When in Rome

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face this morning as I realised we were in Rome. Rome, my most favourite city. A clash of old and new. Something new to discover on every corner. I love walking the streets, watching the people and listening to the horns, the people and the clink of glasses in restaurants. It's enormous but at the same time welcoming. You can get lost in the narrow lanes but then stumble upon something so wonderful it takes your breath away. The Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Colloseum, the Spanish Steps are all in close proximity to one another. It is hard to describe the feeling of walking around a corner and literally bumping in to something hundreds of years old.

We had a leisurely morning in our apartment before heading out. We headed to Castel Sant Angelo and decided to walk rather than take the underground. We wandered down a central street stopping to look in antique and clock shops, then along the river stopping to look at souvenir shops. The castle is not far from the Vatican. There actually wasn't a whole lot to see inside the castle, but we hauled up the stairs to the very top and were rewarded with amazing views over the city.

After a light lunch at the castle, we went back to our accommodation for a rest, via Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The meeting point for our food tour, was Campo di Fiori. It was just us and a couple from America. Our tour guide spent time explaining the history of the areas we walked through and lead us to little places to try local food. It was thoroughly enjoyable. We sampled cheeses, meats, fried cod, jewish artichokes and pizza. We then stopped at a restaurant for a roman dinner. The bruschetta with mozarella, carbonara, ravioli and veal were all delicious. A gelateria was the final stop of the tour and even though we were all feeling full, noone says no to gelati!

 

 

It was the perfect way to spend our first day in Rome. I can't wait to find out what this beautiful city has in store for us tomorrow.

Tomorrow; four years