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Published: January 29th 2009
Grom
Mom and Liz enjoying their first gelato at Grom in Florence.This was a weekend that I had been looking forward to for some time. I have always wanted to travel to Rome and see the famous city that Hollywood has filmed many times over. A place that I have read about in my history books but had yet to actually visit even though Florence is such a short distance away. Originally I was supposed to be going to Milan with my fashion class but instead I ended up passing on the trip in order to spend time with my Mom and her friend Liz in Rome. Although I had very much wanted to go to Milan with my friends from school, I knew that this would be one of the last trips I would be able to go on with my mother.
After spending a week with my mom in Florence showing her all of my favorite spots in the city and things to do. Introducing her to Tuscany, with its relaxed atmosphere and easy way of life, Florence is a beautiful city that has much to offer. We left the city after Thanksgiving, which we had spent at my favorite local pub, JJ Cathedral next to the Duomo, drinking
Strongbow cider and getting gelato from Grom later.
The train to Rome is only an hour and a half long, a short trip down the length of the country. Our hotel that we were staying in was a Bed & Breakfast Liz had found through Rick Steves, a small hotel located on capital hill close to the major sites. Everything was within walking distance in Rome, so a person can hit every major site in one day if they have to.
We spent most of the first day seeing the main sites including the Coliseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and forum. A giant loop, which had to include stops along the way due to the horrible rain that we encountered that, drenched us all from head to toe. Not only had I forgotten to bring my passport again (like in Verona) but I also managed to not bring my rain-boots or umbrella. Now being from one of the wettest cities in America I thought I could handle any type without an umbrella. Well in case anyone ever goes to Italy in November, there is a reason people call it the wettest month out of the year. It was
Coliseum
The famous roman building. impossible to look properly groomed and seeing all the beautiful Italian women didn't help my self-esteem at all. The highlight of the day for me was dinner at a place located by the Trevi fountain that our hotel recommended called the "Piccolo Arancio". A small family owned restaurant that had very charismatic wait staff that kept me blushing with their comments and romantic gestures in front of my mother.
The next day my mother, Liz and I went to the famous Spanish steps that I had to see because of one of my favorite movies "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn. Located close to the major shopping district, I also managed to visit a few stores to complete my roman wardrobe. My mother and I left Liz so that she could see a museum and all its treasures, while we went to explore Rome. My favorite part of the whole day was being able to ask for directions in Italian and being able to understand the woman when she responded. All those months of Italian were finally paying off. The only hard thing about learning a new language is being comfortable enough speaking it to actually practice. I seriously have
incredible respect for people who are able to speak more than one language. I wish that the education in the States emphasized learning another language, even though most do have a basic understanding of Spanish because of the number of Mexican-Americans moving into the country.
We walked around the northern part of the city, stopping at a few local vintage stores since they tend to have high-end designer names for sale at very reasonable prices. The best vintage I have ever bought however was in Florence at “Pitti Vintage” a small boutique across the street from the Pitti Palace.
Italians certainly know how to put on a dinner. They take their time and make the presentation of each course an event. Our last supper was at a beautiful restaurant with a great ambiance. At the end of the meal our waiter even brought each of us roses to take home. Any person lucky enough to visit this country with a significant other would not be disappointed with the romantic feeling.
Unfortunately I was not able to be in Rome for another day with my mother and Liz, since their flight back to the States left at the
ungodly hour of 6am. So while they were taking off I was still asleep at the B&B. The last Sunday of every month the Vatican is free for visitors, so I took full opportunity of this and lit a candle in St. Peters. I am not catholic, but I promised my grandmother that I would light a candle for the family inside the Basilica. Even if a person isn’t catholic they should still see the Sistine Chapel, with it’s ceiling that Michelangelo slaved under for 4 years.
The journey home was uneventful and I was ready to leave the big city of Rome for Florence that in only a few months felt like home, with its gypsies and large immigrant population. It had become my home away from home.
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