"I would like to be like Rome wh ..." a Rome Travel Page by MovingMere

Rome wasn't built in a day.

All roads lead to Rome.

When in Rome, do as the Romans.

Everyone's heard these phrases being used and overused, so I would like to share one of my favorite Rome quotes that you may not have heard. It's from a wildly popular book in the States now (so you may have heard it) called Eat, Pray, Love:

There's a power struggle going across Europe these days. A few cities are competing against each other to see who shall emerge as the great twenty-first-century European metropolis. Will it be London? Paris? Berlin? Zurich? Maybe Brussels, center of the young union? They all strive to outdo one another culturally, architecturally, politically, fiscally. But Rome, it should be said, has not bothered to join the race for status. Rome doesn't compete. Rome just watches all the fussing and striving, completely unfazed, exuding an air like: Hey - do whatever you want, but I'm still Rome. I am inspired by the regal self-assurance of this town, so grounded and rounded, so amused and monumental, knowing that she is held securely in the palm of history. I would like to be like Rome when I am an old lady.

This summer, my mom turned 60 and I finished graduate school, so my brother decided to fly the three of us to Rome. Yep. I am just that lucky. :)

We spent five wonderful days and nights in Rome before renting a car and taking a road trip through Italy. The weather was gorgeous and warm while we were there (mid-October) and because it wasn't peak season, it wasn't particularly crowded. My brother's highlight of the trip was seeing Michelangelo's The Creation, my mom's was seeing the Pope, and mine was seeing the Coloseum. No, it was being inside St. Peter's Basilica. No, it was being on top of St. Peter's Basilica. No, it was walking through the ancient Roman Forum. No, it was the food. Definitely the food.

Truth is, I loved Rome. I loved walking through the Coloseum, superimposing on it images and facts I had learned in school. I loved walking in the Forum, transporting myself back many centuries, when the Forum was packed with Roman merchants, politicians, and ordinary citizens. I loved walking along the Tiber River in sunset. I loved walking beside the road, peering into what looked like road construction, but was actually another excavation project. I loved the language - hearing it, reading it, and trying to speak it. I loved the churches, the art, the Piazzas, the fountains, the architecture, the people, the statues, the views, the history...

I loved walking around the colorful neighborhoods, where the apartment buildings were painted beautiful shades of rose, peach, and yellow and where every balcony was overflowing with dark green plants. I loved spotting a particularly lush spot and pretending that was my balcony, that I lived there, smack in the middle of Rome.

And yes, I loved the food. I loved eating an entire pizza by myself, washing it down with red wine, and still having room for a scoop of gelato or a slice of tiramisu. I can still taste the pizzas. I've never been a fan of thin crust, but that was before I went to Rome. Kevin said the crust is just there to scoop the cheese off the plate - I like that idea.

Of course the pastas and pesto and bruschetta were mouthwatering. And the dishes were all drizzled with olive oil and mixed with herbs and paired with the most delicious wines. I'm still working off the weight I gained there... but it was so worth it. ;)

Our hotel served a wonderful complimentary breakfast, with crusty bread, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and fresh fruit. As if that weren't enough, a friendly woman at the bar served us espressos and cappuccinos every morning.