Wishing On The Trevi Fountain | Live Lovely Travel | Rome

It was shortly after sunrise in Rome. I stood outside the Colosseum by myself waiting for my Uber to arrive. I wore my favorite Modcloth high-waisted skirt, a white blouse, and neck scarf; an outfit I selected based on inspiration from the film, Roman Holiday, a personal favorite of mine featuring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. My hair was rolled back into a princess bun to get it out of my way and I felt more like a flight stewardess than the famous Audrey Hepburn going out alone to explore Rome. My confidence was teetering on a narrow ledge. I was on a mission to see the Trevi Fountain, all by myself in a country that I was vastly unfamiliar with. The only Italian I knew was “grazzie” and “bonjourno,” which I used with all the finese of an American tourist when my Uber driver arrived and brought me to the Piazza di Trevi. 

The Trevi Fountain was one of the most beautiful sights we visited during our honeymoon in July. As you can imagine, the Trevi Fountain was crowded with tourists and locals alike when we arrived during the middle of the day shortly after stepping off our train to Rome. And astonishingly, it was also crowded long after midnight. Although we enjoyed seeing the fountain bustling with activity and onlookers while eating gelato, we could not take  in the moment with the thick crowds blocking the view from all angles, which brought me to this solo journey on this particular morning. Matthew, exhausted from our extensive traveling and the tours of the day before, decided to sleep in. I was not about to let this opportunity pass me by. 

I was nervous of course. As a small town New England girl I felt uncomfortable in Rome. Having Matthew by my side raised my confidence as we walked through the streets during the day and after dark. Tourists from all over the world as well as local commuters made the streets active and boisterous. The street vendors and pick pockets were more aggressive than any other city I have visited before. I would consider the sidewalks dirty and decrepit, rather than simply ancient and worn. Yet, in the stillness of the morning the city took on a softer, less weathered appearance. I stood in front of the Fountain di Trevi and found a moment of peace and quiet in a city that has seen centuries of commotion. I became one tiny blip on the map of Rome’s long history. And like countless visitors before me, I left my mark by making a wish on the fountain. 

Legend has it that if you make a wish on the fountain, destiny will ensure you make it back to Rome again some day. Only time will tell if that particular legend is true. Legend also claims that the second coin you throw in the fountain will ensure that you find love and the third will lead to marriage. A kind French couple took these photos of me throwing a coin in the fountain. Built in 1732, the Trevi Fountain is one of the oldest water sources in Rome and used to be a source that lead to to Roman baths. Roughly $3,000 is thrown into the fountain every day! The money is gathered every so often and donated to charity. Although sunrise is the best time of day to get travel photos without other tourists, getting “the photo” was not my mission for coming to the fountain or for traveling to any place at sunrise (unless I’m doing a wedding or engagement session). I appreciate the quiet of the day and having a moment to myself to take in an authentic moment with such a powerful piece of history and art. Perhaps it is an introvert thing, but I love the solitude of sharing a moment with the places I visit. It makes me feel like I have really appreciated the places I have seen, that I had a personal connection with the place, the art, the architecture, or the land. Next time you travel some place new, I encourage you to wake early and spend some quality time with where you are. 

I sat on the bench and spent nearly an hour at the fountain, sometimes speaking with other tourists and trading photo ops with them, other times listening to the sounds of the water rolling down the sculpture facade. I gave some American coins to a New Zealand tourist so that she could make a wish on the fountain and she told me about her blog. I took artistic portraits for a couple from San Diego. When the tourists started to pour in and the moment came to an end, I strolled down the street and called an Uber back to our Airbnb. 

When I returned, Matthew told me he was proud of me for braving the city on my own, something that he had been secretly nervous about himself. I was proud of myself for wandering into a city that I didn’t know on my own, and being able to navigate my journey to and from my destination. I walked the same path millions have walked before me and had an experience truly unique to my own lifetime. And as for the wishes I made, well those are between me and the Fountain di Trevi.