Rome To Home

We have settled back into Trastevere, Rome for the last four days of our trip. The weather has been fabulous for October, temperatures reaching the high 20's and gorgeous sunny days which have left us sad to leave this walking museum of a city. Having started this adventure in Rome we have come full circle and it was so nice to come back to a place that feels like home. Martina and Armando (Rob's step-sister and boyfriend) opened their home to us and gave us a chance to relax and enjoy a city that has remained true to itself and very much a place where locals live. We were able to spend some time with Matteo, catching up on his last 8 weeks studying in Rome and witnessing how wonderful this experience has been for him so far. Trastevere for me is the heart of Rome, it gives us a chance to be a part of the local community while allowing us to take strolls to famous landmarks. As I write this blog, the tears are flowing because I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to make such wonderful memories over these last 7.5 weeks. It has truly been a blessing and I loved being able to share it with all of you!
Our last few days consisted of...I know it might surprise you... but long strolls. We took walks to the Vatican City, Colosseum, Circo Massimo, Piazza Navona, Pantheon and found some hidden gems such as, Villa Torlonia and Church of St. Louis of the French (with 3 Carravaggio paintings inside). Food was a major theme these last few days as we wanted to make sure to savour the last bites of this wonderful gastronomy. To do this we took to some local markets Nuovo Mercato Esquilino, Mecato di Testaccio and Campo de'Fiori. These places allowed our tastebuds to endulge in the best porketta, suppli, pizza romana and crema di pistacchio one could imagine. You can pretty much say we ate our way through these last few days.
Rome is home to many friends like Patrizia, Raffaele, Eliza, Alessandro and Armando who were always there to greet us with a meal or a game of cards to end a long day. It is home to making memories with Martina and enjoying getting to know her better each visit. But Rome is also the city that has changed Matteo forever and has given him the opportunity to grow in ways I could never have imagined.
I would also like to thank Antonella and Dominic (my father-inlaw) for helping to make Rome such a special place for us to visit. Matteo could never have settled in and found his way so quickly without your help! Sometimes you just get blessed to have incredible people in your life that are more than just family. Grazie per tutti Roma, until next time!
**This is not the end of the Blog, just a great beginning. I'll be posting a list of all the places we've been and stayed for those of you who may want to start planning an adventure of your own. I will also be posting next week, "52 things I learned on this European Tour", next Friday. The adventure will continue so stay tuned ... the storytelling has just started!

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