Quadruple celebration in Italy
As I write this, I’m with my daughter Gabbie and son Paolo on the first leg of our European holiday for a quadruple celebration. Paolo graduated from senior high school in late May, while Gabbie and I celebrated our birthdays in June. Gabbie will also graduate from college very soon. Ideally, I would have preferred to go on holiday in spring time or in autumn during the cooler months, but then Gabbie starts work in August and Paolo will begin college in September.
Our first stop was Rome and we arrived at 7 a.m. local time. I thought that it was only the airport in Manila where travelers experienced long queues in immigration, but the airport in Rome was the same. We stood in line for almost an hour and by the time we got out at 8 a.m., the temperature was about 30 to 32 degrees centigrade, just like in Manila!
Waiting outside the airport for us was dear friend and personal shopper-to-the-stars Ronite Arceta (check her Instagram account @dpersonalshopperph for luxurious items). She hired a van with a local Pinoy driver to take us around to kill time as we waited to check in at our Airbnb at 2 p.m. We chose to have breakfast near the Vatican so the kids could see St. Peter’s Basilica. After breakfast, we headed towards the Coliseum but there was already a long line to get in so we just parked the van and took photos near the Coliseum. The next stop was the Spanish Steps, where the kids enjoyed going up and down the wide stairs while taking photos and videos.
Before we knew it, it was time for lunch. Since we were at Piazza di Spagna, Ronite recommended we eat at one of her favorite authentically Italian restaurants, Numbs Le Bistro. For starters, we had parma ham with melon and fried calamares, while the main course consisted of various pastas. I had the seafood spaghetti that Ronite recommended, and it was delicious. Gabbie had vongole (she said it was “divine”), Paolo had three-cheese pasta, and Ronite had her favorite carbonara.
After our satisfying lunch, upon Roni’s recommendation, we headed to a nearby gelato place called Pompi. How could we resist, considering it was scorching hot and a cup of Italian gelato would be the perfect ending to a good meal? By the time we were done with our gelato, Gabbie received a message that said our Airbnb was ready.
Ronite brought us to Casa Leonetto, our home for the next five days, where Rafael the caretaker was waiting for us. As soon as we entered, we were impressed with our accommodations. The Casa is a two-bedroom apartment located on the ground floor with two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living and dining area. Fully airconditioned, it is also located in a quiet and safe area within walking distance from many restaurants and tourist attractions.
As soon as we settled in, we unpacked, showered and rested a bit. When the kids got hungry, we walked to a restaurant that was only eight minutes away and recommended by Casa Leonetto’s owner. Everything we ordered was spot on. Gabbie had a mushroom risotto, Paolo had cacio e pepe, and I had a pasta dish with asparagus, shrimp, and a hint of orange.
On our walk back to the apartment, we stopped by the grocery store to buy bottled water, eggs, cheese, and other supplies. When I travel with my children, I of course put away my working cap and become a domesticated mom who cooks, cleans and does laundry! We hit the sack by 9 p.m., tired from the flight and all the walking we did on our first day in the Eternal City. Gabbie also wanted to wake up at 5 the next morning to be at the Trevi Fountain by 6 a.m. to avoid the crowds. Luckily, I am used to waking up early, and I was up by 4:30 a.m. The walk that morning was so nice and cool.
When we got to the Trevi Fountain, there were quite a number of tourists already but not nearly as many since my visit last year. When Gabbie and Paolo got tired of taking photos, we decided to have coffee at an Italian coffee shop. When we were done, we continued exploring the city on foot, arriving minutes later at Piazza Navona. We also visited the Pantheon, which started charging a five-euro entrance fee effective July 3, the day we were there! Because of this, there was lots of confusion about where to buy tickets and where to line up to go inside.
Later in the morning, we went back to the apartment to rest and freshen up before lunching at ristorante Santa Lucia, which became famous thanks to the movie Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts. Keren Pascual took me there last year and I enjoyed the food so much I took my kids this time. Gabbie had the black truffle pasta, which Julia Roberts ordered in the movie. Paolo had a steak while I had lamb chops.
After lunch, we decided to have gelato again, but this time at Venchi, which is famous for its gelatos and chocolates. I was looking forward to having my favorite mascarpone with fresh figs, but unfortunately they didn’t have it that day. I am not sure if it has been discontinued or was just unavailable, so I settled on hazelnut and salted caramel. We walked some more and finally found the store Gabbie was looking for, La Bella.
It was a store highly recommended by Gabbie’s cousin Martha Aviles, who visited Rome just a few weeks ago and purchased trinkets that Gabbie loved. All the trinkets sold in the store — rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, head bands, and brooches — are all made in Italy and priced at 15 euros each.
After La Bella, we headed home to rest and freshen up again. Walking in Rome under the scorching July sun really saps your energy and makes you want to take repeated showers!
Ronite then invited us to have dinner at Da Enzo. When I told my kids, Gabbie got so excited since it was on her list of restaurants to try. Apparently, a friend of hers dined there a few months ago and highly recommended it. And because getting a table at this restaurant is quite difficult, Ronite asked a friend to wait in line at 6 p.m. just so we could be assured of a table. We got to the restaurant at 6:45 p.m., and there was already a long line!
After standing for a few minutes, at exactly 7 p.m., the waiters started seating the customers. We ordered fresh burrata, fried artichokes and parma ham with melon to start with. For our main course, Gabbie ordered their famous cacio e pepe while Paolo had the special for the day, which was like beef ragu. I had the amatriciana pasta, which has salt-cured pork jowl in a tomato sauce base. Ronite skipped the main course and just had appetizers. She later admitted that she grabbed a McDonald’s sandwich earlier while shopping at the luxury designer houses for her VIP clients.
After dinner, we walked along Trastevere, which is famous for its trattorias, artisan shops, beer pubs and the like. The night life here is fun and lively, thanks to its Bohemian vibe and picturesque neighborhood. Unfortunately, neither I nor my kids had the energy to experience the nightlife. Yet another shower and my bed were beckoning, so we called it a night.
After all, we had to get up early the next morning to catch the 8 a.m. train to enchanting Florence.
(To be continued.)
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