On Saturday, we decided to get a change of scenery and head out on a spontaneous road trip to Rome. The fact that we can randomly just drive up to Rome for the day is still something to get used to!
The drive is an easy 2 hours on the Autostrada, and so after a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, we loaded up the car (amazing how much stuff you have to pack just for a day trip w/ a baby!) and headed to Rome with the goal of touring the colliseum and hanging out in Piazza Navona, our favorite spot from when we went to Rome a few years ago.
We had checked the weather before heading out, and there was 30% chance of showers, and temps predicted in the upper 40s to low 50s. We drove through a few terrential downpours, and experienced a few once we were on foot in Rome, but for the most part, the weather cooperated.
Upon arrival, we found easy on-street parking just a couple blocks from the Colleseum, and paid the meter about 2 euros for essentially 8 hours of parking--I guess the parking angel was on our side that day! We were floored by how sane and orderly the driving seemed in Rome. I can remember being there years ago, when I almost had a heart attack driving in a cab in Rome and thinking that driving in Rome was crazy, but ohhhh, how two months in Napoli changed my perspective!! Rome seems like a drive in Pleasantville compared to the chaotic streets in Napoli.
Once parked and geared up w/ our baby stuff, we headed off to find some lunch. It was great to have some new menu items and some more, what we consider, traditional Italian dishes, such as meat lasagna, to choose from. We had a great lunch--Josh indulging in meat lasagna and a sausage w/patate (potato) dish, not to mention his vino rosso de la casa (house red wine), and I had the pasta a fagioli (pasta and bean soup) with a nice helping of fresh parmesan on top, and a salad with lots of toppings on it (which is hard to find in Naples where a salad is often iceburg lettuce on a plate). We noticed that not one person in Rome interrupted our lunch to come and stare at Evan, rub his cheek, or lean in to give him a big kiss--the typical scenario occuring at least once..usually much more than that, per meal, in Naples. Not to go off on a tangent, but on my walk yesterday, a car actually pulled off the road, asked me to open the stroller visor, so that this woman and her husband could peek in to see Evan. They went on and on about him--Bello, Bellissimo, Complementi etc etc, and wanted to know how old he is etc. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Neopolitan's LOVE babies! Going out w/ Evan is like having a celebrity in the stroller!
Ok..back to Rome. So, after a satisfying lunch, we headed to the colliseum. It is so impressive, and as you approach it, it almost doesn't look real, as if it is superimposed in the landscape. We walked around the various levels of it, reading about it's history, and how everything from Rhinos & Hippos, to the more infamous lions and tigers would be sent in to the arena to hunt down the prisoners there to be executed. I hadn't realized that right after an 'execution' the animals themselves would be slaughtered, the meat then given away for free to attendees of 'the games'. Also, during gladitorial fights, the loser's blood would actually be soaked up with sponges, and then sold, as many Romans believed that the gladitorial blood would in some way protect or heal them from disease. Sounds gross to me, but hey..what happens in Rome, stays in Rome! They also had a lot of interesting artifacts on exhibit, such as sheep knuckles--used as part of a game, bone dice, glass "poker chips" etc all game pieces attendees would use as they sat in the stands, waiting for a show to begin. I found the chunks of marble with 'graffiti' carved into them interesting, since I think it would be hard to not get caught doing graffiti back in Roman times, considering you had to carve your 'tag' into marble!ha
After the Colliseum, we walked about a mile to Piazza Navona. The sun was starting to set, and the air was turning cool, so what better way to warm up then with a gelato! We hit the gelato stand, walked around the Piazza a bit, and then headed home. All in all, it was a great day, and we look forward to heading up there more often whenever we need a change.
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