Mid September I flew to Rome for a long weekend, foremost for Laura & Michele's wedding in Abruzzo but also to meet up with my friends from the Rome office whom I had met last year when I supported them while a colleague was out on long term sick leave.
Because my flight left London's Heathrow at 9:00 and I live in London's East I had to get up at the crack of dawn at 5:00 on Friday morning in order to leave the house 5:45 to allow for enough time for London transport's regular morning delays. Those of you regularly travelling on London's public transport understand what I mean.
British Airways didn't let me down and we got to Rome on time. Already at Fiumicino airport you get the sense of Italian craziness: people talking very loudly and animatedly, baggage belts being loaded really slowly, a muggy claustrophobic arrivals hall, mediocre signage and train ticket machines being dismantled, therefore long queues at the ticket counters.
Still, Rome oozes charm and historic glamour and one immediately falls in love with the 'Eternal City'. Have you seen William Wyler's "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck? I think this movie gives a great impression of this beautiful city, even though it's from 1953 and filmed in black and white, it perfectly captures Rome's essence and still feels current.
From Termini (Rome's main train station) I walked to the office which is beautifully located at Piazza di Spagna, right next to the Spanish Steps, to drop my bags and sample some tasty strong Italian caffè (it's an espresso for us Northern Europeans). I then went off idly wandering through the streets and alleys of sunny Rome and naturally I had to have some ice cream, so I went to 'Giolitti', a gelateria founded in 1900 and oh so very famous for their ice cream. There are about 40 different flavours and Giolitti is so popular with both Romans and tourists that one actually has to fight one's way to the counter. If you're ever in Rome, do go to Via Uffici del Vicario, 40 and see and taste it for yourself.
However, this was only the start of my culinary weekend in Italy. In the evening Nadia took me to a lovely restaurant in Riano, where she lives. There we enjoyed a wonderful selection of starters and the best pizza I have ever had in my life so far, followed by a gorgeous homemade panna cotta. My, had this been my last supper, I would have died an extremely happy (and very filled up) girl.
Saturday morning Nadia took me to Laura's house where everyone met and we all drove to the church in Abruzzo (a 2 hour drive from Rome) together. The Roman catholic ceremony in Italian, with a small part in Spanish, lasted a good 90 minutes and felt like an eternity for someone not speaking Italian and only beginner's knowledge of Spanish. Also, being protestant (evangelisch reformiert in Germany) I am painfully unfamiliar with the catholic ordinance of standing, sitting, praying silently or speaking up, I just copied what everyone around me was doing and quietly mumbled along. Fortunately the Lord's prayer has the same rhythm in all languages, so I could just pray that in German. It's amazing how one doesn't seem to ever forget this prayer. The church -Abbazia Santa Maria di Ronzano- dates back to 1181 (that's the year that Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order, was born).
The reception was then held at "Country Club Villa Nerina" in Miano with lots and lots of gorgeous Italian delicacies and then some more, followed by dance and the couple's dip into the club's pool. Yes, the bride went in still dressed in her wedding gown, only the tulle underskirts removed.
Sunday afternoon, back in Rome, Nadia and I chilled out and in the evening went out with some of Nadia's friends to have Aperitivi at "Gusto" in central Rome. A bargain at €9 for a cocktail and a buffet full of various kinds of antipasti, salads, breads etc. It was a great fun-filled evening with lots of banter and laughter.
Unfortunately on Monday it was time again to pack my bags and bid a very fond farewell to Rome, my Italian friends and feasting on delicious meals. But, not before I met a few Roman colleagues for lunch at 'La Boccaccia' and home-made chocolate birthday cake in the office afterwards.
Unlike my very first visit to Rome almost 4 years ago, this time I didn't toss a coin into the Fontana di Trevi, because I am very certain that I will return to Roma - La città eterna.
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