When in Rome
In October, Jessica and I purchased a Groupon to go to Rome for two nights. It was sort of a hassle to get it booked for a weekend when we both had free, but by the middle of November, flights and hotels were booked and in all honesty, I thought very little of it until just a couple of weeks ago.
I've been to Rome four times before, so it may seem a bit much, but perhaps it is those wishes I keep making in the Trevi Fountain! I just can't get enough of Italy! I think I left part of my heart there years ago and it just yearns to return to the culture, the food, the history and the gelato. So, a couple of weeks ago when I realized what was actually going on, that I was returning to Italy, I got totally giddy and had a hard time holding in a smile.
Jessica, another Fulbrighter and I, sat on the plane giddy as school girls talking about our plans for the city and what all we were excited to see. We caught up about school, learned more about each other's homes, families and friends and watched as we flew over the Alps entering into "the boot."
I realized upon arrival that I had actually put very little thought into things. I mean, we had booked tickets to the Vatican Museum, and made a general plan of what we wanted to see and when, but that whole, getting to the hotel from the airport had sort of slipped our minds. After doing a bit of research upon arrival, we decided just to take a cab and make things easier.
We hopped in a cab that drove about a mile and a half before making odd sounds and not switching into gear. That was really just the start of our bad luck for the weekend of choosing the wrong lines to stand in, but you know what, I'd take that kind of luck in Italy any day over not being in Italy! :)
After figuring out the key to get into our hotel room, we freshened up and ventured out into the city! On our way to the Spanish steps, we stopped for our first Italian meal. It was good, but we got better at choosing restaurants as we went on through the weekend. We did enjoy Italian wine, great pasta and even some fried zuccini flowers likes ones I had made in my cooking class in Florence nearly ten years ago. The Spanish steps are a very popular hang out, so I was absolutely shocked to see them virtually empty. Typically, the steps are so full of people that I enjoy playing Where's Waldo (Wally) with the photos. We had them basically to ourselves! I have no doubt that the chilly air had something to do with that, but I was still surprised to see them so very empty.
On our walk home, without too much trouble, we found gelato! If you've never had real Italian gelato, I do apologize, because you are truly missing out on one of the finer things in life. It is light, so much lighter than ice cream, soft, flavorful and absolutely delicious! I found my favorite flavor, caramel and was happy as a lark with our first few hours in Italy!
The next morning, after enjoying some cake for breakfast, we set off on a full day adventure! Figuring out the metro was remarkably easy considering there are only two lines and we have both become quite accustomed to the numerous tube lines in London. The Vatican Museum was busy, but not terribly crowded. We were able to move through it at a nice pace. Neither of us have a huge appreciation for art, although we were both in awe with the age of many of the pieces, but of course the main reason for our Vatican tour lay at the end of the museum, the Sistine Chapel. I've been in there each time I have gone to Rome and continue to be fascinated by the majesty of it all. The chapel is really quite massive and the thought of painting it all from floor to ceiling is remarkable. As I teach "patience" to my kiddos this month, I realize, looking over Michael Angelo's masterpiece, that I really have very little patience.
Saint Peter's was next on our list, but it was closed for a private ceremony, so we had to go off and eat some pizza before we could get in line to go inside. The queue was quite long, but we were inside the church and climbing the dome before all too much time had passed. Once again, I climbed the 551 steps to the top, getting dizzy and a little shaky as I neared the top, but oh the view that that dome provides! It was absolutely stunning and since it was such a glorious day, the views went on for what seemed like forever!
Climbing back down was a little tricky, but ending up inside the church made everything very worth it! I cannot begin to describe the grandeur inside St. Peter's. It is like nothing else anywhere in the world. Every little detail is ornate. You feel so incredibly small, reminded of the true size of the world around you inside this church. I'm always fascinated to remember that the church was built without cranes, electricity or large pieces of machinery.
With the sun still shining, we rushed over to the Colosseum but found it closed. Oh well, slight change in our penciled in-itinerary. So, from there, we enjoyed walking through parts of the city. I was thrilled to have Jessica, a fellow cat-lover, with me as she didn't mind that I wanted to take her to the cat sanctuary. I have happened upon this old ruin at least three of the four times I've been before. One time, our hotel was very close to it so I saw it many a times. I believe the first time I saw it, I just noticed there were some cats there and of course that made me really happy. The second time, I realized that it was a cat sanctuary where all the cats were fed and taken car of. It was not until the last time I was in Rome that I stopped to read the fine print about the ruins to discover this was the same spot where Caesar was murdered. It was just in small print at the bottom! "Et tu, Brute?"
After a walk by the Pantheon, a stop in a great tourist shop, and choosing flavors at the 150 flavor gelato place, we wandered on to the Trevi Fountain where we made our wishes. Returning to the hotel, we decided we only had a short time in Rome, so we put on more layers and set back out to enjoy more of the city at night. We went to the Colosseum just to see it all lit up at night, then walked through the city before finding a perfect little spot right in front of the Pantheon where we sat for a gorgeous meal. We had wine, bruschetta, lasagna, pesto and then bellinis. It was a wonderful meal and sitting outside, starring at the Pantheon was quite magical!
We were gutted the next day, exhausted, and our legs tried revolting against us, but we persevered. More cake for breakfast and we were off to find the gladiators in the Colosseum! Although all that the Colosseum stands for is really quite violent and disturbing, seeing the actual building is incredible. Imagining how it was built and how it must have looked in ints hay-day puts everything into perspective, reminding me just how young our country is.
We explored ancient Roman ruins, spotted a couple more cats, took our photos with the gladiators and wandered on towards Piazza Nova, a huge piazza that has always seemed to be bustling with people and Sunday was no different!
Wandering through the city streets, Jessica and I had noticed confetti scattered about and on Sunday we had noticed a couple of kids dressed up in super hero costumes. I thought the costumes were a bit odd, but then again, I know that there are some outfits that it is just not worth fighting a kid over, and well, why can't a kid leave the house in a Batman costume?
As it turns out though, there was a reason: the celebration of Carnival. Carnival is sort of like Mardi Gras, a huge celebration before Lent, but it apparently also includes kids dressing up in costumes and throwing confetti. A stage was set up in the piazza where a very talented group performed. We watched as kids threw confetti on one another and ran around enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. Artists were out in full force, selling their work and creating more.
For our last meal in Italy (this trip at least), we found a great restaurant in the piazza where we could watch all the festivities. We sat outside, in the sun without our coats on and enjoyed pizza, pasta and rossinis. It was a wonderful way to end our time in Italy!
Although we certainly ran ourselves a bit ragged, we still managed to sit and enjoy the finer parts of the Italian culture. And don't worry, on our way to catch our shuttle, we still had time to stop for one more bit of gelato!
I've been to Rome four times before, so it may seem a bit much, but perhaps it is those wishes I keep making in the Trevi Fountain! I just can't get enough of Italy! I think I left part of my heart there years ago and it just yearns to return to the culture, the food, the history and the gelato. So, a couple of weeks ago when I realized what was actually going on, that I was returning to Italy, I got totally giddy and had a hard time holding in a smile.
Jessica, another Fulbrighter and I, sat on the plane giddy as school girls talking about our plans for the city and what all we were excited to see. We caught up about school, learned more about each other's homes, families and friends and watched as we flew over the Alps entering into "the boot."
I realized upon arrival that I had actually put very little thought into things. I mean, we had booked tickets to the Vatican Museum, and made a general plan of what we wanted to see and when, but that whole, getting to the hotel from the airport had sort of slipped our minds. After doing a bit of research upon arrival, we decided just to take a cab and make things easier.
We hopped in a cab that drove about a mile and a half before making odd sounds and not switching into gear. That was really just the start of our bad luck for the weekend of choosing the wrong lines to stand in, but you know what, I'd take that kind of luck in Italy any day over not being in Italy! :)
After figuring out the key to get into our hotel room, we freshened up and ventured out into the city! On our way to the Spanish steps, we stopped for our first Italian meal. It was good, but we got better at choosing restaurants as we went on through the weekend. We did enjoy Italian wine, great pasta and even some fried zuccini flowers likes ones I had made in my cooking class in Florence nearly ten years ago. The Spanish steps are a very popular hang out, so I was absolutely shocked to see them virtually empty. Typically, the steps are so full of people that I enjoy playing Where's Waldo (Wally) with the photos. We had them basically to ourselves! I have no doubt that the chilly air had something to do with that, but I was still surprised to see them so very empty.
On our walk home, without too much trouble, we found gelato! If you've never had real Italian gelato, I do apologize, because you are truly missing out on one of the finer things in life. It is light, so much lighter than ice cream, soft, flavorful and absolutely delicious! I found my favorite flavor, caramel and was happy as a lark with our first few hours in Italy!
The next morning, after enjoying some cake for breakfast, we set off on a full day adventure! Figuring out the metro was remarkably easy considering there are only two lines and we have both become quite accustomed to the numerous tube lines in London. The Vatican Museum was busy, but not terribly crowded. We were able to move through it at a nice pace. Neither of us have a huge appreciation for art, although we were both in awe with the age of many of the pieces, but of course the main reason for our Vatican tour lay at the end of the museum, the Sistine Chapel. I've been in there each time I have gone to Rome and continue to be fascinated by the majesty of it all. The chapel is really quite massive and the thought of painting it all from floor to ceiling is remarkable. As I teach "patience" to my kiddos this month, I realize, looking over Michael Angelo's masterpiece, that I really have very little patience.
 |
| Taking photos in the Sistine Chapel is not allowed, but here is Jessica in the hallways of the Vatican Museum. |
After a walk by the Pantheon, a stop in a great tourist shop, and choosing flavors at the 150 flavor gelato place, we wandered on to the Trevi Fountain where we made our wishes. Returning to the hotel, we decided we only had a short time in Rome, so we put on more layers and set back out to enjoy more of the city at night. We went to the Colosseum just to see it all lit up at night, then walked through the city before finding a perfect little spot right in front of the Pantheon where we sat for a gorgeous meal. We had wine, bruschetta, lasagna, pesto and then bellinis. It was a wonderful meal and sitting outside, starring at the Pantheon was quite magical! 
 |
| Jessica and I both have friends that travel with us. Johnny and Herman enjoyed getting to know each other. |
Wandering through the city streets, Jessica and I had noticed confetti scattered about and on Sunday we had noticed a couple of kids dressed up in super hero costumes. I thought the costumes were a bit odd, but then again, I know that there are some outfits that it is just not worth fighting a kid over, and well, why can't a kid leave the house in a Batman costume?
As it turns out though, there was a reason: the celebration of Carnival. Carnival is sort of like Mardi Gras, a huge celebration before Lent, but it apparently also includes kids dressing up in costumes and throwing confetti. A stage was set up in the piazza where a very talented group performed. We watched as kids threw confetti on one another and ran around enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. Artists were out in full force, selling their work and creating more.
For our last meal in Italy (this trip at least), we found a great restaurant in the piazza where we could watch all the festivities. We sat outside, in the sun without our coats on and enjoyed pizza, pasta and rossinis. It was a wonderful way to end our time in Italy!
 |
| Life is sweet! |
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