And so the adventure begins. First, I realize that I have booked a Washington Flyer cab to take us to Dulles yet our flight is leaving from National. Crap. Last minute change means no cheap local taxi but a great limo ride from Jay at Jay’s sedan service – where we sit in traffic on 395 because of construction but for once I planned for plenty of time to check in.
We had a short hop to Philly where we then changed planes for the flight to Rome – and the first nun appeared. {sigh} My kids keep reminding me that nuns in Rome should be expected yet I can’t help but take it personally because we aren’t even in Rome yet!
The flight is uneventful and we land nearly on time this morning after several snatched 30 minute catnaps. Our hotel is supposed to have a driver waiting for us but although there are about 20 men in ties with names on signs, ours is not on any of them and I try to keep the panic at bay. Twenty minutes, six laps of the arrival lounge and 2 phone calls later, we find the driver and are on our way.
The “B&B” is really a converted apartment about 10 minutes from the Vatican and Paolo gets us checked in and all set up for our 24 hours of stupidity. We wander to an office south of the Vatican to pick up our pre-ordered Roma Pass and then head slightly west to visit La Pilotta de Mario – a restaurant I have found online that is supposed to be Gluten Free friendly. We all have pasta – mine a fabulous carbonara – and a lovely cappuccino in the shadow of the Vatican.
Then it’s off to the Colosseum. Our Roma Pass gives us free rides on city buses so we brave the #40 express to the Plaza Venezia and wander down to the Colosseum where we get in free and avoid the lines – also courtesy of the Roma Pass. We do cough up the extra 20 euro for the English language tour and spend the next 45 minutes learning about the construction of the double amphitheater as well as the debunking of several myths about the place.
We follow this up with a wander around the Roman Forum and Palentine Hill. Wonderful gardens, spectacular views and artifacts and a great deal of walking was how we wound up the afternoon. Oh, and our first visit to the gelato truck – pistachio for me!
So I should mention the nuns. Again, one would expect to see holy women wandering around the city that is the seat of Catholicism but Holy Habits Batman! We must have seen more than two dozen of them wandering around – and of all flavors! Dressed in black, grey, brown, beige – even purple (I wonder what order that is and if they’d have me!)
Then we realize that lunacy is on the verge of setting in to our sleep deprived brains so back to the B&B we go – on the Rome metro during rush hour. More crowded than the London Underground but less so than Japan. No better way to get to know one’s fellow man….
We then spent far too long wandering our neighborhood looking for a suitable eating option for the evening meal. Eventually we wound up at the local osteria with the Prix fix menu. Twenty five euros each sounds like a lot until you see how much food they bring you for that – and with no fuss over my GF status either. I had to enjoy the primi piatti with no bread but the meat and other bits were fine on their own. The pasta course was store-bought GF and not the home made pasta that the rest of the family enjoyed but we all agreed that my choice of sauce (tomato, bacon, and cream) won hands down. Just when we thought we’d be ready to turn down desert, the main course came out! I barely made it through the beef roulade with the mortadella cheese and carrot filling (plus the fried rosemary potatoes). It was a joy to share a liter of wine with my adult children and laugh as the parade of street accordion players tried desperately to get us to support their endeavor. I am less fond of street accordion players than I am of wandering mariachi bands and there are many who know how deep those feelings run.
And so we make it through the first day on too much food, too little sleep, and a great deal of love and appreciation for the four of us being together for the first time in ages. I don’t have the exact step count just yet because the Fitbit doesn’t want to sync with the laptop and I’m too tired to figure it out now – but I know we hit 10,000 steps at about 3pm today so I’m guessing we are in the 20K (about 10 mile) range for today. I’ll give an update – and post some pictures – when I’m not so tired that I’m danger to myself and others.
Update: Got Fitbit working. Steps: 28, 070 steps or 12.09 miles!!!!
The Cannon Family's travel blog 