Roaming in Rome
If anyone has the chance to visit Rome and wants to stay right at the center of the city, I highly recommend staying at Palazzo Cardinal Cesi. Waking up after our first night, we felt completely refreshed and ready to go. Our hotel room blocked out the busy morning noise and we felt like we were in our own quiet bubble. Every morning at Palazzo Cesi, a sheet with a daily gospel is slid under the door before the start of your day. Housekeeping did an amazing job and every day that they came into our room, not only did they make the bed and take out garbage; but they mopped the floors and cleaned the entire room. We would always return to the room smelling and feeling as if it went through a thorough spring cleaning.
We decided to take advantage of the breakfast provided by the hotel. Breakfast was held at the “The Refectory” room, which had beautiful original paintings on the ceiling and imitated the monasteries in which people would gather several times a day after prayer. The breakfast catered to tourists with scrambled eggs, toast, cereal, etc. But it also included traditional delicacies such as cured meats, cheeses, and of course Italian pastries. They variety of food was impressive and the wait staff were very attentive. Breakfast spanned from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, giving you enough time in the morning to get yourself together and the food was always fresh and replenished. This was the first time we tried Italian coffee, and we were both surprised with the bold taste and the sudden kick the first sip gave. Throughout our time in Italy, a small espresso carried us throughout the whole day and not once did I feel like I needed to “re-up” on caffeine.
We decided to take the day easy and just roam around the streets as the next day was our first tour. We ate our breakfast and made our way out towards Castel Sant’Angelo. The streets were already filled with tourists and vendors and we were pleasantly surprised how we could not hear any of the hustle and bustle from our hotel room. As there was a nearby hospital, the constant siren of the ambulances were around almost every corner and made its presence known. While it’s a sounds that I now miss, hearing it in the early hours of the morning may not have been a pleasant wake-up call.
It was finally settling in that we were walking the streets of Rome and it was not just a vivid dream. We crossed the busy street and made our way to Castel Sant’Angelo. Outside the castle, vendors and tourists flocked the streets bargaining on the price of selfie sticks and knock-off purses. The castle still took my breath away and we entered the park that sat behind it. Here we were able to see family life on a Sunday morning. Mothers and fathers played games of tag with their young children, elderly couples walked their dogs, and games of soccer scattered throughout the area. An enormous statue of Julius Caesar overlooked these activities. We sat down for a moment to take it all in and it was so refreshing to see families interacting with one another and spending time together. No cell phones, iPads, or computers were in sight and I got the sense that those things were not as important as you would think here. Young couples lounged underneath the trees with blankets, snacks and wine. Dogs ran around after each other, briefly stopping to check that their owners were still around. Sounds of children laughing as grandmothers chased them and played hide-and-go seek were accompanied by the sounds of trickling water from fountains.
We found our way to ancient fountains, slowly trickling drinkable water into a basin and walked down a tree-lined path where elderly men sat on benches eating their breakfast and their wives were deep into their books. You really got the sense that people here took time to relax and enjoy personal time. There was no hustle and bustle and more of a leisure and relaxed attitude that invited you to just stop and be in the moment. I treated myself to my first taste of gelato (chocolate and strawberry) and was not ashamed that it may have been only 11:00 am. I knew instantly what people meant when they say nothing compared to Italian gelato. The flavor was so rich and bold that you felt like you were actually eating the fruit that constituted the flavor. We learned that authentic gelato should not have vibrant colors (those are made by “tourist traps” and riddled with dyes). Authentic gelato is supposed to take the color of the fruit it is named after. Throughout our stay in Italy, gelato made its way into our day more than once.
After our gelato break we made our way into Castel Sant’Angelo where admission was free for the day. Generally, admissions to the castle is around 10 euros. Walking through the rooms and seeing how it was once used as a prison, a fortress, a private residence, and now a museum, you get an overwhelming feeling of the amount of history in just one place. Hadrian, an emperor of Rome, created the mausoleum for himself and his family between 130-139; but I am sure he did not know it would evolve into such a prominent area in the city. There were rooms full of personal artifacts from families that once resided there, treasures from the different eras and uses of the castle, beautiful paintings and sculptures. Certain rooms in the castle had beautiful views of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square. Different terraces offered different views of the Tiber River and the walkways within the castle made you feel like you were back in time.
We made our way to the top of the castle, right underneath the statue of Archangel Michael and were provided with a panorama view of the city. Looking over the Tiber and seeing ancient ruins, rooftops, bridges cluttered with traffic and tourists, you got a sense of the immensity of this beautiful place. Far in the distance you saw the shadows of mountains as the setting sun hit the city, covering it in a beautiful golden hue. I highly recommend making a stop at Castel Sant’Angelo as it offers a glimpse of the history of Rome and a beautiful place to view the city.
After our visit to Castel Sant’Angelo, we made our way to a restaurant called Pausa for lunch. It was just a five minute walk from the hotel west of St. Peter’s Square on Via de Porta Cavallegeri. The food here was excellent and this became our favorite place to eat. My husband had the Margherita pizza and I had the spicy salami pizza accompanied with a cold Peroni. It is to note that in Italy, the toppings on pizza are very minimal. It is either cheese or some sort of pork variation. There isn’t any supreme or meat lovers pizza here. The food is kept simple and delicious and makes you appreciate the freshness of each ingredient more. We finished our meal with an espresso and bought gelato on our way out. Again, it did not disappoint. Not only was the food amazing at this place, but the cook who we began to call our Italian grandmother was amazing and made us feel like we were eating in the kitchen of her home. She was the sole cook and made everything from scratch. She was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Every time we returned for a quick snack, lunch or dinner, she would welcome us as if we were family. While there was a slight language barrier, we were able to communicate and she taught us how to pronounce several words (apparently bruschetta is pronounced as bru-SK-eta). At the end of our trip, she gave us two rosary beads blessed by the Pope as a parting gift and we promised her that when we returned she would be the first place we visited. The one thing I can say about the Roman people is that they are beyond friendly and will make you feel right at home.
We roamed the streets, getting lost in alleys and discovering little shops and artisans at work. We passed small butcher shops, bakeries and cafes filled with locals getting their ingredients for their dinner or enjoying a quick espresso and pastry. We began to master the art of crossing the street, and as terrifying as it initially was, it became second nature during our time there. The way people drive in Italy always had me holding my breath, but I guess they are accustomed to the craziness of the traffic. Those on mopeds just zipped through traffic to their destination with an envious skill. I got a kick out of seeing stylish elderly women on their mopeds with their Louis Vuitton bags nestled in front of them and their shades as they made their way through traffic like pros.
We ended the night having a quiet dinner in the courtyard of our hotel. The wine, bruschetta and olives were amazing and the quiet ambiance was what we needed after a long day of walking throughout the city. We took a short stroll through St. Peter’s Square after dinner and quietly looked upon the illuminated statutes as we talked about what we would encounter the following day, when we would go on our first tour of the city sights.
