We had no alarms set this morning, and it felt great! With no early tours lined up, we took our time getting ready. Today’s plan was renting e-bikes to explore the ancient Appian Way. A couple we met at dinner a few nights ago had done this and raved about it, which got us excited to try it ourselves.

The Appian Way is one of the oldest roads in Rome, built in 312 BC to connect the city with southern Italy. Known as the “Queen of Roads,” it’s now a peaceful countryside path, lined with ancient tombs, catacombs, and villa ruins. What was once a major military route is now an open-air museum for locals and tourists alike.

Here’s a map of the road and the landmarks for reference:

But first—caffeine! We fueled up at our favorite breakfast spot, Il Baretto, before grabbing a taxi to the bike shop. There was a bit of a mix-up on the drop-off point; the driver asked if we were headed to the catacombs, and I said yes. Turns out, we got dropped off a mile away from where we needed to be! Oops. Luckily, we found some Lime scooters to save our legs from extra walking.

Once we finally rented our e-bikes, it was time to hit the Appian Way. The first part had us riding on the road, but we quickly made our way to a more secluded area. We somehow avoided getting hit by any cars!

Our first stop was at sites 14, 15, and 16 on the map, where we explored the ruins of a castle built in the 1300’s. We didn’t stay long since we had fancy dinner reservations later, but we snapped some pics before heading back out.

Biking along the Appian Way was a blast! The path was bumpy and a little nerve-wracking at times, but the landscape was beautiful. The rain from the night before made some sections muddy, but it also kept the crowds away, making the ride more peaceful.

At one point, I noticed something strange in the distance. It looked like sheep, but I thought, “no way.” Turns out, it really was a herd of sheep and goats! We pulled over, found some rocks to stand on, and watched the animals pass by, herded by a few dogs. It was so unexpected and hilarious!

After the sheep spectacle, we kept biking without making many more stops, though we passed plenty of ancient ruins and even some old aqueducts. Eventually, we had to turn back before reaching the end of the route, but we came pretty close to the end!

We didn’t have time to tour the catacombs, but we did grab a quick snack and caffeine fix at the Appian Way Café. Even though the e-bikes were pedal-assist, we still felt the 10.2 miles we had biked!

I’m so glad we chose this activity. It was such a nice break from our usual sightseeing, and being active felt great. Once we returned the bikes, our timing was perfect—the bus showed up just as we left the shop.

We had to switch buses closer to the city but decided to walk instead, probably from a little PTSD after all the bus issues we’ve had. On the way, we stopped briefly to check out a beautiful church our taxi driver had mentioned earlier.

We also made a pit stop at the Campo de Fiori market, where we grabbed some refreshing mango and papaya juice and a tropical fruit salad. It was the perfect treat after a long day of biking.

Back at the hotel, it was time to get ready for our big dinner at Imago, our first Michelin-star restaurant. We were both a little nervous since this was a new experience for us, but also super excited. Imago is on the sixth floor of the Hotel Hassler, right next to the Spanish Steps. We’d reserved a table with an incredible view!

That’s the restaurant in the middle building there, all the way at the top with the windows! What a view.

We got there a little early, and had to wait in the lobby a bit since the restaurant didn’t open until 7 PM. That meant it was time for selfies, I’m not going to spend 2 hours on my makeup and not take a ton of pictures! Haha

We didn’t realize Italians eat dinner so late, so our reservation made us the only ones in the restaurant for a while. It was a bit intimidating, especially when they pulled out our chairs and pushed them in for us. Fancy!

As the place started filling up, we relaxed, and the first round of treats arrived before we even chose our menu. The first was a mini Margherita pizza, and it was amazing—light, puffy, and packed with flavor. Next up was a tiny lasagna, also bursting with flavor despite its size. We were blown away by how good everything was.

They kept the lights dim for the view, so our food photos didn’t do the dishes justice, but trust me, it was all incredible. The last treat before the main courses was a pastry puff with mustard sauce and topped with powdered mushrooms. Delicious!

Then came the main tasting menu. Jordan did the wine pairing, so with each dish, a sommelier explained the wine and how it complemented the food. I skipped the pairing and started with a Riesling, but ended up switching to a French Riesling from one of Jordan’s courses that I loved. It was a little risky ordering it without knowing prices (I was not going to ask in a place like that) and it ended up being €40 a glass haha! Good thing I only had two glasses. Worth it though—it was the best Riesling I’ve ever had.

A few standout dishes: the bread and honey course (sadly, no photo) was incredible—fermented apple water bread with butter and marmalade. Jordan said it was the best bread he’d ever had! The mini ravioli was another favorite, and one dish came topped with Parmesan aged 10 years, which was next-level. I’m not sure I can go back to regular Parmesan after that.

The pork with clementines and mustard was tender, like baby-back ribs but 100x better. Honestly, every course was amazing. The service was impeccable too—they even scraped the crumbs off our table between courses.

We finished the dining experience with dessert! The last two dishes on the tasting menu were desserts, and they were so light and delicious. And after we finished the official menu, they brought a dessert cart around for us to pick from! How perfect.

The whole experience was unforgettable, and now we’ve officially developed a taste for Michelin-star dining (sorry, wallet!)

After dinner, we snapped a few photos at the Spanish Steps, then grabbed a taxi back to the hotel. Not ready to call it a night, we ended with a nightcap at a cozy spot in Campo de Fiori, overlooking the square.

It was the perfect way to wrap up an incredible day. I can’t believe tomorrow is our last full day!