Number one lesson I learned in Italy: Hazelnut Gelato can substitute any meal of the day.
So I arrived in Rome to see my mom, dad, brother and sister. What a great surprise! I did not even suspect that they were all coming even when my parents kept saying "we" can't wait to see you. We took a bus to the hotel, and it was refreshing to be staying in a hotel instead of a hostel. It felt great to have our own shower.
The first night, my dad and I explored the streets surrounding our hotel. We found a gelato place which wasn't difficult since there seems to be one on every corner. We tried Nocciola (hazelnut) and Pistachio. The man made the gelato into a beautiful masterpiece. He overflowed the cup with gelato and finished it off with a cone on top. I am not sure how I will ever be able to cherish eating a Danish or gelato back in the States after tasting delicacies from Denmark and Italy (unless they are from Frances bakery in Connecticut!)
We had a relaxing and enjoyable dinner. Some might say that Aidan enjoyed himself a little too much:
A few observations from the first night:
-One bottle of water (flat water, water without bubbles as the servers in Italy would say) is 3 euros. Tap water is not free.
-It's very difficult to read street signs. The first night we struggled to find Piazza Navarro and the Pantheon, but it took us longer than we thought.
-Crossing the street means you just start walking in the middle of traffic. No one follows the rules or street lights. In Denmark, if you don't wait until the light turns green to walk, you could receive a ticket. They take j walking very seriously.
-The cars are so tiny, and there's barely a centimeter of space between them on the street. Our tour guide said you don't need a license to drive a vespa.
Day 1
We went on a tour of Rome's famous sites. What an extraordinary landmark! Everyone was having a rough time with the jet lag, but we were up bright and early to catch the bus to meet our tour. The bus system in Italy is not the most efficient since we couldn't tell which stop to get off. Aidan had a particularly difficult time with the jet lag. The little "bambino" needed to be held half the time and the other half of the tour he played with dirt. Good thing I took a lot of pictures so I can remind him that he was actually there, when he gets older!
After we went back to the hotel to relax, and Aidan and I went to the gym (one of his favorite parts of the hotel).
*Best part of the tour: We stopped for a gelato break! More Nocciola...
The Colosseum
Piazza Navarro
The Pantheon
No comments:
Post a Comment