Exploding with Happiness!: Ka-Blam! We Land in Rome

We are here in Rome! It is wonderful. Our driver, Stefano, met our flight and whisked us directly to our apartment in Via dei Leutari, near Piazza Navona. There, our host met us and let us into the beautiful old building, lead us up four flights of marble stairs (no elevator - we'll be working off all the pasta we eat!) and took us on a brief tour of the apartment. So much charm! It is perfect for our needs and very light and airy. Plus, believe it or not, in the middle of bustling Rome, it is quiet.

After unpacking and settling in a little, Steve and I went exploring. We headed out to Piazza Pasquino and down Governo Vecchio toward Sara's school, which we found in Piazza del Orologio. We also saw tons of cute little restaurants lining the cobblestone streets along the way. This area is mostly restricted to pedestrians, no doubt to foster the thriving tourist business, but it makes for a lovely stroll. We had a hard time deciding which little restaurant to patronize, but ultimately ended up at one called Antica Taverna. We sat outside and enjoyed the perfect evening weather as well as the company of two middle-aged Italian women on one side of us and a Norwegian couple on the other. The food was delicious. We shared an artichoke prepared Roman style (olive oil, lemon, parsley), buccatini all' amatriciana and veal saltimbocca, plus local wine, of course. When in Rome . . . .

One of the highlights of our meal was when the Norwegian fellow next to us asked our waiter if there was someone on the restaurant staff named Lucas. It turned out Lucas was our waiter and had taken care of Norwegian fellow's boss a while back. Lucas had been asked by the boss to deliver something to the Norwegian, who I think was expecting maybe a nice bottle of wine. What he received (and had to put on and pose for pictures in) was a headband with a pair of pink hearts, a la Mickey Mouse ears. Very cute.

After dinner, we headed back to our apartment, where we found Sara waiting outside. We haven't yet set up local phone service, so without wifi, her texts hadn't reached us. It was so great to see her! She is obviously thriving in Rome. She came up to the apartment and we all visited for a while. She then took us on another evening passeggiata, which had as its goal a terrific gelateria she and her friends frequent. Oh, the gelato was SOOOO intense. That will definitely not be our only visit.

We took our cones and continued on to the bridge across the Tiber to Castel Sant Angelo. Floodlit at night, it made the perfect backdrop for tourists out strolling and snapping pictures. Sara says the bridge is part of her daily walk from her apartment to school. Imagine! Nice commute.

Sara walked back past our apartment with us on her way to meet some friends. Many of her fellow students had their last exams today and they are celebrating tonight. We parted company with Sar, and then Steve and I took a loop around Piazza Navona before returning to the apartment for the night. What a perfect day!