We had a jam-packed but absolutely awesome first day in Rome! Though I have been here before, I was younger and wanted to see all the sights again this time around. We started early with a guided tour of the Colosseum, then off to the Fontana di Trevi. We then had one of the most amazing authentic meals (details below), stuffing our faces with unlimited food and wine. We got to travel in style to our next stop, the Vatican, on vintage vespas. A trip to Rome wouldn't be complete without riding Italian style! Finally, we got a tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. I still can't imagine how Michelangelo painted the roof of the Sistine Chapel on his back for four years. My neck started to hurt after just a few minutes of looking up! It was an exhausting but perfect way to kick off our few days in one of my favorite cities in the world.
Arch di Constantine
Colosseum
Fontana di Trevi
Vintage Vespas to the Vatican
The restaurant we went to for lunch was called hostaria Costanza, uniquely located under the remains of the Pompeo Theatre built around 60 b.c. First walking into the restaurant, I saw a fresh fish display to the right, an open air fridge with colorful fruits in front of me, and freshly prepared foods like octopus carpaccio and squid salad on a table right in front. We made a left into the dining room, passing an impressive wine display, and enter into what seems like an underground wine cellar. It felt like a cozy cave, even though we didn't take any stairs to go down and was decorated with antique wine barrels and bread machines. The appetizers were buffet style including a fried food platter, and grilled seasonal vegetables. The stand outs for me were artichokes "Giudia" style - a traditional Roman dish where they flash fry the artichoke hearts so the leaves become crispy but the center remains tender - and a chicken liver pate (which didn't have the "smelly" after taste that some pates do) with home made mascarpone cheese. We had an unlimited amount of wine, which added to the already amazing feast in front of us. The main course was grilled strips of beef with mashed potatoes, which I didn't have much of since I was so full from the fabulous appetizers. Finally, dessert was strawberries with cream gelato. Instead of the gelato, we layered the homemade mascarpone cheese on the strawberries and drizzled it with local honey. An all-around awesome meal followed by a fun vespa ride through the streets of Rome...
Kissing a live lobster
Menu for the day, put on by the Pirelli Tire company
Artichokes
Grilled vegetables
Fried zucchini blossoms, fried olives, cheese croquettes, grilled zucchini
Pate, Mascarpone cheese and fresh flat bread
Main course
Strawberries & gelato
My cousin & uncle enjoying the wine
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