hopped into an Uber and were off to our hotel. I had about 2 years worth of Hilton points - so I decided to put them to good use. I booked 3 nights at the Waldorf Astoria’s Rome Cavalieri Hotel and paid nothing for the whole stay. Amazing luck having those points. We got upgraded to a room overlooking Rome from the hill top and I have to say it was stunning. Notice the view in the pics below!
And just as exciting - I wanted to announce that I was lucky enough to partner with a brand I’ve been using for years (if you’ve followed my reviews, you’ll have seen them) - Western Rise! I was tasked with assembling what could be one of your best travel clothing capsules to take on any trip. I focused on my usual - versatile clothing that would fit in a number of situations and of course be good for multiple wears. We are talking pants, shirts, socks, you name it. For a 3-5 day trip, it could be the only clothes you need. Expect a release on a full article highlighting each piece in the next week or so! But, a few sneak peak looks here to help hold you over!
First up, I coupled some on location shots with some of the items I took with me. Like I said, I wanted to focus on versatility so one grouping would be the Diversion pants, the StrongCore Merino T, and the Limitless Merino button down. Full reviews of the pants and button down here and here. The pants offer a go-anywhere build with a casual yet tapered look which is good for sneakers or with shoes. The StrongCore merino is their branded version of a (mostly) merino and nylon-core blend that you can wear while out and about or anywhere a t-shirt is OK, really. The nylon core adds to the durability which is important in a travel shirt. The goal with the merino is to get multiple wears and fight off the stink while still being comfortable! Lastly the Merino button down is a casual button down that can be worn around town or even out to dinner (which is what I did). It’s a mostly merino blend that comes with all the benefits the wool provides and compromises little on the feel and fit.
One of the things we did during the day was to take a tour of the Vatican. Since I hadn’t gone anywhere in 2 years, I ponied up the cash for a private tour with early access and I felt it was completely worth it. It was a once in a lifetime chance to be in one of the most visited places in the Western world with what is comparatively almost no tourists. We got to see the Sistine Chapel with only about 12 other people in it. Was like walking around any old exhibit in any museum. Saw something you liked? Well, go over and examine it. Just unreal and a chance I’ll likely never have again so I’m grateful for it. For those that aren’t aware it’s normally like a cattle car in there. Shoulder to shoulder and the view you get is the view you have from wherever your place in the grouping is. You enter and move towards the door. You don’t get to examine the room. Wonderful and mind blowing thing to see.
I spent the day in the Diversion pants and the Strongcore t-shirt in navy which looked good with my all-white sneakers. This is me taking some shots of the Vatican Gardens.
But let’s not forget what we came here for. This is Rome. Ergo, this is ITALY. Ergo, We need to eat. Luckily Western Rise has you covered here as well. Because they are pretty versatile, I not only used the Diversion pants for out and about during the day but I used them to go out at night as well. See, that means you don’t need multiple pairs of pants for one day. This trims down your packing big-time as pants can be one of the heavier items in your kit. And considering how comfortable they are with the stretch, you’re happy in either scenario.
For dinner, we went out to a typical, I’d say…..higher-end-ish casual joint for our first pasta dishes. (Carbonara and cacio e pepe if you must know). From there, we went for a walk around Rome to see things at night (which I highly recommend since there are WAY less people at the famous spots and it’s all pretty dramatic at night). The Diversions and Limitless button down were the perfect pairing. No zip-pants hikers allowed, thanks. No one will ever know these are “travel clothes”. Because to be honest, they are just “clothes”. With properties that make them fantastic for traveling in.
There’s a quick glimpse at our first taste of Rome and putting together your best travel clothing capsule with help from Western Rise. Follow me on Instagram for the upcoming series of Rome pics, and keep an eye out for the full article about a Western Rise travel capsule in the coming week or so.
Start planning your next trip! - AW
