Smelling the Roses in Rome

Roma – Day 1
After a 10.5-hour journey from Santiago, we landed in Rome on Tuesday evening. But even before boarding the plane, there was a bit of drama—I realized we needed to pick up tickets for the Papal Audience, but the pickup window was during our flight. Thankfully, our Airbnb hosts came through and kindly collected them for us.

We arrived around 8 PM and set off on foot to Trastevere. Along the way, we passed the Colosseum, the Jewish Ghetto, and Teatro di Marcello—all lit up and beautifully quiet in the evening. We ended the night with a delicious Roman meal: Pasta Carbonara, salad, and crispy artichokes. By the time we returned to our apartment, it was 11:30 PM and we’d already walked over five miles. Not a bad start!

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Roma – Day 2
We were out the door by 6:45 AM, walking toward Saint Peter’s Basilica. On the way, we passed the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, and stopped at one of my favorite cafés for a perfect cappuccino and pastry.

Standing in St. Peter’s Square with nearly 100,000 others for Pope Leo’s first Papal Audience was incredibly moving—surreal and unforgettable.

The rest of the day was packed. We visited the Caravaggio exhibit at Palazzo Barberini, had a relaxing lunch, and wandered through Chiesa del Gesù, Piazza Navona, Campo de’ Fiori, and Sant’Andrea della Valle. After 9 miles of exploring, we were too tired to even think about dinner.

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Roma – Day 3
We woke up early again—this time to visit a famous pastry shop before setting off on a 4-hour e-bike tour around the city. It was one of the highlights of the trip. We saw nearly all the major landmarks, with the breeze and morning light making everything feel magical.

For lunch, we met up with my friend Christopher Braden, a seminarian studying in Rome. Afterward, we visited Aventine Hill’s Garden of Oranges and peered through the Knights of Malta Keyhole for that perfect view of St. Peter’s Dome.

Along the way, we stepped into three beautiful churches and met Father Ricardo, a priest with 50 years of ministry—47 of them in the U.S. He was warm and welcoming, and we had a lovely conversation.

We ended the day with a stroll through the Roseto Comunale (Rome’s Rose Garden), grabbing a pork sandwich and a slice of pizza for dinner. Another 9-mile day in the books!Baca lagi