Walking in the steps of the Romans, Rome

In what had become our system for choosing our next destination, we jumped onto Skyscanner.com and looked at where the cheapest flights would lead us next. Our loose plan was to head towards Turkey and from there spend November travelling around Israel, Egypt and Jordan. These three places had been on my bucket list for years. I was excited because the season would be perfect for visiting. The extreme heat of summer would be over, and it would be the shoulder season for tourism. I only had 24 days left in my 90-day Schengen visa. So these places were perfect for me. Conveniently located between Morocco and Turkey is Italy. We had talked about going to Italy a few times so when we found a cheap flight to Rome, it made our decision for us.

10 years before I’d been to Rome and knew it was a must-see for Jessie. To try to keep costs down, we figured we could hit the highlights of Rome in 2-3 days. And from there head out to the regions where prices would be more cost-effective for our budget. Rome is a city where almost everywhere you go there is something that will blow your mind with the historical significance. The city is basically a permanent working archeological site. There are buildings and ruins dating back thousands of years scattered throughout the city. We booked tours of the Colosseum and Vatican that needed tickets and left ourselves the remaining time to wander the streets. Jessie’s experience in hospitality over the years, especially the very Italian-themed Dolphin Hotel made it all the more exciting to experience the food and wine scene first-hand. We set out on our first afternoon to find an aperitif on the streets and soak up the Italian atmosphere.

Our stroll took us past the Colosseum and down to the Piazza Venezia. One thing that always amazes me is the layers of various centuries all set amongst each other. Modern roads pass over archeological digs that have massive Roman and pre-Roman era structures and ruins. Our time in Rome became a journey of pizza, apéritif, gelato and wine for the next 2 days. Time well spent which by chance also took us to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Roman Forum, St Peter’s Basilica and more. Besides all the popular tourist spots, our absolute highlight was discovering a Salumeria next to the Pantheon. I went into the store to get us each a beer to go. While there, I saw a private dining area in the back. In a back room, small tables were set. The room was surrounded by cured meats, cheeses, an entire wall wine rack and an old guy preparing charcuterie boards. Being about dinner time spent the rest of the night enjoying an incredible selection of all types of meats and cheeses. With the bill coming to almost $200 it was definitely an indulgent experience but one that the memory will be worth it.Read more