Rome- The Eternal City
How easily it mesmerized our minds and enchanted our hearts. I had to remind myself on our first day to close my mouth as every aspect of life around me had me in awe and amazement. The memorable days we had there still linger on my mind and I yearn to return to this magical city that breathed a new awareness into my life.
Riding on the high of our wedding, my husband Steven and I were ready to experience all that this place had to offer. And Rome did not disappoint. I always remembered wanting to go to Santorini in Greece for my honeymoon, but Rome changed that fantasy in a blink of an eye. While I know the two destinations are very different, Rome set the bar extremely high for any other place we will be fortunate to visit.
We arrived in Rome on October 4, 2014 after a layover in Lisbon, Portugal. We were to returned to the states on October 11, 2014 and looking back I wish we would’ve stayed longer. The weather in Rome during our visit was completely beautiful. While doing my research I found that October is usually a less busy time with tourist and often times rainy. We were fortunate enough to have summer-like weather and the sun made sure to bless our time there.
We arrived at the Fiumicino Airport and the excitement that we were finally in Italy began to make me anxious to gather our bags and get to Rome. We were ready to be Romans for the week of our stay. After about an hour of waiting for our baggage to come through, we finally walked through the doors to be greeted by the warm Italian air. We quickly boarded our shuttle and sat back to enjoy the ride to our hotel.
The trip from the airport to our hotel, Palazzo Cardinal Cesi (pronounced chechi, as I was kindly informed) was about 20 minutes. It is a hotel in the center of Rome and nestled right outside of St. Peter’s square. As anxious as I was to get to our hotel, I enjoyed the ride. Driving through the outskirts of Rome into the heart of the city, I was able to get my first sights of everyday life. Once we got off the exit towards Rome and saw the Vatican walls after a 10 minute drive, I was beyond ready to settle in and go out and explore.
Luckily, we were the first stop in our shuttle and our driver was kind enough to help us get our belongings and point us in the right direction. As the shuttle drove off, we just stopped and took in our surroundings. Tourists such as us were wheeling their carry-ons on Rome’s ancient cobblestone streets, tour guides shuffled tour groups to their next destination and nuns scurried to whatever business they needed to tend to. We noticed a beautiful church right behind our hotel (The Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia) and made a point to return later on.
We walked down a small alley lined with smart cars with Via delle Conciliazione straight ahead of us. Stepping out of the alley and looking to our left, there it was. The street opened up to St. Peter’s Square with St. Peter’s Basilica looming over it. It literally took my breath away. The street was lined with of marble where food carts and marble benches welcomed travelers to stop and take in the beauty that was awaiting them. As we approached our hotel we passed small cafes, gelaterias and gift shop filled with locals and tourists.
We arrived at Palazzo Cardinal Cesi around 2:30pm and were greeted warmly at the front desk. A building built in 1400, it has a very extensive history and you could see it in the preserved paintings on the ceilings in many rooms. After a couple of minutes of checking in and being provided with information we would need, we were taken to our room. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Although it is just steps away from St. Peter’s Square and alive with tourists, you could not hear any of the outside commotion. It felt like a small oasis where you can go and rest your head and have a quiet moment or two before going on with your day of exploration. Our room was quaint and comfortable and I quickly noticed the differences between American hotels and European hotels. No complaints whatsoever, but it was amusing to see how different things were.
Once settled, we were ready to taste our first Italian meal. We came across a small pizzeria outside of St. Peter’s Square and ordered, of course, pizza! The pizza in Italy is very different compared to the states. Italian pizza is very thin with minimal toppings. Steven’s pizza had thin sliced pepperoni and I had the same kind but with a spicier sauce. The pizzas were not overdone with toppings and we soon found out that Italian cuisine involves simple ingredients packing a ton of flavors. We were not disappointed. After our meal, we ordered cappuccinos and were surprised at how strong the drink was. We quickly learned that locals do not order cappuccinos after 11am, but a lot of cafes and restaurants accommodate tourists. But if you want to blend in like the locals, only order espressos after 11am!
After our lunch, we got our cameras and made our way to St. Peter’s Square. We could not believe the immensity of what was in front of us and now I understand when people say a picture will not do the reality of a place justice. We noticed a large crowd forming in the square and were informed that the Pope was giving mass. Amongst tourists, locals, nuns and priests from around the world, we were about to witness a mass given by the Pope. We took a small booklet that outlined the mass, and of course it was written in Italian. Being that I speak and read Spanish, I was able to pick up the gist of what was being discussed and we soon found out the mass being given was about marriage and family. What a beautiful coincidence and blessing!
There was such an overwhelming feeling and I found myself getting choked up at witnessing what was around me. Families sitting on blankets listening intently, the choir rising up in song and the crowd joining in as if on cue, and the overall atmosphere left me in awe. The amazing thing about this was that, while packed with what appeared to be hundreds of people, as soon as the mass began there was a collective silence that fell over the crowd. It was humbling to see how respectful the crowd was.
We spent about an hour in St. Peter’s Square, watching the mass and taking in our surroundings. We then decided to take a walk down towards Castel Sant’Angelo, which was only a two minute walk down the street. It is an impressive building and the first thing that came to my mind was the Angels and Demons movie by Dan Brown. If you are a fan of that movie, you know this was an important location in the film and we could not believe that we that we were walking up to it. The castle was just about to close and we planned on returning the next day. The bridge in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, Ponte Sant’Angelo, was teeming with tourists, vendors selling selfie sticks and knock off Chanel bags and musicians filling the air with the sound of guitar and gravelly voices. The view from the bridge looking towards St. Peter’s Square was breathtaking and I was instantly in love.
We tore ourselves away from the beautiful sight in front of us to find a place for dinner. We came across a small restaurant/bar/gelateria called Pausa and were greeted by a woman who by the end of our trip we ended up calling our Italian grandmother. She quickly ushered us into the dining area and brought us menus. I could not help but feel like I was in her kitchen as I watched her hurry around and cook up orders. We ordered the Italian beer, Peroni, to drink and Steven ordered a Margherita pizza and I ordered a porchetta sandwich. The food was unbelievable and Steven made it a point that we would return several times here throughout our stay.
After dinner, we walked back to St. Peter’s Square where the mass was concluding and the crowds had lit their candles. It was just as magical as it was earlier in the day and we were able to see the Pope upon his altar. The choir still sprung up in singing and it added a new element to the atmosphere under the blanket of the night. We hung around the square, as many others were doing until we were ready to take it in for the night.
The first couple of hours in Rome, and we were not disappointed at all.
