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Mom and I (and other tourists) at the Trevi fountain

And we’ve finally arrived to our final installment of our journey – Rome. I’ve been there 5 years ago and I have to say I wasn’t flat-out impressed with the “eternal city”. Probably this had to do with the lightning fast tour, lead by the relative that I stayed at. Well, this time wasn’t the same, after all I was with Mom, but we stayed at the same relative and the same lightning-fast tour was announced. Mind you, he’s been in the city several times so the novelty kind of wore off for him, but hey, if I want to see a city, I’ll do it in my own rhythm, right? RIGHT?

So we reached a compromise…as we were spending one week with him, we had time to see Rome twice – and Rome by night is a MUST I tell you. We arrived in the afternoon, walked down the streets, amazed at the open air concert held by the Spanish steps, took pictures with the Prada, Gucci and other famous fashion displays, then reached our destination – the Trevi fountain. Now let me tell you, this is one of the landmarks of Rome that leaves me in awe ( as is ). It is fabulous, with all the statues of water deities, squeezed between buildings, not losing its appeal one bit. But by night, the place is magical. The lights are turned on, the air is cooler, the tourists try to find a square inch of spare space to take their photos without the horde around them – simply splendid.

So we got our pictures taken, while trying to find a square inch of spare space, threw in a couple of coins to ensure our returns in the future, then went on our merry way. That week spent near Rome was great. Ate great food, particularly pasta Carbonara, and a special salty cake, with capocollo, drank ice tea, basically just enjoying the holidays. A trip to Florence was also planned, but I became ill again, so we didn’t make it. The second trip to Rome took us to the Vatican. Ever since I’ve visited the smallest country in the world, I wanted to bring my Mom there. She is a religious person (not in the carrying a cross with her, blaming everything on the Devil kind of way), so the Vatican seemed a very appropriate traveling destination, wouldn’t you agree? We stood in line, rolled our eyes at the people without proper attire (tank tops and short shorts are NOT church attire people). Inside the same feeling of peace dominates as it ever did. The marvelous statue of the Pieta, created by Michelangelo. If you’ve seen it, you know of it. The amount of detail is so breathtaking that you expect it any minute to move. The tourists all gather and take picture of this wonder, and I can’t blame them. At all. Mom was mesmerized. She enjoyed the whole experience and I was glad I was there with her!

The flight back home was uneventful, if you consider a fully packed plane uneventful, and upon arrival I welcomed the chilly weather.

We had plenty of stories to tell Dad, not to mention presents His message was loud and clear “You will never travel again without me…either just one of you goes, or all together”. Yes sir!

And now for the lessons learned:

1. Once again I was reminded how much I love to travel.

2. I learned that I know Italian way better than I thought.

3. Traveling with Mom is an awesome experience and I have this trip and my first trip abroad, to Budapest to prove it. I would do it in a heartbeat (actually there’s a slim chance we might catch the carnival in Venice next year )

4. I learned that I can fit my belongings for 2 weeks in a carry-on backpack.

5. I discovered that I might not be so prepared for a backpacking trip out there in the great unknown. I need some stability. Or maybe just a little push out of my comfort zone.

6. I learned that I love Italian food, almost as much as Chinese.

7. I learned that while I’m comfortable traveling alone, it is better to have someone beside you to share the experience with. Some situations aren’t as funny when you’re alone.

8. I learned that while traveling some unexpected situations may arise, but it’s easier to keep an open mind (and blowing your top from time to time prevents much bigger issues further on)

9. I learned that in every corner of the world there are people who try to con you, but the ones being helpful and kind far outnumber them.

10. Rome should not be seen in one day in order to appeal. After all, it wasn’t even built in a day. Neither should Venice. Don’t rush it. Allow at least 2 days for this romantic corner of the world. And visit it by night. You won’t regret it at all.

I’m sure that many other lessons were received during this Italian summer, but I can’t remember any other. What I do know is, that I had a fabulous time, Mom was the perfect companion, got to see/eat many great things, experienced pure happiness and I’ve got the memories and photos to prove it!

And a last piece of advice – visit Italy, it’s a really beautiful country. If you’ve been there before, return, it’s so worth it.