Two Days in the Eternal City

Our tiny flight from Ioannina back to Athens looked like this, and I was very anxious it would get cancelled and we'd be stuck...the first flight was at 10:30 am, and the next flight wasn't until 9:30 pm! However, all went well and soon we connected through Athens to Rome and arrived at the St. Regis, which was a truly amazing hotel. 

We had a huge king-sized bed, a marble bathroom, a welcome gift of gummies and fruits, and a coffeemaker printed with part of the Sistine Chapel. The room also came with a butler named Elena, who was Greek and incredibly friendly (or "aggressively friendly," if you want to use her words). Our room even had a little Murano glass chandelier, and best of all there were no huge scorpions in the bathroom like the one that ran at me in Greece. 

The Murano glass chandelier in the lobby was made in 1897 and it was massive and gorgeous. 

There was also an art exhibit throughout the bottom floor, and it was a little modern for me (and for Elena, who proclaimed it "too bold"). 

The hotel's ballroom, complete with painted ceiling and more huge chandeliers. 

The hotel also has a working elevator from 1894 that they're very proud of--it used to be hydraulic, though now it's electric. 

The dining room of the hotel, with its modern art. 

Though we hadn't eaten yet (one of my superpowers is not eating for long periods of time), we decided to take a quick jaunt through the ruins near the hotel before dinner. I didn't read what anything was and I certainly don't remember much from my tour of Rome a decade ago, so I have no information--just awesome pictures. 

The Colosseum!

Very sweaty, we returned to the St. Regis for cocktails, and were mutually impressed by the fancy glass mine came in (designed for the hotel) and the butterfly ice cube in Taylor's. 

We also ate dinner in the hotel, because they have a trolley full of different kinds of mozzarella and tomatoes that they roll to your table. They even cut the basil off the plant right there and gently place it on top of your pile of savory dairy; one of the mozzarellas is driven in daily from Naples. 

A DJ in the lobby, with various scenes playing out on the curtain behind the art. 

You can also get spaghetti on the cart, customized to your wishes by Fabio! (His real name...and I don't think he slept, he was there at breakfast, lunch, dinner...anytime of the day you'd find him around the first floor.)

Since I hadn't eaten up until that point since dinner the night before, the cocktails made me quite tipsy and I was asleep at 10 pm. And then guess what? More eating! The breakfast at the St. Regis was also fabulous, with all kinds of pastries, an omelet station, meats and cheeses, and more. 

My dessert at breakfast...prosecco and marshmallows. 

After breakfast came the death-march through the city, from the Spanish Steps to McDonald's where I had a second breakfast of macarons and Taylor had a beer. 

On the wall is a mold for chicken nuggets--I might never eat a nugget again. Disgusting. 

The Gallera Alberto Sordi, an Art Nouveau building turned into a shopping mall. 

And the Pantheon, completed in 136 AD. It's one of the best preserved Roman ruins and later was turned into a church. It also has the largest unsupported dome in the world, with a hole in the very center (the oculus) to let in light and allow templegoers to see the heavens.

Below are pictures of Castel Sant'Angelo, built by the Roman emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family (completed in 139 AD). It was also used as a fortress and a castle, and is now a museum.

And then lunch! I love risotto so we went to Risotteria Melotti a Roma, which had so many flavors it was hard to choose one. We meant to share but ended up getting two, a cacio e pepe one and also one the waiter recommended as a more traditional dish and the best in the restaurant. He was right, it was way better than my cacio choice, and so I ate most of both of them. Then for dessert I had zabaglione, which is an Italian dessert made with egg, sugar, and sweet wine (basically adult pudding).

Then it was time for second and third dessert--I got a triple scoop of egg cream, chocolate chip, and hazelnut gelato that was so good that I immediately got a cone of speculoos gelato. This is the part of the trip where clothes start to get tight.

We walked past the monument below approximately 76 times (or it felt like it); it's the Altare della Patria, also known as the Vittorio Emmaneul II monument (he was the first king of a unified Italy). Construction started in 1885 and finished in 1935, and apparently it's controversial because some Romans consider it an eyesore and also because its construction destroyed a medieval neighborhood. Regardless of one's thoughts, all that white marble is certainly eye-catching.

For dinner we went to Travestere, a neighborhood in Rome known for its narrow streets and Bohemian vibe. We were searching for Dar Poeta, a pizza place recommended to us the hotel manager in Crete.

We found not only Dar Poeta, but also a very round painter working in his studio whilst chain smoking---everything you could see in that room, from chairs to water bottles, was covered in thick bright cords and swirls and swathes of paint. (Artist not pictured as it felt intrusive.)

Unfortunately, the pizza was hot garbage and never again will I take a restaurant recommendation from a Swede on a Greek island. Mine was mortadella and zucchini cream, and Taylor's was zucchini and an assortment of spicy meats.

We also swung by for a quick glance at the Vatican, since Taylor had never been to Rome before. He was impressed by the architecture and less impressed by my comments about the Catholic church being a corrupt tool of oppression against the weak and its priests being child ticklers, so he hustled me away.

Random picture unrelated to Roman sightseeing...this French bulldog in the hotel bar was wearing a Valentino collar and probably lives a fancier life than me?

We also visited the Trevi Fountain and walked around and took many more pictures of things I was too lazy to read signs about.

My favorite meal of this city stop was definitely Osteria Barberini, where the chef specializes in dishes with white and black truffle. I ordered the truffle lasagna, which was creamy savory perfection, and Taylor ordered the tonnerelli, which was cacio e pepe in a parmesan crust dish. I switched over to eating his about halfway through the meal, because it was that good! Super peppery with perfectly plump spaghetti noodles. I saw on the way out the chef had won some sort of competition with it, but since I don't read Italian exactly what he won remains a mystery. I also had a vanilla bean panna cotta with forest fruits that was delightful.

But an important part of vacation is second dessert, so we trudged off to find a gelato place called Fatamorgana, known for using natural flavors in fun combinations. I got a cup with five little scoops, including one of rose and vanilla, and one with pear, chocolate, and vanilla. 

Making Rome even better was the constant presence on TV of my beloved Bernd das Brot!

The first time I went to Rome a decade ago, I didn't really like it, but I think that was a factor of our hotel being pretty far from city center, being broke, and the temperatures in July. This visit was amazing and I'd definitely jump at the chance to go again, especially if I could stay at the St Regis and eat five gelato scoops a day.

And then we were off from Rome to Dubrovnik, where we would rent a car and drive to Montenegro.