Roma/Rome
Tour Day 1: Welcome to Italy
Having met another solo traveler from my tour at breakfast this morning, we decided to explore the area. It was impromptu, but some of the most authentic experiences I have had come from these immersive adventures. We walked to a nearby open-air market, Campo de Fiori in Piazza Campo (Field of Flowers in Field Square), and ended up taste testing balsamic vinegar that was aged 12-30 years. This was of a far higher quality than most I have tried in the US and we were thrilled. Remember that you can ship back items, especially if they are heavy! Just ask the seller when you go to purchase if it is an option. It will take a few weeks to return home, but may save you some room in your suitcase. I decided to take my bottles with me and they bubble wrapped it with no breakage, even with lugging it around the world!
In Campo de Fiori (field of flowers), expect to find fruit stands where you can order freshly squeezed juice, homemade olive wood items like spoons, cured meats, and balsamic vinegar. It is a sensory delight and a great place to people watch. A fellow tour member and I purchased balsamic vinegar here that outshines anything I have back home!
Grab a cappuccino for a full immersive experience while you listen to the sounds of the Campo de Fiori as it rained that day:
Day 1: Tour Begins
Today we also met our lovely Rick Steves tour guide, Rhianne Taylor. A British ex-pat who came to study in Italy but never left, Rhianne was a delight. She gently guided us through introductions and a nighttime walking tour to our first group dinner while being an engaging storyteller. We walked through an area famous for its late-night promenade (Campo de Fiori) where I purchased balsamic and enjoyed the ambiance earlier in the day, saw the site where Julius Caesar is believed to have been assassinated (Largo di Torre Argentina), Victor Emanuel Monument, and learned the history behind the many obelisks (including those brought back from Egypt) found throughout the city. For dinner, we had one food item on my bucket list: cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper). I always try to eat food where it originated and this simple dish of Pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper, and pasta did not disappoint. We got to know each other while breaking bread and toasting "Salute!" with a glass of Italian wine.
Also of note was a nighttime visit to the Pantheon. The ability for this building to stand even today with all of the earthquakes and historic floods (what resulted in most of the damage we see at the Colosseum) can be attributed to the ingenuity of the Romans with the high concentration of calcium in the concrete that flexes and maintains the strength. It can also be attributed to the strong use of architecture for the dome, which was later replicated for the first time in Florence's famous Duomo. You may also recognize the shape with a cupola on top of it in the United States Capitol Building. Rome's center is one of many UNESCO locations we will visit on this tour.
