Day 43-47 - Rome

We arrived here with zero plans and hadn't researched a thing, yet our visit is going quite smoothly and we are pleased with Rome's Old World-meets-urban vibe. It's huge and has no shortage of visual candy and tasty food.

One of our main goals in Rome was to enjoy its international cuisine and that box has been checked. And of course, we couldn't resist the plethora of delectable Italian food! Italy's tomatoes are the best I've ever eaten and I'm not even really a tomato person! They are not orangey-red colored like the ones we have in the states, but instead are the deepest, cool shade of red and are as sweet as candy.

We have been clocking 6-7.8 miles per day, checking out all of Rome's must-see sights. The Colosseum was the tipping point at which the kids lost interest in educational tours. They still had a skip in their step when touring the Vatican, but the Colosseum and Roman Forum ruins ruined them. "It's all just stacks of bricks," said Kate. They were not impressed with the travertine, marble and brick footprints of the Roman emperor's grand palace or ancient city despite how much we tried to explain how amazing these pieces of history are. We will let some time pass before we get back on the museum and history wagon again!!... sigh.

As I've been busy looking up in awe, trying to fathom how all of these old buildings and ancient structures were built and how they are still standing, Kate has been taking note of Italian fashion. The fall trend is clearly Dr. Martens or similar mid-height black boots, sheer black tights with shorts or a short skirt, topped with a black leather jacket (maybe this is also in vogue at home but last I checked, sweatpants and a sweatshirt were all the rage. That's all I wore for several months during COVID lockdown!). Even though the sun has reappeared and temps are hovering around 70°, Italians said goodbye to their summer wardrobes and are dressed in enough layers to warm them in a midwest blizzard. If men aren't sporting a leather jacket, they have a sport coat on. Even the few local vagabonds we've seen wear sport coats here. Clint has observed that no one wears tank tops and baseball hats in Italy!

Austin can't believe how many scooters (electric and gas) there are and has been begging to rent one of the hundreds of Lime scooters that are scattered about on every street all week. Today, the boys rented them for a few hours and rode along the river path while Kate and I had a girls' afternoon. Kate has been longing to pet a dog and her dream came true with a sweet golden retriever named, Magleta, at the coffee shop we visited.

I decided to book an appointment to color my roots during our stay after walking by two hair salons on our street every day. Eliminating the risk of destroying our Airbnb towels and bathroom seemed like a good idea, but also having some time to myself would be a treat! There wasn't much conversation due to the language barrier, but I didn't mind the solitude. I was so impressed by my hairdresser's skills and how quickly she worked. The other customer in the salon and I both walked out with the same big hair and curls—and she didn't even use a curling iron! How did she know that I love big hair and secretly wish 80s hair would make a comeback (sans the crispy cauliflower bangs)!?!

Overall, we loved Rome and were so impressed by its ability to preserve its history in the modern world. I want to go on and on, but it's midnight and my eyes are crossing. We are catching a flight to Spain in the morning! Buona sera!!

COVID UPDATE: Many headlines say that COVID cases are on the rise in Italy, but we feel safe. Venice was too cramped for comfort, but Southern Italy has not been crowded. Masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors, along with using the provided hand sanitizer in front of every store. Most establishments check your temperature before entering, including the grocery stores and all visitor attractions. Social distancing signs are clearly marked everywhere. We are keeping our distance from people and trying not to touch anything!!

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