Buongiorno, Roma!
We arrived late yesterday afternoon to a cool and rainy Rome. It’s still a bit cloudy and damp this morning, but is supposed to clear up later and remain nice for the rest of our visit here. Our room has a view of the Parco Del Colle Oppio. If we crane our necks to the left we can also see the ruins of the Domus Aurea. We’re not far from…
the Coliseum. This is a sight that never fails to impress.
We’ve learned to keep our first full day in a new time zone relatively unscheduled. Getting out and walking is usually the best way to get my body clock readjusted, so we’re going to do some self-guided walking tours nearby, and one guided tour this evening in the Piazza Navona area.
About That Jet Lag…
Over the years, I’ve acquired a few tricks for minimizing jet lag.
- I take a Dramamine (original formula) on the plane a little bit after takeoff. This does two things: makes me drowsy enough to fall asleep, and keeps my stomach settled. (I’m not prone to much motion sickness, but can experience some altitude sickness after hours in flight.)
- Drink lots of water and not much alcohol.
- Eat lightly the day before and during transit, and upon arrival.
- Get as much natural light as possible upon arrival and move as much as I can.
- Keep myself awake until normal bedtime in the new time zone.
- Take a melatonin at bedtime to help sleep through the night. (This doesn’t always work, but did last night.)
I did manage to get quite a bit of sleep during the flight, slept well last night and am feeling pretty good today. Fingers crossed!
Travel Wardrobe Edits…
I mentioned in my Italy travel wardrobe post that I allow myself a “wild card” chosen at the last minute, based on latest weather forecasts and my mood. For my wild card, I chose to pack a lightweight cotton gauze popover top (similar style, mine’s polka-dot) in case it turns hot. And I pulled the pink tee, replaced with my favorite 3/4 sleeve embroidered tee from last year which has proven to be a great travel piece. (Mine’s no longer available, here’s another tee with tiger embroidery and elbow sleeves.)
I also swapped out both bags for lighter, less bulky ones. More on that in a later post…
We’re off to breakfast and then to explore. I promise to take lots of pictures!
