When In Rome…

Really? When in Rome, I fast? Not “when in Rome, eat pasta and drink wine?” Hmmm. I guess we got that one all wrong.

We’ve completed the first leg of our Italian adventure, where we spent three days in the heart of Rome. We hit the ground walking on day one, knowing that we must keep moving to avoid succumbing to jet lag. After that, we only stopped moving to eat and sleep. Day One: the Pantheon, which was steps from our hotel; Trevi Fountain, cleaned and beautifully restored; the Spanish Steps; we even stumbled across the Presidential Palace. Day Two: the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.  Day Three: the Colosseum, the Forum Ruins, and the Borghese Gallery.  No taxis, buses, or trains – just walking, which we believe is always the best way to experience any city. 

In between sights, there was pasta, gelato, Roman lamb, beautiful vegetables, cheese, and wine.  Oh, the wine! Every night Bev would say “only a glass for me” and I heard “let’s order a bottle”.  I  have a hearing loss and sometimes my hearing aids do interpretive listening.

And did I mention the coffee? Espresso to die for.  Café latte like you’ve never had in your life (if you order a latte, Starbucks style, you will get a cup of milk). Speaking of Starbucks, they do not exist here.  Nor can you order a vente, a grande, or a tall coffee. A cup of café is just a cup of coffee. If you try to order a Frappuccino, they will look at you like you’re an idiot and all of your attempts to be a subtle American will be blown.

One of the joys of travel is experiencing the local culture. In Italy, so much revolves around food. Like America, much of their economy is agricultural but unlike Americans, Italians have a deep connection to the source of their food. Except for the strategically located McDonalds catering to Americans, there are no fast food chains in Rome. If you  go out to dinner, your table is yours until you choose to leave. The waiter will not toss the check on the table saying “take your time – no hurry”, which really means “I see that you are done eating and I need to turn this table over in order to earn one-third of a living wage”. Italian dinners are leisurely and you only receive the check when you ask for it.

Interestingly though, breakfast for Italians is fast and furious. We got to see this up close in a cafe filled with locals. Upon entering, we were treated to the sounds of rapid-fire Italian, espresso makers, and cups clattering. A bar ran the full length of the cafe with the locals standing two and three deep, eating pastries wrapped in paper, throwing back espressos, and engaging in animated conversation before tossing a few euros on the bar and hurrying out.  There were a handful of tables with menus but the scene was complete chaos and we stood in the midst of it trying to figure out how to order food. We finally saw a waitress, who handed us a menu and shouted “any table!” We ordered and watched the “bar scene”, amazed at the barista’s speed and dexterity while people shouted orders. Italian baristas don’t get handed an empty cup with a computer generated sticker slapped on it telling them what to make. 

Rome is a beautiful, noisy, fascinating city full of contrasts. The Vatican receives one million euros per day from tour admissions and souvenir sales, yet there are homeless people sleeping outside its gates. The tourist sites are jam packed but if you walk two blocks, you’ll find a quiet side street with interesting shops and people. Daytime is frenetic but evenings are sedate, a time to relax and celebrate the day’s end with, what else? Food and wine.