Roma - Day One

The start of our journey started out as lovely as it could get with dear friend, Susanna, driving us to Logan Airport in Boston on Thursday afternoon.  Traffic was not too bad and getting through security at the airport was easy peasy.  

Our flight was jam packed but I was successful in changing our middle seats to our own window / aisle seats, which made the journey that much more enjoyable. We flew on Delta and what a nice experience!  For the first-time-since-COVID-flying experience, this was the way to do it.  Super comfortable, good food, free alcohol (although I passed on that offer due to often being dehydrated on flights), fantastic amenities, and attentive service. 

When we arrived in Rome, getting through customs was like, 'what customs?' - it was that easy.  The only snafu was with our ride to the air bnb (which is as darling as the pictures showcased - check out my video on my Instagram account that is a little tour of the place).  It seemed we were all set and asked to wait a few moments to wait for another rider.  Then, the driver comes out to tell us that his 'car is broken' and he will pay for our cab.  We learned from our cab driver that there is some funny business going on with companies subcontracting to others and people end up navigating issues.  In any event, we got to our place and had a very nice chat with the fellow who has only been a cab driver for a month. As I remember it, after he was treated for cancer, he decided to give this job a go.  He shared some heartbreaking insights about the healthcare system in Rome.  All the 'good' doctors move to Germany, the US, or other countries for better opportunities and no one sticks around. He shared that if his brother hadn't 'known a guy' (so Rhode Island!), he likely would have succumbed to his cancer. Our chat wasn't all doom and gloom but it was an interesting view from a local.  

  

Shortly after arriving at our place, our host greeted us to give us the keys, a tour of the space, and a lovely bottle of wine.  Sandro is married to the cousins who own this apartment. A very generous spirit and so welcoming.  We were thrilled to learn that the building repairs that would have had our windows covered with scaffolding had wrapped up before we arrived! Busting open all the windows to let in some of that Roman air before it got too hot, we unpacked to settle in and then ventured out to grab some groceries.  It was just a ten minute walk away and we picked up some necessities: salami, fruit, greens, etc.  Again, we experienced such generous spirits as I didn't know you have to weigh and tag your produce before coming to the register.  The very nice cashier lady ran all the way over to the produce section to do it for me!  When we picked up some prosciutto in the butcher shop, the very nice fellow explained that they don't use pounds, they use grams, so I ordered 20 slices - problem solved.  I expressed my gratitude to both of these folks for being gracious with this buffoon American.

After we got back into the apartment, we blew a fuse using too many things but both Rose and Sandro saved the day and we were back up and running with power. What a treat it was to sit in our kitchen to chow down on the bounty of goodness.  I cracked up the bottle of wine for just a few sips (note to self: not recommended when trying to outrun jet lag but the fully leaded espresso certainly helped). The food was delicious.  

We love our apartment and can't believe our luck in finding this place.  I am so looking forward to taking a shower and falling asleep in my home for the next two weeks.  The antiques and art are just perfect. The sky is so blue.  The colors are outstanding.

One of the best ways to deal with jet lag is to get your butt outside and take a walk, which is exactly what Rose and I did.  Our destination was the Colosseum, for just a peek since we are touring it in a couple of days.  It was a perfect way to meander and explore the nearby neighborhood.  We bumped into a nice British couple trying to figure out the street parking situation.  I hooked her up with Google Translate to help read the different signs and then we were on our merry way.  

As with any proper meander, I spied with my little eye a very interesting park, so of course we popped in for a look-see.  Parco del Celio is a former monastery located just a few blocks from our apartment:

"During the Middle Ages the monastery passed into different hands: from the Greek Basilian monks who fled the iconoclastic struggles, to the Benedictines in the first half of the 10th century AD, to finally reach the Camaldonese monks in 1573."

Of course, since it is quite warm here in Rome, we had to enjoy a gelato! As we approached our intended destination, Rose spotted a gelateria and we made a beeline to it.  I have been dreaming of a two gusti serving of the heavenly goodness: coconut and chocolate.  Rose enjoyed peach and dulce de leche.  We were not disappointed. It seemed quite fitting to spot a nearby building that looked as tasty as our treat.

We decided to make some fresh pasta at home tonight.  We are determined to stay up until at least 8 pm, hopefully 9 pm, to get on track with a new sleeping routine.  At the time of this writing, we have three hours to go.

 

To view all the photos I took today, check out this photo album!

Ciao!

Dennise