Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Roma - Our Vacation In Italy

We have returned! The epic vacation that spanned three different cities in Italy has come to an end. Made it home safe and sound with awesome memories, an irresistible urge to eat gelato every night, and the focus to pick up from where I left off in 2013.

THE JOURNEY THERE
After departing New York at 5:30 our connecting flight took us to another one of my favorite countries, Ireland. I enjoyed a quick Irish breakfast of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, sausage, and toast topped off with two delicious Guinness pints. Soon enough we were in the air again for 3 more hours until we hit our first destination, Rome.

ROMA
Rome is special due to the various landmarks that are over 2000 years old. The modern Rome has sprouted around these ancient ruins which have slowly been uncovered throughout the centuries. The Colosseum inspired me to become a history major in 2005 when I was attending Stony Brook University because it made me realize how important our past is in determining our future. Rome is a wonderful display of organized chaos. Overall, I truly enjoyed our time in the city and was happy with the amount of time we spent there.

 The Roman Forum ruins still standing today

Day Number 1:
We were dropped off at the apartment by a car service but the problem was that our host Edoardo was not awaiting us at the time I gave him. Thankfully, the Italian that I studied immediately came through. We meet Vasili, the awesome dude who runs maintenance in the building. He doesn't speak a work of English, only Ukranian, Russian, Italian, and another language. He let us in and we finally were able to settle after several hours of travel. The apartment was great; big rooms, cross ventilation, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. The first night consisted of delicious pasta, gelato, and wine which would become an everyday occurrence during our trip.

 View from our Apartment

Day Number 2:
I woke up very early since the time change of 6 hours was messing with me. I had a cappuccino, then picked up some fresh mozzarella di bufalo, prosciutto, and bread. After a delicious breakfast, we decided to knock out one of the longer days by going to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the tomb of Victor Emmanuel. It was my second time at the Colosseum and it felt just as awesome to return. Walking in, the soundtrack to Gladiator immediately commenced in my head and I got chills, thinking of Maximus and the true Roman gladiators of the past. Just thinking about the millions of people that have walked through the arches is mind-numbing.

 Over 2000 years of awesomeness and Maximus

The arch of Constantine resides next the the Colosseum which marked a huge moment for Christianity. The significance is that Constantine had the arch built and Christians would no longer be persecuted for their beliefs. The forum is incredible too and almost as impressive as the ancient stadium. We saw what remains of the many structures and temples, including that of Julius Caesar where his body rested after his murder on the Ides of March. We ate at a little restaurant called Carbonara afterwards, very good. After, the evening ended with delicious gelato.

No more slaughtering of Christians, yay!

Day Number 3:
We met family on my mother's side. Sabatino, his brother Americo, and Americo's wife Dina. It was a little crazy getting together at first due to the language barrier and miscommunication but once they found us and took us to their apartment, all was well. After an aperitif beverage (bitter orange from Sicily) Dina cooked a delicious meal of penne and asparagus, then veal cooked two different ways. That may have been the best pasta ever and you all know how much pasta I've eaten in my life! With fruit, espresso, grappa and homemade limoncello afterwards, we were spent. We finished off the evening sharing pictures and doing our best to communicate. Without Rosetta Stone, let's just say it would have been very awkward. Even though it was our first time meeting them, our family treated us like kings and it was a truly wonderful experience.

View from Americo's Apartment

Day Number 4:
After a delicious breakfast of fruits, pastries, and cappuccino, my family, Heather, and I went to the Vatican. Beautiful as ever, the papal state with it's infinite treasures and art is a must see. The Sistine Chapel and the work of Michelangelo brought tears to Heather's eyes. It is the definition of the words "masterpiece" and "perfection". After touring the Vatican museum and St. Peter's Basilica, Heather and I split off from my family to enjoy some time to ourselves. We had a lunch of prosciutto and melon with pizza with tomato and fresh mozzarella.

Lunch near the Vatican with Heather
Afterwards we walked past Castel Sant'Angelo, through Piazza Navona and Campo Dei Fiore, sampling gelato along the way. We wound up at the Panteon which is unreal. We finished by returned to St. Peters at sunset and then ate at a delicious restaurant called Perdincibacco where I had Spaghetti alla Carbonara. We had to rush back to the subway afterwards since it stops running at 11:30. I think we caught the last train which was an adventure.

Taking a lunch break in Rome near the Vatican

Day Number 5:
We saw the statue of Moses in Chains by Michelangelo. That statue was yet another masterpiece. Just beautiful. After that we went through Baroque Rome and saw the Spanish Steps, the Fontana di Trevi, and went inside the Panteon. The dome is amazing. It's mesmerizing as you study the ceiling and ponder how it could still be standing after 2000 years. We then had delicious granita iced espresso at a Rick Steves recommendation called Casa del Cafe. Awesome stuff. We walked back through Piazza Navona and ate at Campo Dei Fiore. Then we went down to the Trastevere district and saw the Church of Santa Maria. Absolutely stunning. We ate at a place called Cencio la Parolaccia which was crazy. They put on a show in the restaurant and then complained that we didn't tip them enough (even though we couldn't understant 95% of what they were saying). Despite that, the food was good and our server was a lot of fun. We finished up by walking back to the Fontana di Trevi to see it at night and catch the subway back home, ending our stay in Rome.

Heather and I near the Spanish Steps

Continued in Sorrento

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