Last Day in Rome

Back in Rome, I was already planning my next trip to Italy, one that hasn't happened yet, but one that I hope I do within the next five years. I'd like to go before I get much older.

DW, my kids, and I absolutely love Tuscany. Years after we returned, the kids asked if we could go back to Tuscany, to visit the villa where we watched the sun set over San Gimignano almost every evening. There are also many more towns to visit, each with their distinct look and history.

While we didn't get to La Spezia and the Cinque Terre area on this trip, it's a place I'd love to see with the kids. There's Naples and the Amalfi Coast. There's Sicily, Milan, and many more places.

It was our last day in Rome on Tuesday, October 6, 2009, and I thought that it could be my last time ever, in this Roman city. I enjoyed our time, at the beginning of our trip, but now that I had seen this, done that, I wasn't sure that I'd want to do it again. I might spend a day in Rome, if only to use it as a launching point to go elsewhere.

I liked Rome but I didn't love it. I was glad I had seen it but felt no bond. Not like Tuscany.

Ah, Tuscany.

We arrived in Rome, from Venice, shortly after lunch. We found a spot for a quick lunch but then headed to San Clemente, where DW wanted to see this pancake-like structure, with its 12th-century church built atop a 4th-century church, built atop a second-century temple, built among first-century Roman houses. We were tired and our thoughts were mostly turned to returning home, but we all agreed that this last stop would be worth it.

We met with our friend, T—, who once again was putting us up for the night. We arranged to meet at the Piazza del Popolo and walked down Via del Babuino to the Spanish Steps and the Barcaccia Fountain. Nearby was a small courtyard restaurant, where we enjoyed our final supper.

After our meal, we walked to Giolitti's for a final gelato treat, and wandered to the Trevi Fountain while we ate. Our youngest, still not ready to let the adventure end, stuck her head in the fountain... just so that she could say that she had done it.

We returned to our friend's house, where we made sure we were fully packed and had alarms set for early in the morning. We had early flights to make.

Our Italian vacation was at an end but the voyage home had a bit of nail biting involved.

Stay tuned...