Oh you know, just ROME-ING around...

If you couldn't tell from my numerous status updates and my constant chatter, I went to Rome this past weekend. And I fell in love. With a city older than America. 

I mean seriously, we saw all the highlights- the Sistine Chapel, The Vatican, The Spanish Steps, the Catacombs, the The Colosseum, The Pantheon, the Forum, The Trevi Fountain, Gypsies, and the Trajan Column.  

Stuff I didn't expect but thorougly enjoyed? Paying .50 euro to pee in a museum.  Seeing an Italian man dressed up like a cowboy shoot a plastic pistol at me.  Seeing Italian women in cowboy boots.  Seeing a protest/religious rights group sing "Waka Waka" in Italian (a real treat, mind you).  Watching two girls on our excursion drink 6 glasses of wine at lunch and get shamelessly tipsy.  Meeting my roommate's long-lost cousin.  Our bus almost hitting a car.  Good times in Roma, y'all. 

Anyway, so the food situation was a real treat. I experienced my first gelato with a sampling of Hazlenut and something else that I couldn't pronounce or read. But it was pretty good. Maybe overpriced, but still satisfying. 

Now, the real culinary adventure came at lunch, a four course (that's right kids, FOUR. Definitely don't attempt unless your a professional) Roman Lunch.  Meal was as follows: 

Antipasti-- Roasted vegetables with a little bit of cheese.  Vegetables included onion (surprising yummmmy) , pepper, potato, squash.  Oh, and only the best bruschetta I've ever EVER tasted.  Ours is good, this is so much better. 

So this wasn't technically part of our meal, but they are fried vegetables.  SO GOOD.

Rigatoni with Pomodoro (Tomato sauce) with a smidgen of red pepper.   Putting this on my plate, they kept piling it on saying "MOLTO! MOLTO!!". Translation? MORE,MORE! SI SIGNORE!

Saltimbocca alla Romana- a veal cut in a sort of wine-sauce sage gravy type thing, and some roasted potatoes with olive oil and parsley. DIVINE. Oh, and that other meat on top? Prosciutto. Italian bacon. They use bacon like nobody's business. 

Questionable dessert here.  I asked the Waitor "Ce cos'e? " (what is this?) and I got Charlotte as my answer. Well whatever it was, Charlotte tasted like a non-coffee tiramisu. Interesting....

So there are the roman adventures! I'm writing another blog about today so as to not confuse the dear readers!  Part two comes soon! 

Buon Appetito! 

Rachael