Rome: Day 1
Disclaimer: These are all unedited and uncensored. They are raw emotion, intellect and information. I hope you enjoy my experiences.
*Miranda and Alyssa are my sisters and Thomas is my soon to be brother in law.*
We ate a swift breakfast before disembarking our ship. The few people I see and recognize I thank for all the hard work they put in. That cruise was magnificent on so many levels. I’ve got to do that again sometime as soon as possible. I’ll bring Britt next time and share the love with her. After hopping off Alyssa realized she forgot her phone in the bathroom. After a slight panic and a few deep breaths she gathered herself and went to get it. All the while we were double checking our baggage for fruit and open containers, as those things cannot go through customs. We got on our bus and are heading to the main train terminal in Rome. It’s about an hour drive.
As we’re driving, there is a relative silence compared to the hustle of this morning. I’m really enjoying it. The hillsides of rural Italy are beautiful and I’m in love with the Mediterranean pine trees. They’re like lollipops. I wonder if they groom the pines. They look so pristine. But there are so many around that it’s obvious that nature has done some grooming of its own. I wonder why nature made them look like that. I’m sure there’s a scientific reason for it. The land here is so fertile. There are so many unique plants. I’m really breathing in and appreciating nature right now.
I’m reflecting on all the incredible things I’ve seen on this trip and realizing the importance of all this journaling I’m doing. There have many moments of overwhelming emotion because of the nature of the trip. I’ve seen ultimate luxury, the most historic history, the utmost preserved artifacts of some of the oldest relics. The religion, the history, the culture, the people, the attitudes, the landscapes, the respect - it’s all been brilliant. And I realize more and more how lucky I am to be alive and in the situation I am.
Once we got off the bus at the transportation depot, the men were very helpful and got us two large taxis to get us to the hotel. We had a hasty and wild ride to our Best Western Picadilly in the heart of Rome. The elevator was slow and small and we have, count it, 14 bags to bring up. They only have one room available so I manned the elevator and brought 3 bags up at a time. I’m pitting out like crazy. I’m glad I had a few moments to center on the bus before embarking on the downtown Rome journey. Now Miranda is running mom’s shoulders and neck because she’s getting a migraine. We’re all sipping the remainder of our almond wine and thinking of getting some pizza. It’s a pow wow in this room. The bathroom is rad! I’m actually pretty surprised at the tranquility of the entire family in a small hotel room.
We all went to find food in the city and stumbled upon a really cool little pizza joint. Dad and I shared a slab of tomato, mozzarella and spinach pizza that was so so good. I needed that. I was getting pretty lethargic and that’s when I begin to lose my patience.
We then walked about a block, around a corner, and came to San Giovanni’s Cathedral. Before the Vatican was built, this was the cathedral of Rome. Originally built in the 4th century by emperor Constantine (who also built Istanbul) and most recently refurbished in the 17th century. I walked in and was completely taken a back. The magnificence is unmatched by anything we’ve seen so far. All the saints are represented in marble along the main corridor. The entire place is made of marble and gold. The colors of marble are so vast. Everything is so incredibly detailed, I can only imagine how long it took to build this.
Thomas and I were discussing what mass would he like here. He joked that if this were where his mass was held, he’d be here every Sunday. It very calming in here. I was a little sleepy coming in from traveling but I sat down to write these words and began to fall asleep. I woke to Miranda giggling at me. We walked back to the hotel and crashed hard for about two hours. We needed the nap.
We all bought Roma passes so we could ride the metro and buses as much as we want for the next three days. We journeyed to the Spanish steps where they say anyone you kiss you will fall in love with. We had Alyssa and Thomas kiss on those steps. There are beautiful old buildings everywhere and the streets are so very charming. We made our way to the Fontana di Trevi. Built in the 17th century it’s one of the most marvelous places to see in Roma. The pictures almost cannot do it justice. The sounds of the fountains bring a calm even though there are thousands of people craving the experience. There’s international chatter everywhere. I took a video of the area while my dad explained the history. I love how the timing works out sometimes.
We found a charming little restaurant to get a bite to eat. And by bite I mean basically the whole world. Miranda and I splurge and got a 1/2 liter of wine a piece - she, white and me, red. We ordered bruchetta which is different than we get in the states because it is just one ingredient on each. For example, an artichoke paste on one, an olive pâte on other, etc. In the states it’s generally more of a caprese on a toasted bread. We chowed like you wouldn’t believe. My mom makes decisions based on her mood. She explained herself as Mother the aesthetic arbiter just now.
*Hi. This is Mimi. Drunk. Souuuuup.*
Fettuccine with meat sauce is so much different and better in Italia! The sounds erupting from this table are “ooo”s and “ahh”s and “mmmmmmm”s. I need to unbutton my pants. My dad says my cheeks are rosy. By the way I’m feeling, I believe him and need not to look in the mirror. Miranda and I had a little photo shoot. It’s got a nice background. I’m so full I can’t believe it. I miss my girlfriend. I wonder if she’ll get sick of my silly little emails. I hope not. Miranda just borrowed my phone to begin an email to her beau. She’s missing him a lot and it’s really cute. I appreciate the way she’s feeling. We’re in the same boat. The restaurant offered Miranda’s meal for free because she’s beautiful. So we called them on it. They told us they were joking. We gave them hell and now we’re getting free lemon chello. Haha. This is a funny lesson to learn. They told us twice. Keep your word.
But hey! It’s the men of Italia. We’ve been warned. At least the liquor is strong. Off to see the fountains at night.
Wow. This is an amazing scene. We had to just sit for a moment to take it all in. There are so many people all trying to get their pictures and take in the energy. Miranda made a good point that so many people are just trying to her pictures of themselves throwing coins in. Just throw the coin and make a wish. Wish for your heart’s desire. Take it in. I know I won’t see this for at least another five years. At least.
We began walking to the metro station and k found a very cool shop. It had masks and wine corks and lots of very fun stuff. I got a couple souvenirs. We quickly found that the metro had closed at ten so the boys sent us off in a taxi and they’re going to make their way somehow. The taxi ride was fast and fun. We made it home safely. Time to elevate and rest my knees and ankles. It’s amore. :)
