When in Rome

When I left London last week it was snowing – when I arrived in Rome it was ice-cream weather.

It seemed to me that if I was going to make use of my Easter break (in a non-productive work fashion, but rather to have an incredibly enjoyable time), then there was no other place to go but Rome! To the surprise of many of my friends I have never been to Italy before (despite being named after one of their major cities…). Now was my time to sample real Italian cuisine, something so long overdue; I was impatient and Italy was calling me.

Not only was I craving good food and a little bit more sunshine, I also wanted to see my friend who was on her year abroad in France. Thus, on an impulse, we both decided to meet somewhere new and explore Italy together. It seemed like the perfect option and once again I was reminded how lucky I was to live in Europe and how easy it was for me just hop on a plane and within a matter of hours explore a completely new culture.

And Italy… oh Italy. Such splendour I have never seen before! Beautiful cobbled streets, domed roofs, balconies and windows with blue shutters.  Cafes that never close and people who passionately cry in Italian in the middle of the streets. To be able to walk around the corner and bump into the Coliseum. To explore but never feel lost; to just wander and walk through square after square, stopping to sample real Italian coffee or homemade ice-cream.  There is nothing else like it – Rome is magical.

I have travelled through a lot of Europe and nothing really compares; Rome still retains its beautiful antiquity, history which pours out of every corner, a rural simplicity and an over brimming of Italian passion and pride. This was my new European capital – Paris, London and Berlin are all great but none of them are like Rome. I fell in love with this city in a week, but I am pretty sure that it will be a love affair that will last a while.

This love affair was built on the wonderful architecture, the history, the city and all its people, but also (and very importantly), its food.

Italian food, real Italian food is something else. Simple food that is cooked from the heart; nothing but good quality fresh ingredients and generations of excellent teaching. I am pretty sure I ate my body weight in pizza, pasta and ice-cream –but I regret nothing!!

Whatever I was eating before I came to Rome was not Pizza. This is a Pizza!

I was also very lucky to be in Rome over Easter – the only place in the world where there is a state within a state and thus the centre for all Christian celebrations. To be in Vatican City and witness such levels of devotion was incredibly moving, plus to see the newly appointed Pope was pretty special – Papa Francesco was being welcomed in warmly. I don’t think I have ever visited so many churches – churches that are more like castles or palaces, churches that are so beautiful they leave you dazed for the entire day. Much like how all of Rome left me.

Trevi Fountain – you make a wish to promise your return, I am certain mine will come true!

Flying out of Rome was hard, the city was wonderful, but I knew that I would be back before too long! I was also very lucky (and a bit cheeky) to be able to extend my trip somewhere else before I returned to Southampton and the library.

For all the many things that I am grateful for, I know I am luckiest in the diversity of my friends. Having been involved with so many international activities I accordingly have friends who are scattered all over the world – whilst it is hard not seeing them regularly, it is great to be able to always have excuses to visit beautiful places. All I now need is a friend to move to Italy… Anyway, on my way back home I stopped over in Paris. Paris will always be associated with such romantic ideologies in my mind, Paris is Paris and for that reason alone it is pretty special.

To sit outside a café, to drink coffee and read Kerouac was, albeit incredibly pretentious, also incredibly wonderful. I had to pinch myself because sometimes it is easy to forget how awesome life actually is! I was then able to meet my French friend whom I hadn’t seen in months and get the local tour of Paris. It might seem ridiculous, but to me to be able to pass through these cities and share my time with people I never see enough of makes the world seem a friendlier, smaller place. A place which I will readily explore.

I cannot deny that I had a pretty great Easter break, hopefully the memories of that will allow me to power through the final term of university!

Such a view! Rome, I will be seeing you shortly!

Florence