Rome


So I took a trip to Rome this year, actually one of those package group tours of three cities--Venice, Florence and Rome.  Husband wanted to see the Coliseum, and I wanted to see Florence, the birthplace of Renaissance art, and a medieval city known for its architecture and history. And the "Floating City" of Venice, well, we couldn't quite even imagine it properly, despite all the videos we watched. I really didn’t know what to expect from Rome, a big city--and I'm not particularly fond of big cities, preferring quieter, more intimate communities and natural settings.


But Rome did not disappoint.


You may have heard Rome is a sprawling city, with mad traffic, constant noise and exuberant residents. All of this is true. But Rome is also a clean, well-organized and worldly city. It is no stranger to—well--strangers. Probably from its earliest days as the center of the Roman Empire, the city has absorbed captured slaves from faraway lands, traders, clerics, pilgrims, mercenaries and diplomatic emissaries. Everyone came to Rome, and everyone still comes to Rome. The city’s residents are not unnerved by unfamiliar clothing, faces and habits. You will barely get a blink. Maybe it is this history that makes every individual feel so comfortable in Rome. Rome is also a bustling place. There’s plenty of commercial and financial activity going on in Rome, and people are engaged in going about their business. It’s a prosperous place and can afford to cast an amiable eye on anyone who comes to visit.


Rome knows what it is. The city has a fundamental confidence in itself--as someplace with a long history, and with ruins sitting right in plain sight, mixed in with all the conveniences of a modern society, would be expected to have. It views the millions of visitors that come to the city with the same calm assurance, “Yes, we are, in fact, that old…we’re old hands at this whole civilization thing…you're certainly welcome to learn from all we’re experienced.”


Rome is dazzling. From the illuminated Trevi Fountain to the imposing ruin of the Colosseum. From the cobbled streets and the bone-jarring cab rides to the wine sipping at the sidewalk cafes. From the shops and restaurants and museums. You cannot have a bad time in Rome—it just doesn’t fit. You must be doing something very wrong. You will be met with throngs of people from all over the world, but you will also mix with the stylish young Romans, the multi-generational families, the distracted businesspeople, the everyday workers, clearly willing to do all they can to make your visit a pleasant one. This is Rome—and you will enjoy every layer of it.


We got what we came for—and more—because Italy never disappoints and always adds more than you expect. I’m not on their tourism payroll, but I should be, because I go on for hours about the experiences people can enjoy there. If you haven’t been, go. If you have been, go again. This is a destination that welcomes you with open arms and a wealth of experiences.