July 14th: My first trip to Rome
The morning started in a panic because a few of us overslept and were running late. And my stupid hair straightener wasn’t cooperating with the converter again. We (Jenn, Chris, Gabby, Ai, and I) had wanted to catch the 8am train so that we could catch an early tour of the Medici house in Rome. We got to the station, however, at 8:01am, and had no such luck. We instead took the 9am train and got to Rome around 11, and took a couple subway trains to the Spanish steps area. We got off and walked by swanky stores (Gucci, Prada, Bulgari, etc.), passed the Bernini fountain, and worked our way to the Trevi fountain. The closer we got, the more surrounded we became by tourists, cheap souvenir shops, and Indian guys selling Asian umbrellas. Oh, and it was HOT. I saw a sign with the current temperature at one point, and it read 38-degrees Celsius, which I later calculated to be 100-degrees Fahrenheit. H-O-T. We got to the fountain and it was magnificent. It’s amazing how big these famous statues really are in real life. Then we headed towards the Spanish steps. Jenn and I went up and snapped some shots, and my favorite were actually of the view facing the steps, the little Roman street in the background flooded by people and surrounded by old buildings.
We met back up with our group, met John who had traveled separately, and simultaneously decided that it was time for some lunch. Ai, Gabby, and Chris had been in Rome a few days prior and had discovered a great restaurant nearby, so that’s where we went. The place was really cute, and the waiter had remembered them and brought us complimentary champagne. I ordered a long-noodle pasta with red sauce and sausage. It was AMAZING. The waiter was describing it to me beforehand, and said that they make the sauce with a little bit of cream in it. Let me tell you, it was probably the best sauce I have ever had. I’m going to try putting in some cream in my sauce in the future. The pasta was fresh and delicious in itself, of course, and my whole meal of salad, pasta, water (they charge for that over here), and coffee was 14 Euro, plus 2 Euro for a ‘service fee’, or their way of doing tip. So 16 Euro for an authentic and delicious Italian meal in Rome. Not bad at all. Afterwards we got back on a subway and headed over to the Coliseum/Forum, just us gals, as Chris and John needed to head back to Viterbo. The second we stepped out of the Metro station my breath was taken away by the Coliseum, which was directly in front of us. We moved out of the way of the subway exit, and I just stared at all of its glory. We decided to start our self-tour with the Forum, and headed down the road to the entrance (can’t remember its name, but it’s the oldest paved road in all of the Roman empire!). We paid our 12 Euro to get in, and I was once again taken back by the amazing views. All of the pillars, inscriptions, columns, monuments…how did they do it?! All of these things are 2,000 years old?! We walked around for about two hours throughout the ruins, reading as much as we could and taking in the history and beautiful views. We then walked back to the Colusium and made our way upstairs and around the perimeter, discussing the amount of death that occurred there and saying how thankful we were to have done away with that form of entertainment. More stunning views and subsequent photos took place, and we found ourselves (after about 3 hours in 95+ degree weather) hot, dehydrated, and pooped. We bought some giant bottled iced teas at a nearby market, and at around 7 we worked our way back to the subway and train station. On the train I finished my book, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (which you should read….it’s really good!), and we got back to Viterbo a little after 10pm. Sweaty, smelly, dirty from dust at the Forum, and sticky from the heat, my shower was well-deserved.
I am in love with Rome. I feel so insignificant in a city of such statue and history, and yet I feel so privileged to be part of its present. I can’t wait to go back again and again in these next few weeks. I don’t want to miss a wink of this amazing city. Bona note!
We met back up with our group, met John who had traveled separately, and simultaneously decided that it was time for some lunch. Ai, Gabby, and Chris had been in Rome a few days prior and had discovered a great restaurant nearby, so that’s where we went. The place was really cute, and the waiter had remembered them and brought us complimentary champagne. I ordered a long-noodle pasta with red sauce and sausage. It was AMAZING. The waiter was describing it to me beforehand, and said that they make the sauce with a little bit of cream in it. Let me tell you, it was probably the best sauce I have ever had. I’m going to try putting in some cream in my sauce in the future. The pasta was fresh and delicious in itself, of course, and my whole meal of salad, pasta, water (they charge for that over here), and coffee was 14 Euro, plus 2 Euro for a ‘service fee’, or their way of doing tip. So 16 Euro for an authentic and delicious Italian meal in Rome. Not bad at all. Afterwards we got back on a subway and headed over to the Coliseum/Forum, just us gals, as Chris and John needed to head back to Viterbo. The second we stepped out of the Metro station my breath was taken away by the Coliseum, which was directly in front of us. We moved out of the way of the subway exit, and I just stared at all of its glory. We decided to start our self-tour with the Forum, and headed down the road to the entrance (can’t remember its name, but it’s the oldest paved road in all of the Roman empire!). We paid our 12 Euro to get in, and I was once again taken back by the amazing views. All of the pillars, inscriptions, columns, monuments…how did they do it?! All of these things are 2,000 years old?! We walked around for about two hours throughout the ruins, reading as much as we could and taking in the history and beautiful views. We then walked back to the Colusium and made our way upstairs and around the perimeter, discussing the amount of death that occurred there and saying how thankful we were to have done away with that form of entertainment. More stunning views and subsequent photos took place, and we found ourselves (after about 3 hours in 95+ degree weather) hot, dehydrated, and pooped. We bought some giant bottled iced teas at a nearby market, and at around 7 we worked our way back to the subway and train station. On the train I finished my book, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (which you should read….it’s really good!), and we got back to Viterbo a little after 10pm. Sweaty, smelly, dirty from dust at the Forum, and sticky from the heat, my shower was well-deserved.
I am in love with Rome. I feel so insignificant in a city of such statue and history, and yet I feel so privileged to be part of its present. I can’t wait to go back again and again in these next few weeks. I don’t want to miss a wink of this amazing city. Bona note!