Italy can be done in a week, month or over several trips. There's so much to do, see, eat and experience that we decided (even before actually going there) that we'll need to make more than one trip.
Overwhelming is what comes to mind when I think of Rome. There's just way too much to see in that one city. Being our last vacation before school started and having just come back from our hectic Eastern European trip, the kids and husband were very clear that they wanted to 'chill' on this vacation! It was 3 of them against me. Not that I'm against chilling but come on, nobody goes to Rome to do that!
So, that's how we ended up doing the sights and sounds in 7 days that most people will pack in 3 days! A compromise of sorts! We would start our day at a leisurely 11am after breakfast and decide where and what to have for lunch immediately after! All sightseeing began only after that. But I couldn't complain for long as the sun didn't go down till 9.30pm and we did get to see and experience all the touristy stuff, but one at a time. If we did the Colosseum one afternoon, then the evening was spent at the Villa Borghese parks. The Bocca Dela Verite (mouth of truth) I would have normally skipped. But just watching the kids fret, hesitate and worry before putting their hands in the mouth for a fleeting second was well- worth the hour long journey that it took us getting there.Many a leisurely hour went by at the Spanish steps eating gelato and watching people. Suited me very well! Allowed me to soak it all in at a very relaxed pace.
We had done our fair bit of research and learning before we went on this trip. The kids were visibly excited and rattled off history and facts when they sighted the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon. I knew the very best gelato place in all of Rome which meant we had to trek halfway across town before we could relish those extra special delights.The kids knew all the popular Italian flavours like Crema (egg and cream), Fior Di Latte (just milk), Fruitti De Bosco (raspberry.. I think) which justified the very frequent gelato breaks that we took.
Rome is like an open museum. Ruins and history everywhere you look. And without the right guidance or expert tips from the locals you could easily pass by something spectacular without even realizing it. We were lucky to get a lot of advice from our very Italian owner and housekeeper of the place where we were staying. They suggested we take a trip to Orvietto, a little hill town in Umbria. And we did just that.
I can easily say that Orvietto was one of the best things that happened to us. It is such a hidden jewel just a couple of hours from Rome. Sun drenched hills with sloping vineyards, quaint little ceramic stores and quiet cafes alternatively lining narrow streets, an exquisite cathedral bang in the middle of the market square- it gave us a peek into the 'real' Italy. The exact kind of break we needed from Rome!
Recharged from our little getaway we came back with added vigour to take in more of Rome. But when it came to choosing between seeing more ruins at the Forum or walking through Trastevere, a charming suburb famous for its food, the latter won hands down. We might have missed a few sights but what we will always remember are the walks we took down the beautiful parks, the birds we fed in front of the Vatican, the gelatos that we licked off each others cones and the afternoon we spent atop a hill gazing down the rolling Italian countryside!
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