16 Oct Italy Trip Part I- Rome

Buongiorno o Buonosera depending where you are.

I had the trip of my lifetime when we visited Rome and the Almalfi Coast for 2 weeks recently.

Italy Trip Part I- Rome

My husband and I had been planning to go to Italy many years ago, but the dollar was not good. We waited, then I got sick with EDS, and Covid hit and yada, yada. Last year, as you know, dear readers, we had to cancel the trip due to my Pudendal Neuralgia.

So, this year, nothing was going to stop me, “come hell or high water”! How do you say that in Italian? (Those idioms in any language are difficult). Did you see MY POST ON PACKING FOR ROME-TAKE TWO

I was so excited to go, I have always wanted to see Italy and we were able to see the culture by living with the locals, which is what my husband and I prefer doing. We also avoided some of the large crowds.

Duo Lingo did come in handy. We were able to get by much better by knowing some Italian, and I think there is more of a connection when you do try and speak the language. I did have to look up how to say “You are out of toilet paper”, but other than that…

We did have a direct flight from Charlotte, and after 2 glasses of wine, I thought I would be able to sleep on the plane, since it was overnight. It was a no-go! Can’t sleep sitting up! However, we did make the day we got there a day to just take it easy and do some exploring of the neighborhood. I was amazed at all of the motorbikes that would be on the streets, and traffic rules do not always apply!

Where We Stayed- Appio- Latino

The first place we stayed was about a public train ride away from Rome, in a town called Appio-Latino. The name derives from the ancient roads Via Appia and Via Latina. We enjoy staying in VRBO’s and this apartment was lovely. A hop on the train and we were in Rome, so it was very convenient. We had a short walk to the train station.

To me, I love to be where the locals are as well to get more of the flavor, and to experience the day-to-day life. One thing I noticed right away was that the older ladies and gents dressed up even if it was going to the supermarket. We saw ladies in dresses, and many wearing scarves- so I was prepared!

We were around the corner from wonderful local restaurants and gelato shops. You bet we tried a few places! One of my favorite Italian gelato flavors is:

stracciatella  – This is something like the Italian version of vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips. They start with a base of fior di latte, and usually drizzle warm chocolate over the top of the freshly made gelato. The chocolate hardens quickly on the cold surface, and then they stir the whole thing to miss the bits of chocolate into the gelato. The pieces, therefore, are not uniform – but the quality of the chocolate is usually excellent. ** Italyexplained.com

I could write a book about our two weeks there, so I am trying to condense things into 3 posts, just keep that in mind.

We spent 8 days there, just a hop and skip to Roma, and we had some exploring to do.

HERE IS A POST ON PHRASES I MIGHT FIND USEFUL IN ITALY

I would recommend learning some basic phrases for your trip, as you do feel more of a connection with people.

Our Mornings- Buongiorno

I snickered to myself as we ordered our cafes and each a pastry. Oh, the coffee and those pastries. Something I will very much miss!

Marmalada with pastry, chocolato or creama in a pastry, it’s all good! Here comes the funny part! We would pay after we ate, and it would be a mere $4 Euros for everything! 2 pastries and 2 espressos! You can’t even get a cup of coffee around here for $4!

Know that when you ask for a cafe, it is an espresso. If you want a regular coffee- you say, “Americana”. Often times I would get a double shot of espresso to get me going for the day.

I had to laugh, as a man shouted, “musica” when he saw my folded-up cushion, thinking I had a musical instrument. Yet, I carried it everywhere and it made sitting possible.

Great Guidebooks-Tours

My husband bought me (us) the Rick Steve’s Italy Guidebooks for Rome and the Almalfi Coast and there are so many great tips and recommendations, they are worth their weight in gold! (not sponsored)

One of the things that is difficult with me and my EDS/Hypermobility is moving slowly- museums, walking tours etc. We did do walking tours and there was a wealth of information to be had. I learned so much. You can choose to download  audio tours and go at your own pace or get a guided tour. We did the guided tour, but next trip will choose to move at our own pace, as it is difficult with my condition. Just keep that in mind if you have difficulty moving slowly in crowds.

Colosseum

Everything we saw was just incredible. The sheer size and grandiosity of the Coliseum, Sistine Chapel and Peter’s Basilica would leave anyone in awe. It certainly did me. We had a tour learning about the gladiators, who they were, and that the Gladio was the name of the knife in which the term “Gladiator” was created. Animals fought animals, men fought men, and other times men fought animals. How would you like to stare a lion in the eye? All of our tour guides were excellent and just such a wealth of information. I tried to picture the crowd and the gladiators at the time.

St Peter’s Basilica

Again, everything is just so overwhelming. Such beauty! I love the history and learning. I’ll be reading more for sure. We went with the early morning “Priority” tickets, which was supposed to be before the masses, but it was pretty crowded as we and our group toured the Basilica.

I lit a candle for my mom and my dad and said some prayers near the alter. I think my Dad would be proud I took this trip!

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, or simply Saint Peter’s Basilica, is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal enclave that is within the city of Rome, Italy. *wikipedia

The only word I can use to describe this and the Sistine Chapel is “awe”. Just such beautiful architecture and history.

The Sistine Chapel

So they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Did you know Michaelangelo only took 4 years to paint the Sistine Chapel? I was amazed! It seems like it takes that long to expand a highway here! I must say there are no words to describe it. Well, maybe “Majestic”. We were given a numbered map where we could see what each section meant. We are all familiar with the image of God touching Adam’s finger. I have some more reading to do. It is glorious!

It is the one place that photography and filming are not allowed. One of the world’s most famous buildings, the Chapel demonstrated the most amazing work of the Renaissance time.

The Spanish Steps

It was quite busy and there were quite a few people there for this time of year. I do believe it is still considered high season, however, even into October, there were quite a few people more than I expected.

The ‘Spanish steps‘ in Rome, built in Rococo style between 1723 and 1726, are the steps that lead from the Piazza di Spagna square to the French monastery …

I could just have my head up staring at the architecture on a daily basis.

Trevi Fountain

“The Trevi Fountain is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762 and several others.”

Food

Of course, the food was unbelievable! Fresh vegetables and homemade pasta were at every corner. I’ve never tasted pasta this good! We ate well of course, and I enjoyed dining al fresco in the cobblestone streets of Rome. Let’s just say – Vino E Ceno = delicioso! So good. Molto Benno! I had eggplant ravioli, gnocchi, pizza and enjoyed my favorite Chianti and SanGiovese wines.

My favorite dish! Smoked salmon with pasta and burrata cheese. I need to look for that cheese, it’s so delicious!

I loved that because we had a bit of a wait at this one restaurant, the manager saw there was 1/3 bottle left of lemoncello at a large party’s table. He took it off the table and gave the rest to us! A great way to finish the meal 🙂

Oooh, biscotti! Cookie heaven! I love a cup of tea at night and a cookie. These all looked so amazing!

Fashion

I will talk about the fashion on Friday with my 3rd post.

There is so much to write about, but I’m keeping it condensed!

Loved the high speed train!

Have you been to Rome? What was your favorite thing to see/do?

Tomorrow’s post is on the Almalfi Coast area and our trip.

I would love if you shared or pinned any of these posts. I appreciate it!

Jess xx