World Domination… Rome
“Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto” is an Italian expression meaning “Eat well, laugh often, love much”, which is exactly what it feels like when you arrive in Rome. My first night there was everything that you’d look back to your youth and say, “Wow, I did some crazy shit!” The city has a way of being bustling and overly religious while also full of fresh food, fine arts, cultural sites, and most important of all, delicious vino.
Let’s start with the food! It seemed like everything was made with fresh picked veggies from Nonna’s garden. The pasta was delectable. Every morning I walked to the local square where wine, strawberries, bread, and whatever else was going to be eaten for the day was purchased. I made sure to cook one or two meals daily so that I could feel somewhat at home. The food wasn’t seasoned the way I was used to because they tended to use fresh herbs instead of heavy seasoning. Now I use less seasonings but lots of fresh herbs from my patio or indoor garden. The gelato flavors were simple yet rich without being overly sweet. I found it particularly funny that Italians will put literally anything on dough and call it pizza. Whether it is day or night, pizza is everywhere but it is not greasy like American pizza. It was also shocking to learn that some restaurants charge a sit-down fee. It was in that moment that I noticed how many people were walking down the street eating pizza right out of their hands. Witnessing how comfortable people were with something considered American and tacky fascinated me. What can I say, that’s the point of traveling right?
The days were filled with the calmness of tourism as the locals went about their everyday lives. The museums I visited all had hours long wait times so I chose to walk around and do bus tours instead. I was able to meet so many street artists and entertainers, which is a familiar feeling throughout the many places that I’ve visited. The street signs have pictures of what I assume was Jesus carrying a cross throughout the city. The architecture is art in itself which is why it is a great walking city. I fell in love with the scenery and couldn’t help relaxing on the Fabricius Bridge while taking it all in. Romans are sleek Euro style dressers where the men wear slim cuts with clean lines and the women opt for no fuss feminine clothing. It was also important to carry scarves around everywhere so that if I was entering a conservative environment I could drape myself appropriately. Everyone wears comfortable clean shoes so if you’re trying to have a ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ moment, please reconsider. If not, good luck with the old-world charm of cobblestones.
I found that the people in Rome are friendlier than in Florence (which is really called Firenze just in case you buy a train ticket and get confused) due to their willingness to attempt to understand your butchered Italian. In some shops when I got confused, I was able to speak Spanish since they’re both Latin languages that sometimes overlap. Contrastingly, in Firenze I was kicked off of a bus in an attempt to ask for directions. Humiliation is a face served best with a bright lip color. Regardless, being there felt like starring in my own remake of Eat, Pray, Love.