Destination: Rome, Italy (Part 1)

Although I had already been traveling for almost a month after the end of my first semester as a lectrice d’anglais, I was still keen on the vacances de Noël *officially* arriving in mid-December. I’d already booked my flight to Rome in September, since I knew that I would be done teaching by then, and I was excited not only to return after eleven years to the “Eternal City,” but also to see my family, with whom I would be traveling for the next two weeks.

Just like with my last trip to Germany, I took the shuttle bus from my city to Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport at a bright-and-early 7:00 (which really, was still dark from winter). I arrived two-and-a-half hours early to the airport, and I had plenty of time to spare until I boarded my direct flight at 11:00. Flight went smoothly, and we landed 90 minutes later at Fiumicino Airport. I caught a service bus to the city center, which took about an hour and, upon being dropped off at the Rome Termini Station, I had to make my way to the Airbnb that I would be spending the night in alone, since my family wouldn’t be arriving until the day after (they would be coming all the way from the States).

While it would’ve been possible to walk directly to the Airbnb from Termini Station, it would’ve been a 40-minute trek through the vast spread of winding streets, confusing roundabouts, and heavy traffic. I decided to go for the bus, which clattered along the bumpy cobblestone roads along the way. About 20 to 30 minutes later, I reached the stop near the Airbnb, and I made my way over. The host greeted me and showed me around the place: it was a small living space, but it was spacious enough to have two, perhaps even three people inside– I was fortunate to have it all to myself for that one night! My host was also incredibly kind to have supplied me toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, towels) and even food (croissants, pasta, water) which saved me a lot of spending while in Rome– instead, I could spend on more important things, like a hearty Italian meal!

After my host left, I wasted no time dropping my belongings off and heading out almost immediately to visit the Non-Catholic Cemetery (also known as the “Protestant Cemetery”), which was located the Testaccio district of Rome. While it might seem like an interesting choice to see, I wanted to visit the cemetery to view the burial grounds of John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, two English Romantic poets who are one of my favorites, especially the former. Considering that I’d visited Keats’ House in London two years prior, I wanted to see more of Keats’ life (rather, death, in this case) wherever it took me– by chance, it took me to Rome.

From the Airbnb, it would’ve been a rather long walk: it would also start to get dark soon (so early!), so I just took the bus for convenience and arrived at the cemetery half-past 16:00. After wandering through the various rows of other graves, I came across Shelley’s, which was simple, but profound with a lovely inscription on it. Keats’ was placed in another part of the cemetery, on open grounds with a view of the Pyramid of Cestius in the background. Next to Keats’ grave was that of Joseph Severn’s, who’d cared for the dying poet while in Rome. It was humbling to see the final site of the young poet, who has since been immortalized through his works– seeing his grave gave me a deeper love for the poems he wrote and I was glad to have fulfilled my dream of visiting his final resting place.

Nearing 17:00, I left the cemetery and decided to head to the Colosseum for some photo-worthy opportunities when it lit up in the evening. I took the metro (first and only time having used it in Rome) and arrived just in time to see it light up in all of its grand splendor. Although it’s such a touristy site, the Colosseum still has that aura of mystery to it, even after over two thousand years and plenty of research on it. Just admiring the full 360-degrees of it during the evening is sure to make even the most cynical person a romantic (including me).

From the Colosseum, I headed in the direction back to my Airbnb, but not without stopping by a few more well-known sites along the way. These included parts of the Roman ruins, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona, all wonderfully lit up. Lights were everywhere all over the city, as it was Christmas season and the narrow, cobblestone roads lined with bustling cafes, souvenir shops, and restaurants gave it an enchanting atmosphere that I absolutely loved. Again, it’d been over eleven years since I last visited Rome, but returning has made me fall in love with it even more!

I returned to my Airbnb’s neighborhood around 18:00 and, while still out, decided to get dinner at one of the nearby restaurants that my host had recommended me. Situated near the Teatro Tordinona, the restaurant served not just freshly-made pasta, but more specifically that made from organic eggs. While I could care less about organic food, I was nevertheless intrigued, and I ordered a pasta dish with porcini mushrooms paired with a glass of white wine. To my surprise, the pasta was colored red (from beet juice? Not exactly sure), which paired with the pesto and porcini mushrooms, made for a colorful dish on which to feast both the stomach and the eyes. Pasta tasted fresh and very al dente, which sure pleased me! Upon that first bite, I knew that I couldn’t go back to eating dry pasta again.

Satisfied, I made my way back to the Airbnb, where I relaxed for the remainder of the night. It’d been a long day of traveling and sightseeing, and it was only the beginning! With my family, the next few days would be packed with more to see and to do, but I was excited to see where it would take us this holiday season. Much anticipation was present, and more surprises were to be discovered!

Look out for Part 2 soon. Arrivederci!

 

— Rebecca