Of all my weekends in Italy, this one has been the best by far. What could have been better than Cinque Terre, Amalfi, or Florence? Spending the weekend playing tour guide for Mom and Pops! One of the weirdest transitions of moving to Rome was not having my parents with me while travelling, and not having them close by. This weekend was a relief from that strange feeling. It was jam packed with sightseeing, playing both tour guide and tourist, shopping, and of course delicious food. When mom and dad do vacation- they do it right. They arrived on Thursday afternoon and I met them at their hotel. At the time of posting it has officially been a month since I left Fresno and I missed my parents so much. The weekend started with a wrong turn and a four mile walk around the vatican. Yes, the entire country. Yes, all the way around. (We can thank Mr. Falge for that one. Here’s your shout out dad) That night we caught dinner in Trastevere where we explored the amazing neighborhood. Filled with tourists, locals, and college students, Trastevere has a lively nightlife and shopping district. There are expert leather craftsmen, as well as various other trades and souvenir shops. The food is almost always good, and our first night started wonderfully at a restaurant called Tonerello.
The next day was planned as our main shopping day. My mom and I started in Piazza Venezia and winded our way north through the areas of the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. As much as I love having John studying abroad with me, no shopping partner can compete with my mother. It has always been one of our favorite pass times, and we know how to balance each other out. I bought a yellow jumpsuit from a boutique called tebe, as well as a black leather purse and a couple other clothing items. My mom found a black leather shawl, as well as an assortment of leather goods as gifts and souvenirs for her friends. I have to give my dad credit for the best purchase of the day. When we met up with him at the Pantheon for lunch, he surprised us both with some trademark blue boxes. Thanks Dad <3
After lunch we explored the Pantheon and then spent the afternoon shopping as a group. Later we caught dinner in Trastevere again, this time at a different restaurant with a view of Piazza Santa Maria. This square is one of the main ones of Trastevere, and is usually filled with artists, and street performers. It is very typical to see people treating themselves to gelato while sitting on the steps of the fountain. At dinner I ordered the Carbonara, and it was (of course) delicious.
We went to bed early that night in preparation for the next day. Our tour on Saturday started at 6 am. We were doing a private “Waking Up The Vatican” tour where we followed the key holder opening up the vatican in the morning. Our group of 15 had the privilege of entering closed off rooms, taking pictures in no picture zones, and having the tour guide speak in usually silent areas. This tour was exceptional, and made the visit a million times better than we could have imagined. Seeing the Sistine chapel without anyone else in it, and walking through the corridors during the peace and quiet, gave a level of reverence and magic to the museums. Fun fact we learned at the start of the tour: If you spent on minute looking at every piece of art in the Vatican Museums Collection, it would take you 12 years to make it through the entirety of it. There are rooms of 4000 year old Egyptian transcripts, Greek and Roman works, Renaissance and Classical pieces, and beyond. This experience was truly amazing.
After touring the Vatican Museums, we headed to St. Peters Basilica. It was still very early in the day (around 8:30) when we arrived, so the lines weren’t too long and we decided to climb up to the top. The view was wonderful from the top, but the inside was not to be missed either. The Basilica is beyond huge. The amount of details in the construction and decoration alone allow for hours of time spent admiring. After the Basilica we rested our feet at the hotel preparing for the next walking tour of the day: The Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. The tour of the Colosseum was very in depth, and our tour guide provided a lengthy history. In sum, it fits 50,000 people, is a couple thousands of years old, and was used to entertain the public (rich and poor alike) in the hopes to increase life satisfaction and decrease revolt against the government.
Palatine hill gave a wonderful view of the Forum, and was known as the Beverly hills of Rome back in the day. Inside the Forum we saw where Julius Caesar is thought to be entombed, as well as the historical Arches of Triumph. All in all, this day was historically and culturally rich. Our feet were aching by the end, but it was definitely worth it. We caught dinner next to the forum and relaxed as the sun slowly set. After walking 45678 miles that day (maybe a slight dramatization), it was great to enjoy the food and company.
Sunday was calm and leisurely, starting with a food tour through Campo de Fiori, the Jewish district, and then Trastevere. We enjoyed the markets, stopping to learn of the seasonal diet of Romans. Then we meandered through to the Jewish Roman district where we enjoyed some fried zucchini flower appetizer. Our main course took place in Trastevere where we enjoyed our choice of Roman pasta (carbonara, amatriciana, or cacio e pepe). No food tour is complete without gelato. The tour ended in my neighborhood where we did some more shopping and sightseeing. We enjoyed an early aperitivo, walked across the Tiber river to Campo de Fiori again, and then walked the markets and boutiques on that side before we stopped for dinner at Osteria da Fortunata. If you’re in the area, I definitely recommend the place for dinner. There are ladies in the front hand making the pasta to be enjoyed by the guests, and every plate we ordered was delicious. We started with Prosciutto and Melon, which had become our staple starter of the weekend. I ordered the Ricotta Ravioli with Pomodoro Fresco e Basil (fresh tomato and basil). We finished with tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and coffee. It was a wonderful meal.
Monday morning we met again in Piazza Venezia so that we could see some of the classic roman sights together before I had my classes. We were able to stop by the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon before I had to leave. We met up again later in the afternoon for our last evening together.
Dinner was at Antica Pesa, a delicious and chic restaurant sporting pictures on the walls of all the celebrities that have eaten there in the past. The dinner was delicious from start to finish. Some of the best parts were the duck breast starter, the pasta with clams, and the blueberry cheesecake. The only sadness of the evening was saying goodbye to my parents at the end.
This long weekend has been amazing for so many reasons. Getting to explore my new home even further was wonderful, especially with the renewed excitement of sharing it with my mom and dad. Experiencing the food, history, and culture of roman life (ancient times to present) was a definite bonus. The first month in Italy has been full of good and bad times, homesickness, wild adventure, exhaustion, and growth. I like to say that you can’t tell what an experience will give you, or what you will learn, until you can look back upon where you’ve been to where you are now. This month has given me insight to what is to come, and man, I’m ready for it.
Highlights: Mom and Dad, Prosciutto with Melon, Italian leather, Chardonnay, Opening the Vatican, more Italian leather, Underground in the Colosseum, Surprises from Tiffany’s, shopping with mom, tiramisu, and of course GELATO.
Also! shout out my super sweet roommate and her blog for the inspiration for this blog title! Check out her adventures on her blog: home to rome.
