By now, I hoped you've picked up on my Rat Pack inspired titles for Italy :-P
Sticking with the theme of living as a temporary local, I set my inner Roman free for the rest of the European adventure. From pizza and pasta to Domenico Fontana (architect for St. Peters Basilica), and Da Vinci (his code), I've made sure that for my last days in the eternal city, I go out with a bang!
My first Roman experience began at a place where people from all over the world travel for spiritual guidance, St. Peter's Square at Vatican City. Upon touring this most famous Church, we had the opportunity to visit the Sistine Chapel and the marvels of Michelangelo's work. Since photos were not allowed (despite mobs of disobedient tourists who did otherwise), I respectfully reserved my camera shot for a replica that was on display outdoors.
We left the Holy City bound for our hotel. Our tour guide pointed out the radio tower as our motor coach was leaving. I found it humorous that the call for the station are pronounced K Pope (KPOP).
While the evening was free for our own adventures, our tour guide offered a lesson on the metro for all who were interested. About half of our tour group met at Termini, the city center, and rode toward the stop near the Spanish Steps. After people watching and joining the locals doing the same, our walk continued toward the famous Trevi Fountain. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. What do the Romans like to do at 8:00 PM? Eat, and that is exactly what we did next.!
As we walked the moonlit path toward our metro stop, we again passed the Trevi fountain, only this time all lighted up and more people partying along the waterfalls. When crossing near the Spanish steps again, we stopped for a quick gelati before heading toward our hotel for the night.
Our next morning was going to be jam-packed with Roman history and sightseeing; so between the Italian dinner, wine, and nightcap of double pistachio, I was about to sleep soundly for the next day.
Our first stop was the Roman Colosseum. Even though we had our local tour guide walk us through the ancient ruins where gladiator jousts reigned supreme, I was just as happy merely daydreaming in the lap of this vast arena. One memorable moment occurred as we were walking across the platform and our tour guide mentioned that the spot we were standing on was famous for taking photos. I guess I was the guinea pig that morning when I was asked to hand over my camera and pose for a photo.
We soon after continued our trek through ancient Rome with a visit to the Forum and then the Pantheon. As much as I enjoyed both sights, my camera battery apparently did not, so I was left to retracing my steps later during the week to recover some pictures. Our tour finished up around noon and we were free on our own for the rest of the day. Tonight was our final night of the tour and we were celebrating with a finale dinner at the Ristorante Roof Garden.
We began dinner with a thank you to our tour guide. I must say that having someone as knowledgeable and friendly by our side gave us the confidence to wander and explore freely without concern.
Each table was complete with bottles of wine, and enough salad, bread, and cheese to call this a meal. Our main course featured locally prepared meats and sauteed vegetables. Another thrill of our tour was that all of our meals were served in the tradition of the region we were visiting.
After dinner, we were served desert followed by homemade limoncello. We soon after shared stories of our two weeks together. One of the games we played involved trying to identify each person and what they were most memorable for. I was remembered as "most likely to get searched at airport security on my way home". The reference was from when we were touring the Vatican. I was the only one of our entire group who was randomly searched upon entering. As such, our group was held up for quite some time. Fortunately for me, everyone was kind enough to wait until I was finished.
As we left the restaurant, we gave our final farewell as the tour was going to conclude the next morning after breakfast. While several of us were either headed to another destination, or just going home, my adventure was still going to continue. I was spending the next 5 nights right here in Rome. Only this time, I am taking the adventure to another new level by continuing to experience thrills outside my usual comfort zone yet again. I will end my time in Europe spending five nights in a hostel located just 4 blocks from where we ate dinner the night before.
Why? Well, I never had the experience of living in a dorm room (one of my regrets in life), so I was curious to experience a communal room setting for several nights at a time. More importantly, I wanted to meet fellow travelers and make new friends; and what better way to do so than hanging out all night in the comfort of bunk beds and lights out at 11:00 PM?