On an Evening in Roma

Saturday, October 9th
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Saturday morning we allowed ourselves to sleep in until 8:30… the latest on our trip thus far! We enjoyed a leisurely bed-side breakfast before hoping on the Metro to the Colloseum. It is spectacular at night, but in the day light, it's character is truly highlighted. We managed to find a tour to join immediately, and before we knew it, were on our way into the amphitheater. The last time I was in Rome we only had time to view the outside, so I was very much looking forward to actually going inside; and I was not disappointed. With our tour guides descriptions we were able to imagine what it must have been like in Roman times, with hundreds of lions and other wild animals roaming under the arena floor, gladiators preparing for their fights, and 50,000 spectators in the stands. One of the most interesting things we learned is that when St. Peter’s Basilica was being built, they took some of the limestone from the Colloseum, melted it down, and reformed it into blocks which now make up part of the dome!

After the Colloseum, we made our way to the Roman Forum and meandered around before walking through the Circus Maximus (where the Roman’s had their chariot races). Before we knew it, it was time for another meal (but really when isn't it for us?), so we hopped on the Metro back to our B&B. We had lunch at the same restaurant around the corner (where we had dinner two nights previous) and it proved just as delicious; Carolyn and I shared bruschetta and then both ordered homemade ravioli. YUM.
The next event of the day was to take the train to Frascati, a (very) small town about 20km outside of Rome. We met up with our friends Lauren and Gwen (who are also Katie’s friends from Villanova… small world!) at the train station and enjoyed yet another gelato before boarding the 30 minute train ride. Our initial plan was to get off at the station and find the vineyard the Rome tourism desk had recommended for a tour and wine tasting. Complete fail. We had apparently arrived in authentic Italy… AKA no one spoke English. We tried to ask the woman at the train station, but she didn’t even understand “Do you speak English?” so we resorted to asking a 15-year old boy to translate for us. Result of the translation: she had no clue.
The following 30 minutes involved going into every single restaurant, café, and hotel asking if they knew English and how we could get to the vineyard (oh, and a cannoli stop too!). Finally, we were about to give up when we decided we would just ask one of the taxi drivers to take us there and accept the cost. But when we asked one of them from a distance if he spoke English, he responded “yeah” in almost a New York accent kind of way. Hallelujah! Although his English was impeccable, he didn’t have great news for us. Apparently, it;s harvest season and they don’t give tours or do wine tastings because they’re “working so hard.” He did give us directions to the street in town that has “Cantinas,” where you can just sit and drink wine. So that’s exactly what we did. Our first stop was a tiny one just on the edge of the town, with a gorgeous panoramic view of Rome and an adorable patio out front. We all enjoyed some authentic local white wine (which came out a barrel) before moving on to our next stop, a family-run restaurant just a few streets down. This time we all got some bread and cheese (including homemade mozzarella) to enjoy with our vino.

 The afternoon flew by and it was approaching 5:30: the train we wanted to take back to Rome. Although we didn’t achieve our original plan of a vineyard tour, we did manage to do a very local wine tasting and take in the spectacular views. It was a nice change of scenery to escape to somewhere where tourists rarely (if ever, by the looks of it) visit. Don’t worry, we managed to sneak in some biscotti and mini-pastries before boarding the train!
By the time we got back, we were all exhausted. We set up plans to meet Gwen and Lauren for dinner, and headed back to our B&B. Carolyn, Ashley, and Katie all took a power nap, while I took advantage of the computer in our room and got in my internet fix. Eight o’clock quickly approached and we headed to the bus station to meet Gwen and Lauren. Our destination? Piazza Navona for a lovely dinner on an outside restaurant terrace (lovingly referred to as the last supper!). Carolyn enjoyed bruschetta and pasta while I got in my last pizza fix.

We then stopped for dessert after before heading to Campo de Fiori, one of the many night-life areas of Rome. We of course ended up at an American bar, full of study-abroad students (and free of sketchy Italian men, amen!), where we spent a little time before calling it a night.
Our time in Florence and Rome had been amazing: from scaling mountains, the Sistine Chapel, endless eating, and local culture; however, we were all very ready to head back to London. There are so many things we take for granted here, like not having to hold on to our bags for dear life with every step, not having men yell cat calls at us constantly, being able to freely communicate with whomever and whenever, and of course, not being tempted by gelato at every corner! Our five days were incredible, especially spending it with such good friends, but we’ll both be very happy when we’re reminded to “mind the gap” once again. :)
xo LC