How lucky am I to have family living in Rome!? Not only that, but they are family who are extremely knowledgeable about the fascinating history of practically every building, every street, every church tower, and are also the sort of family who will very happily take one on a tour of all these amazing sights! Molte grazie to Uncle David, Jenelle and Isabel - I had a really fantastic time.
For those who didn't get to wander through the porticos and piazzas and palazzos of Rome with me, IT WAS AMAZING. I've been to Rome before, but with friends when I was 18, and my visit this time was completely different. A car had been organised to collect me from the airport (definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Rome - only costs an extra 2 euro to pre-book a car, and they will take you to precisely where you want to go), and so I was very quickly delivered through several narrow and winding laneways to the door of a beautiful old palazzo in the heart of the city. The house has recently been extensively renovated, but you are still surrounded by so much history. The domes and terracotta rooftops of the surrounding churches and ancient houses are really quite spectacular. The weather was beautiful - high 20s, moderate humidity and a clear blue sky, perfect for sitting on a terrazza and watching the sun go down!
Friday was spent exploring with the ladies (aunt Jenelle and my very grown up 11 year old cousin, Isabel), and we covered a LOT of ground. We visited so many places that I can't remember them all (and you would probably be bored half way through the list anyway), but the highlights were the Victor Emanuel monument, the Portico D'Ottavia, the Campo di Fiore market, the Jewish ghetto, some great gelati, lots of Roman ruins, and some simply amazing churches. Photos are up elsewhere on the blog, you should take a peek. We had proper Roman pizza for lunch (with a very thin, crispy base) - I had zucchini and gorgonzola on mine - and we went out to a lovely little restaurant in a quiet square with a big green tree at one end for dinner. I had carpaccio of sea bass to start, Roman-style veal as secondi and tiramisu for dessert - if I continue to eat like this I am going to be perfectly spherical by the end of my trip!
On Saturday we continued exploring, this time with Uncle David in the place of Jenelle, and we saw so many things AGAIN! Definite highlight was Bellini's elephant, which is apparently a family favourite. After more gelati for morning tea, we ended up at the Roman provincial government buildings, which happen to be built on top of some extremely well preserved Roman houses, the Domus Romane. We went on a tour of the ruins, all under the Palazzo Valentini above - and saw baths, tiled floors, plumbing systems, mosaics, and amazingly intact plates and bowls and even plates with food on them! It was really pretty wonderful, again, if you ever get a chance to go to Rome, check out the Domus Romane.
After our adventuring, we all were exhausted, so headed back to the house for a delicious cheese and olive picnic, and then for a bit of a siesta before aperitivi on the roof terrace. Uncle David introduced me to Aperol Spritz, the unofficial national drink of summer, and we snacked on peanuts and drank Spritz and played with their hilarious little Bolognese puppy (well, three-year old), while the sun went down. After a dinner of lasagne and stewed figs with mascarpone, I packed my bags, had a bath, and went to bed, ready to get my train to Venice the next morning.
Thanks again to my lovely hosts in Rome, who not only were welcoming and made me feel at home, but were also fantastic tour guides! I had a really wonderful time, and can definitely see why they love the city so much. Unfortunately I had to move on, but I suppose I can always come back!
Next stop: Venezia!
