Prosciutto, Pecorino and Prosecco, si per favore

So this year's adventure had me following my favorite world traveler (aka my sister) to her next fantastic country of residence, Italia! Yes, you are allowed to be jealous of the fact that she keeps finding ways to get paid to live in amazing places, AND that she's my sister and I get to keep convincing work that family is important and I HAVE to go visit her for no less than 2 weeks! 

And while last year was our first official vacation as sisters, and unofficial training for our future Amazing Race, this year we added a new dimension to the travels and wine tasting extravaganza; my awesome boyfriend PS!! I don't know if he knew what he was getting into traveling with both Beall sisters on vacation!

So after some trials and tribulations of booking the flights, we headed off for 20+ hours of travel before arriving in Rome. I should preface this by saying that the week before this vacation, I managed to move my apartment, pack up PS' house, have an alumni meeting, and work a full week, which only made me appreciate the next 2.5 weeks even more! But I think I may have finally learned my lesson; trying to cram an entire country (or two) into 2 weeks of travel doesn't allow for much down time, but does give you some amazing memories, a lot of wine, and much inspiration for a return trip!

My brief commentary on international travel - I have been spoiled in my previous excursions abroad!! Direct flights on Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand set the bar extremely high, and even after researching our flights for in-seat tv's, what we thought would be power outlets, and the promise of free wine on international travel, none of these actually came to fruition with the exception of the TV, but without an on-demand feature (I know, I already said I was spoiled). I will have to say that until I can fly on the new Dreamliner (which PS has designed the new APU turbines for), I may be avoiding our domestic carriers for the foreseeable future.

Now, upon our arrival in Rome we grabbed our luggage from baggage claim (2 backpacks and 2 small rollies - I'm getting better and better at traveling light), we proceeded to Customs where we were promptly just waived through! No line, no questions, and NO STAMP! Seriously Italy, I realize you need all of our euros right now so you just waive us through, but I would have appreciated a stamp and an acknowledgement that I actually visited your awesome country! More updates on my lack of stamps and countries that I have actually travelled to in a later post.

But the upside of no Customs, we got to see EB even sooner! So after a quick train ride and cab to her apartment in Trestevere (she spared us the 150 steps for later that day), we got to relax and have our 1st glass of prosecco before 11am. Perfect welcome to Roma...although the mosquitos were not so welcome.

My first "meal" in Rome courtesy of EB!

Prosciutto, pecorino, and prosecco - what more could a girl ask for?

Walking the streets in Trestevere - EB's neighborhood.

Roma - Day 1, The Heart of Rome

I love Rome! I have to say, I love the fact that you can wander around a corner and find another historical building/fountain/piazza and that they built the modern day city around these ruins. Maybe it's cause we were traveling with EB, but I felt like everything was connected and that you could walk everywhere and continue to just stumble upon another amazing sight. PS had a few Oh Wow moments that made me appreciate them even more, even knowing what was coming! But one of the unexpected things I found I loved about Rome was something I had thought I would only find in Venice (which turned out to be the opposite), the Nassone!! Rome has hundreds of cast-iron water fountains that range from beautifully carved fountains and troughs to spigots on a side alley, but all of them provide ice-cold, pure drinking water! So for any future travellers to Roma - bring a water bottle and drink to your hearts content, it's a good balance to all the delicious wine!

So a quick recap of our day's adventures which included wandering through the streets of Trestevere, pausing at the statue of Bruno, past the Palazzo Farnese (home of the French Embassy), and arrival at our 1st stop in Piazza Navona where we enjoyed some gelato (almond truffle) before heading off to the Trevi. Coming around the corner, we got PS' first "Oh Wow" moment followed by trying to explain the aqueduct concept that fed Roman cities with fresh water, all without Google at our fingertips to help. We tossed in our coins to ensure a return trip to the Eternal City but EB refrained for fear that her next coin would find her a husband, according to tradition. We proceeded on to the Spanish Steps with a brief stop for an international SIM card (more on EB's mastery of Italian customer service below) and then finished our tour of the Heart of Rome at the Pantheon, an amazing ancient structure preserved almost in its entirety, and of course had a local giant beer to cool off from the heat. I have to commend EB on her ability to answer our random questions about what church or piazza or random statue that we might have been looking at - I highly recommend EB's walking tour (with the assistance of Rick Steves), just make sure you keep up, she walks pretty fast!!

Trevi Fountain

Pete's 1st Oh Wow moment when we came around the corner.

So happy to be on vacation!!

Ensuring my return to Rome by tossing in my coin!

Fountain at the base of the Spanish steps!

Just one of the awesom nassone I enjoyed throughout the city!

The Pantheon - Rome's most ancient preserved building!

One thing we realized very quickly on this trip was having a tour guide (aka EB) who spoke Italian made things much more efficient, especially after I realized that the CD to learn Italian did nothing for me and PS kept wanting to use his Spanish. But we truly got to experience EB's mastery of Italian customer service when we attempted to purchase a SIM card for PS. After asking for and purchasing the wrong card, we realized our mistake before we left the shop and attempted to have the sales rep swap it for the correct card (same price). What ensued was a battle of wills with EB realizing her Italian wasn't quite strong enough to argue in Italian, so she slid the receipt and card back across the counter, patted it and then proceeded to stare down the phone rep, to which he ultimately caved after much grumbing about getting a manager (not necessary) and my newfound appreciation for EB's tactics - I don't know if that would work here in the States, but it might be worth a try!

Now I realize that this is supposed to be a FOOD and travel blog and I owe you some explanation of the delicious dishes that we enjoyed! It's a good thing EB loves food as much as I do and she provided us with a background of dishes that were local to the regions that we would be travelling to, to ensure that we sampled the best of what Italy had to offer. So off we went to a little restaurant in Trestevere called Ristorante Paris (ironic) where we ordered the amatriciana pasta, a traditional Roman dish of red sauce with pancetta, onions and spice, polpette (meatballs), black truffle ravioli, veal limone and a side of chicory. Now PS and I have perfected the art of sharing food when we go out, since neither one of us wants to choose just one thing, and I was happy to find that EB was an enthusiastic participant in this ritual! Amidst all the delicious food, we also managed to squeeze in some wine drinking along the way and following dinner headed out for an evening stroll and some limoncello - as they say, when in Rome!

 

Enjoying black truffle ravioli!

Quality sister time, just add some limoncello!

Roma Day 2 - St. Peter's (Vatican City) and Ancient Rome at night

So, the day began contemplating our outfits, so that we would be appropriately chaste for our adventure to Vatican City! EB and I donned scarves, while PS took a chance with shorts and tucked a pair of pants away, just in case. So off we headed into another sweltering day, but made sure to grab some sustenance of not-so-personal sized pizzas and a carafe of wine. Now in general I would say Italians have much better portion control than Americans, but clearly not when it comes to pizza.

Pizza and wine for lunch - si, per favore!

Seriously, St. Peter's was just as impressive in person as it seems on film! I can only imagine how it looks with thousands of people inside. Our goal of hearing the Pope give Mass was foiled since he wasn't actually in residence, but enjoying his holiday in the country. We had been warned about the lines that wrapped around St. Peter's but only actually waited 5 minutes before getting inside - I think God was smiling down on us! :) Then again, those lines may have been for the museums and not the church, but we did see quite a line form after we climbed to the top of the cupola! 

St. Peter's aka the Vatican -

just so you weren't thinking I was referring to Pete as the saint!

Looking appropriately chaste.

Covering your shoulders on a 90 degree day and climbing 300+ stairs is not ideal!

Inside St. Peter's

Pope John Paul XXIII

Climbing the cupola turned out to be less daunting than I imagined. While I have a slight issue with claustrophobia, and the heat certainly didn't help, it was broken into different climbs and the view from the top was well worth it!

Climbing the cupola

Cool breeze and an amazing view!

Taking in the grandeur of Roma

The best part is there was a group of nuns up there with us too!

We planned to meander back to EB's place and then head out that night to see a few ancient monuments in the evening, but we got distracted along the way with a stop in the Jewish Ghetto and some gelato and prosecco. A few extra sights included a random traditional dance party, a bride and groom photo shoot, and a smaller version of another coliseum.

Enjoying my afternoon gelato!

Random dance party

That evening we headed out on the town to take in some more of Ancient Rome, and were surprised with some light drizzle/rain. The break from the heat and the awesome smell of the rain was a great treat as we meandered over to a locals place for dinner. There's something mystical about the monuments at night, and it's amazing to view them without all the crowds. After taking a tour of the DC monuments at night and finding a whole new appreciation for them, I think nighttime excursions are a must do for any future travel!

Romulus and Remus  - founders of Rome.

Romulus aka the tiny town where PS went to HS!

The Forum

A devoted fan of Rick Steves, but I think she adds a little something extra to her tours! 

Dinner that evening was at a restaurant that EB had previously enjoyed for apps and drinks, recommended by a local Italian, so we thought we'd be in good hands. Apparently great local food also comes with surly Italian waiters, even with EB ordering for us!

Not normally a fan of gnocchi, but these "pillows" of pasta were amazing!

I might have to try making them at home.

One of the best steak dishes of the entire vacation!

Our final traditional Roman dish - pasta carbonara.
While delicious, I already knew I wasn't a fan of this egg based pasta, but then again everything is better with bacon, or pancetta or prosciutto!

Next up - Venezia and the City of Romance!