Eataly
They say the best way to see Italy is to eat your way through it*, and after eating my way through much of Rome I understand why that is the case.
*Not sure if they actually say this.
Athens was beautiful, along with people and food, but nothing could prepare me for the culinary experience of Rome. Before I could participate in that I had to climb an inordinate number of steps that felt like they would never end.
Once I got to the top it was time to recharge with some calories. Naturally being in Italy the best way to do that is with their national treasure: Nutella.
I was a little embarrassed at first to be spooning as much as I have, but the nice thing is the more Nutella you eat, the less guilt you have about eating it. It also comes in an 825 gram version here — this was news to me as I would gladly buy a trough of it if they offered it.
Luckily like any great city on this planet (Tokyo, Melbourne) there are interesting things to see and do in between eating. I took a nightly stroll through Rome, starting with the museum above. From there it was on to some spectacular ruins.
I don’t remember what most of these are at this point but they were quite romantic. Just a short walk from there is my second favorite structure in Italy and it’s the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is… well it’s colossal…
Pretty sure this is where Russel Crowe grew up.
From the Colosseum it’s on to the Parthenon, which is just a smaller less spectacular copy of the Athenian Parthenon (which was made first, sorry Italy).
It’s actually quite nice in there now and it’s been converted into a Church, but they let anyone in there these days.
The more you know: The most interesting thing inside is the tomb of the artist Raffaello who famously took his name from his favorite turtle Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Naturally, it would not be called Eataly without pizza, and my goodness is the pizza good here. I’ve never eaten anything like it in my life.
This is also where I met a pizzaiolo Rafael (no relation to the ninja turtle or the artist) who showed me how he makes the pizzas with results nothing short of spectacular.
Finally one of the most spectacular places I went to was the Vatican. Pope Francis has been a figure of interest shall we say to me and I wanted to see him in person. And I did get a chance to watch him speak and bless the crowd after the Sunday Mass.
The Church of Saint Peter was an unforgettable experience. With hundreds of stairs you can climb up to the balcony and watch an entire Mass unfold on Sunday.
I was pleasantly surprised it’s possible to navigate up the eerily narrow passages of the dome to climb to the top.
Those whose heart can brave the 666 steps to the top are greeted by an astonishing view of the Vatican and Rome.
I loved Rome and it was a mostly good experience for me. The food and drinks are second to none. Some day I hope to return and take in even more of the local cuisine. I ended up befriending Rafael and he invited me to visit Napoli some day and eat the authentic Pizza Napoletana some day. Rafael, if you’re ever reading this, know that I shall return for that pizza!
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