Travel Review: Rome

What an amazing city! I knew it was going to be a no brainer, that I would fall even more in love with the entire Italian way of life, even though this was only my first trip to the country itself.

Right on the eve of the mayhem that is the Champions League festivities in Rome where Barcelona challenged Manchester United (and subsequently won!), in a competition that sees an estimated 10,000 Brit’s descend onto the boot shaped country ticket less, hoping to gain entrance to the game on arrival or in the very least a glimpse of what excitement is in store for both supporters. I was grateful we were scheduled to leave the day before the game. As much as I love the game, this recent violent murder in Ireland following a football match is a reminder how clueless the supporters can sometimes be and I am grateful I was able to witness half of this cities football fever without too much of the pain.

Ever since I used to beg to go over to my grandparents neighbour’s house to play with their daughter Giovanna and stay until lasagne dinner and attend my father’s soccer end of season wrap ups at the Italian patriarch coach’s spaghetti nights, I have long held a secret desire to be Italian. Coupled with my frequent visits to the Italian Club as a young adult on their family open days, watching a typical stage father pressure the then Origlasso Twins (now the Veronicas) to sing pre rehearsed cover songs to a back up tape, whilst pushing my sister’s punk band off stage (they were classmates), whilst Italian nonna’s danced with their grandchildren and young teenagers frolicked with their friends around Italian themed food stalls, I sometimes think I was born with the wrong ethnicity.

And Rome did not disappoint. All my wondrous pre-conceived notions of Italian life, people and architecture were correct. This city is truly beautiful. Of course I understand that Rome is NOT all of Italy and in 3 days I was bound to only pick up on so much of the city that it mainly has to offer it’s tourists, it still was amazing. The fashion, the language, the food, the buildings, the style….amazing!

Now whilst I cannot report to have done ANY of the must do attractions (I had promised PPP as we have planned an Italian holiday in August and I am not sure I want to do the Coliseum more than once), I can tell you what I did do which I still feel is typically Italian.

Limon Terraza

• Sat on the Limon Terraza of our city hotel every night with the crew, sipping on chilled Limoncello & local white wine, whilst watching the sun go down over the capital.

Spanish Steps

• Walked and walked and walked (including up the famed Spanish Steps more than once) where everyone just seems to sit and wait for nothing in particular

• Spent wayyy too much money in a ‘typical’ Italian grocery store aimed at tourists, but only because I felt I couldn’t return home without some authentic pasta, sundried tomatoes, pesto, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

• Charmed by the local wait staff that make being rude seem acceptable and actually enjoyable (oh and we had some fabulous service too)

• Love love love the 2 course meal I became accustomed to for both lunch and dinner each day. Usually a spinach or ruccola (rocket) salad with a smaller serving than what you would expect pasta or pizza.

• The Italian Style, describing it just cannot do it justice. Even the women, as they age, still look amazing with their sun kissed skin and lean bodies and I don’t believe I saw them wearing anything but heels, even walking the cobblestone streets, oh and don’t even get me started on the young men, carrying their scooter helmets off to have an espresso in their well cut shirts.

• Oh and yes the scooters. Not very many Vespas as you would imagine, but has definitely left me with the urge to upgrade my little 2 stroke engine and get my Euro style helmet sooner than I had thought. And the miniature trucks I saw a plenty. How do they manage to fit anything (including the driver!) in there?

• Stayed in a very beautiful, but very old, original state city hotel. Very grand (inclusive of marble lion that greets you at the majestic staircase entrance) but also lacking is some modern necessities especially if there on business trip. I am told though this is very typical of accommodation in these parts of Europe.

This trip was made even more memorable by the fact that my current read is Eat Pray Love where the main character, author Elisabeth Gilbert resides for 3 months. I am now onto the India part…maybe I should head off to an Ashram next.

Basically the main tourist attractions of this country for me are still to come on my upcoming vacation in August, but 3 days in one of the world’s most beautiful cities was heaven enough to hook me. I look forward to getting to know you better in a few months Bella!

Hotel: Grand Plaza Rome