Five Days in Roma

As promised, a brief overview of the trip to Rome!


After several months of cold grey skies in Bucharest, stepping off the plane into a warm, sunny Italian Friday afternoon was something akin to a hot shower after being lukewarm and filthy for too long. We admired the sun setting behind the palm trees as we waited for the bus that would shuttle us from the airport to the train station, where Sibyl, Dan's good friend from high school, picked us up and took us to her place.



Her husband showed us around Rome that night after a spectacular dinner of pasta and Tuscan red wine, followed necessarily by a scoop of gelatto.


The next morning, after a trip to the market, we had a picnic right in the middle of Circus Maximus (see right), then took a leisurely stroll across the Tiber (drinking the best capuccino of my life along the way) and up a hill overlooking Rome.


That evening we learned some Tuscan cooking secrets from Andrea, which we have wasted no time in implementing back in Bucharest. :)


Sunday we did most of the touristy things, although unfortunately most of our pictures of the Colosseum, Forum, and Spanish Steps got lost.


Monday we decided it would be a great idea to rent a car and drive north of Rome through the region of Umbria. So, not heeding any warnings from Andrea and Sibyl, we got ourselves a bright blue Fiat Panda and proceeded to navigate our way out of Rome. After a few set backs and stopping once or twice to check the map and ask for directions, we managed to get out of the concrete labyrinth of Roman roads and onto A1 headed north for Orvieto. From here, I'll let the pictures say the rest: