Release the Lions!

The second half of Steph's and my Rome weekend started Sunday morning, departing the hotel and walking only a few blocks--although with suitcase wheels clattering raucously on cobblestones it felt much longer--to meet friends renting a Roman "villa" for the week. The villa was actually some (rich?) Romans' residence who rented it through an agency in their absence; the abode was indeed quite nice (as were our friends) and slept six nicely.

Rome happened to run its annual marathon that Sunday morning, so with several former marathoners in our group we chose to first observe those poor soles (terrible, I'm sorry!) running 26.2 miles on alternating concrete and cobblestones. Of course, a slight masochistic streak aids every marathon runner, but these people were card-carriers! We stood around mile 25.5 and cheered people in Italian ("Bravo!") for 15 minutes, always much appreciated by runners about to topple. I also tested one of Rome's street vendors for his Heissi Marroni (roasted chestnuts) but I daresay Zürich's streetside chestnuts edged him on quality.

Funnily enough, our group tour Sunday mirrored Steph's and my solo tour Saturday almost exactly--Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, etc., although we did mix it up with a gelato break (my first experience--it would appear that Roman law requires every denizen, both local and tourist, to eat gelato while walking the city streets or face possible arrest), a whisky break (guys only) and a so-so random café late lunch that featured grappa and house-specialty espresso for dessert; something was lost in translation as we expected the grappa in the coffee, but instead received a healthy dose of neat grappa alongside the sweetest, richest, espresso/chocolate syrup/cream/ whipped cream thing I've ever tasted. I don't normally eat my espresso with a spoon, it wasn't exactly my proverbial cup. The grappa was actually quite palatable, though. We lounged around the villa that evening, consuming mostly wine for dinner followed by a late night dessert run for Nutella crepes.

Monday we tapped the purportedly-underutilized subway to venture to the Old Town (they don't really call it that, but it makes me chuckle), except in Rome the old town is about 2,500 years old. Yes, we hit none other than the Roman Colosseum (lookin' good for 1,900 years old) and nearby Forum, a kind of preserved "boneyard" of ancient Roman stonecraft. Like every other of the thousands of Colosseum tourists that day, we were instantly accosted by no fewer than fifteen "helpful" twenty-something-aged tour guides from every country except Italy offering their services to avoid the hour-long wait Colosseum tour line. By the time we accelerated through them, like escaping a gnat swarm, we had already passed the line entrance and felt quite content to snap some pictures from afar. Despite the hordes, the Colosseum is of course mind-bogglingly cool, as was the sprawling and significantly less crowded Forum overlook site.

We looped back around to our villa neighborhood, through the bustling downtown on foot rather than subway to an absolutely fantastic lunch at a local restaurant of Stephanie's pick (her scouring of every guide and website for the real deals always pays off). The place was crammed with Italians, believe it or not (I couldn't), and we ordered a slew of dishes for sharing. Everything was fairly simple but quite delicious--pastas, salads, vegetables, meat dishes, a great Italian white wine, fruit for dessert--finally I believe my eyes opened to what all those overdecorated Italian restaurants around the world are poorly trying to emulate. But I'll also say that for the average visitor, finding the real thing ain't easy. Oh, and did I mention the double espresso? Phenomenal. Definitely "Lunch of the Year" candidate, if only such a silly contest existed.

Steph and I departed that afternoon, in our usual style metro-ing to the train station and training to the airport for our flight home (much more sensible than bad-faith cab drivers), while our friends began settling into the villa in earnest for the week and following weekend. More pics:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=2hd8fyj.3t8y7kgv&x=0&y=j2r6y2&localeid=en_US

So what's the verdict on Roma e Italia? Well, what's to say when you're such a victim of success from a few centuries back that you'll likely never get out from under it? Nearly every street and building and every obelisk in every neighborhood exudes ancient glory. And as the world shrinks, the tourist concentration only increases. I've heard tell there's a real Rome under there somewhere, that it's the world's best city if a Roman would show you around, although why one would is beyond me. In all, not my personal favorite although it's not the city's fault, but I just can't help thinking that I need to come back for the espresso...