Just Rome-ing Around
"Andiamo a Roma; L'ho deciso io!" said my host sister about a month ago. She was determined to get a weekend in Rome for her 14th birthday. So, early Friday morning (because there was no school for All Saints Day here in Italy), we packed up the car and the whole family got ready for a Roman adventure.
I must say Rome is simply beautiful. Just getting into the city makes my jaw drop. If you've been reading my blog, you might notice this was not my first trip to Rome, but I took the train in, not a car, so it was far less scenic. Without a car and in a group of people who were in the same position as me not knowing a thing about navigating where we were made it hard to do too much in one trip. This time, there was no shortage of things to see and do; my family and their friends led the way and I just ooohed and awwwwed.
Friday, we walked over to Piazza di Spagna and the stairs were full of people. It was not a very appealing climb, so we continued on our way to meet some friends for a gelato. To my surprise, we wound up eating that gelato in front of the Panteon. Literally, we turned a corner and there it was. That has got to be my favorite thing about Rome that is unlike any other city I've been to; there is tons of development that prevents someone from directly seeing a monument, fountain, etc. but when you turn the right corner, it's there in front of your face! So many are within such close distance of each other as well that seeing lots of them in one day is no hard task.
When we finished up there, we went to Piazza delle Tre Fontane or Piazza Navona, where I was not only amazed by the architecture but the artists that work all over. There was one artist who was super sweet, working on a piece a French couple asked her to make. She attracted a large crowd to watch her and when she finished showed it off to all her admirers. All of the street artists seemed so friendly, I wish I had room in my suitcase and asked one to paint me a masterpiece!
After a return to Piazza di Spagna to see it all lit up at night and some shopping, we wrapped up the night with dinner. I slept like a little baby from all the walking, but I had to get energized for day two.
Saturday I saw il Colosseo, the outside of il Foro, and we returned to the centro storico of Rome where everything I saw yesterday was. I got the opportunity to go to the famous Giolitti Deserts shop for a gelato and I was in heaven- definitely the best cone I've had since being here. We walked and walked and walked and I was exhausted by the time we wrapped up the day.
I had an amazing time and I was so grateful to have my family and their friends take me around. I noted two things about touring the city with Italians that I think I should share:
1) They never, ever rush. There was no set reservation for dinner and no pushing through crowds to get to where we were going. For example, we left to walk to dinner two blocks away at about 7:30 and (I kid you not) didn't actually get to the restaurant until 9. We stopped to watch street performers, walk in stores, and even a few times for someone to answer their phone. It was sometimes frustrating but mostly refreshing; it was the opposite of how thing works in NYC.
I must say Rome is simply beautiful. Just getting into the city makes my jaw drop. If you've been reading my blog, you might notice this was not my first trip to Rome, but I took the train in, not a car, so it was far less scenic. Without a car and in a group of people who were in the same position as me not knowing a thing about navigating where we were made it hard to do too much in one trip. This time, there was no shortage of things to see and do; my family and their friends led the way and I just ooohed and awwwwed.
Friday, we walked over to Piazza di Spagna and the stairs were full of people. It was not a very appealing climb, so we continued on our way to meet some friends for a gelato. To my surprise, we wound up eating that gelato in front of the Panteon. Literally, we turned a corner and there it was. That has got to be my favorite thing about Rome that is unlike any other city I've been to; there is tons of development that prevents someone from directly seeing a monument, fountain, etc. but when you turn the right corner, it's there in front of your face! So many are within such close distance of each other as well that seeing lots of them in one day is no hard task.
When we finished up there, we went to Piazza delle Tre Fontane or Piazza Navona, where I was not only amazed by the architecture but the artists that work all over. There was one artist who was super sweet, working on a piece a French couple asked her to make. She attracted a large crowd to watch her and when she finished showed it off to all her admirers. All of the street artists seemed so friendly, I wish I had room in my suitcase and asked one to paint me a masterpiece!
After a return to Piazza di Spagna to see it all lit up at night and some shopping, we wrapped up the night with dinner. I slept like a little baby from all the walking, but I had to get energized for day two.
Saturday I saw il Colosseo, the outside of il Foro, and we returned to the centro storico of Rome where everything I saw yesterday was. I got the opportunity to go to the famous Giolitti Deserts shop for a gelato and I was in heaven- definitely the best cone I've had since being here. We walked and walked and walked and I was exhausted by the time we wrapped up the day.
I had an amazing time and I was so grateful to have my family and their friends take me around. I noted two things about touring the city with Italians that I think I should share:
1) They never, ever rush. There was no set reservation for dinner and no pushing through crowds to get to where we were going. For example, we left to walk to dinner two blocks away at about 7:30 and (I kid you not) didn't actually get to the restaurant until 9. We stopped to watch street performers, walk in stores, and even a few times for someone to answer their phone. It was sometimes frustrating but mostly refreshing; it was the opposite of how thing works in NYC.
2) They admire their own culture and what we consider to be the touristy spots. I never asked to see the Colosseum or go to the Pantheon, but actually my host sister and friends chose the destinations with immediate acceptance by the parents even if they saw them many many times before. In New York, the idea of going to Times Square or the Empire State Building to a New Yorker is usually absurd; "Too many tourists! Too crowded! Obnoxious!" There is no such complaint about the monuments of Rome, even if you could get lost among the others there.
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| Corynne and her columns! |
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