I never thought I would fly so far to just spend 4 nights in
Rome — winter nights, nonetheless…
But, that is what happens when you wake up and realize you have a big air credit that has to be used by a certain date. It was truly a winter whirlwind in Rome….and I fell in love. I loved the people and their accents. I am rarely around the Italian language so to be enveloped in it for several days, was such a treat. I love the ancient buildings and intricate fountains. It was so lovely to not be around high rise metal and glass architecture. It felt like everything had a deep and meaningful story. There was not nearly enough time for me to learn about it all but I did learn enough to know I would go back in a heartbeat.
Initially, I was worried I would not love Rome. I had heard that it is dirty, and there were parts that are, but there are parts in my own city that are dirty. I could easily look past that because there is so much beauty to be found everywhere. Little cobblestone streets lined with cafes and gelato shops filled with people, even though it was freezing outside-at least to this Arizona girl. Can’t help but wonder if it was really cold or if my husband and I are just cold weather wimps.
One great thing about traveling in the offseason, is that it costs so much less than in the busy season. And if the off season happens to be winter, then even better. Winter clothes are great! Long coats, scarves, boots….definitely not my norm. Most importantly, when it is colder out, you have no choice but to go to all the cafes and eat…a little here, a little there.
Our first night we enjoyed a four hour food tour. My favorites were the gnocchi and the pizza with a crust like focaccia. It was so darn good. And the appetizer place was also my favorite. Actually, 3 of the 4 were my favorite. There was one place I did not care for, but my husband liked it.
We also had pizza in Naples because it was on Shad’s bucket list. It was good but a little too soupy we both thought. The tomato flavor was very fresh as if it was straight from the garden. My favorite meal of all was meatballs and cheese. Yup, that is what it was called. It was so darn good. My mouth waters right now thinking about it! If you are ever there, go to Tonnarello and try it!
We did not do a totally guided tour. We did the food tour and day trips to the Vatican/Sistine Chapel, Pompeii and Tivoli to see Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este gardens. Every guide we had was so educated and taught us so much.
There is no way I could learn that much if I tried to do it on my own. In my opinion, it is the guides that can make or break a tour. They know secret tidbits about the areas we are visited and pointed out artifacts we may not otherwise see. And if they have a great personality, they will make you laugh for hours. Our guide in Pompeii was animated and spoke loudly with her hands, she had me smiling the entire day. There is something special about laughing with the strangers that are part of your group.
All of it was so impressive. And believe me, I am not an artist and will never claim to have a deep appreciation for museums… but I was engrossed in everything I saw. It was beautiful and the guides teaching us the meaning behind it, really brought it to life and taught me that maybe I can appreciate art in the right setting.
Otherwise, we strolled around and just got lost. Rome in four nights can be done if done right. There is a ton we have not seen but we can always go back. And remember, if you want to suddenly get out of bed at 9pm to go find a cannoli, that is okay. When in Rome….
