Postcards from Rome - part I

Posted by Jan

Il Colosseo - the world famous Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Fontana di Trevi - Trevi Fountain

Foro Romano - The Roman Forum

Basilica di San Pietro - St Peter's Basilica after midnight mass on Christmas Eve

I've always thought that I would only go to Italy when I felt ready for it. To me, France and Italy were always going to be serious food destinations that I could never experience properly without spending months and years there, in the romantic style of Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence".

Rainbow Christmas lights on Via del Corso

We chose two weeks in Rome because it met the important criteria of delicious food and a mild European winter, and it was well suited to our random exploration style in getting to know a city.

Modern and old blend together at the Vatican Museum

I have to confess that it sometimes got a bit overwhelming. The sheer number of things to see and do made me feel like I was never going to get through all the key sites, especially since I had such a long list of food to eat.

Knife-cut "Prosciutti" (Parma ham)

Pizza by weight from Pizzarium

In Italy, ordering anything but an espresso after 11am is a big no no. It's pretty hard to get a bad coffee in Italy but the ordering system baffles me. In some instances I had to pre-pay for my coffee before ordering at the bar. Other times, I got the 'chill out, have a coffee first' look. The only thing I know for sure is that coffee always costs more if you sit down at a table. 

The sights of Rome on sugar sachets

Drinking a few espressos a day sounds like a recipe for insomnia. But as the coffee is weaker than what we have come to expect in Australia, it allowed for multiple espresso breaks all day long which was essential when battling the hordes of fellow tourists got a little too much.

Sunset over the Tiber River

It is difficult to describe Rome. It's magical, dirty, noisy, serene, new and old. It was an assault on my senses but also restorative to my soul. I miss the Eternal City already. And the carbonara, but that's a story for another time.

More postcards from Rome to come.