We are HERE!! 
 
And it is HOT!! 

After many hours of airports and airplanes and air conditioners, we went through customs like pros and stepped out into the Roman HEAT. Our hotel had arranged a ride for us so off we went with a complete stranger who spoke no English. And got into his car. Just because he was holding a piece of paper with our name on it. 

So…ummm…apparently Romans are INSANE drivers. There don't appear to be many hard and fast rules here; Most of the rules (like in Pirates of the Caribbean) are really more like guidelines. Weaving…speeding…lots of cell phone holding, dialing, reading…lots of vespas rushing past… pedestrians everywhere…. As we got closer to the hotel the streets got narrower and narrower and the neighborhoods got older and older. The streets in our neighborhood were SO narrow that I can't believe our car actually fit. I wanted to reach out and move the side mirrors in for the driver but was afraid I'd lose an arm. Elbows in guys…

Our hotel is nestled in an old Roman neighborhood called Trastevere (Tra-STE-ver-eh) along the West bank of the Tiber River. The Santa Maria Hotel is a converted 16th century monastery (with a few modern upgrades.) The rooms all open to a secluded orange grove where you can eat your breakfast or have your afternoon drinks. 
Step through the gates and you are in the heart of a bustling Roman neighborhood. I feel like we've stepped back in time.



 


 


 We check in, collapse and give thanks to the god of air conditioning. Everyone starts to fall asleep and …NOOOOO…NO NO NO!!! Can't sleep now my jet-lagged lovelies. Showers for all and we set out to see what our neighborhood has to offer (Honestly we were just trying to stay awake.)

 
COOL STUFF:
 

-Basilica of Santa Maria church right around the corner (and our hotel's namesake.) The floor plan and wall structure date back to 340 AD and most of the architecture to 1140-1143 AD. Meh...sorta cool I guess.

  























 

-Dinner…the Romans may not be excellent drivers but they sure do know how to cook. We find a little cafe (Tonarello) right around the corner and I have decided that every meal for our entire stay must come from this place. Absolutely amazing! And, true to Italian form, they do not rush you, but expect you to linger…to not just eat but to DINE. So we have to ask for "il conto." Giving us the bill would be like they were asking us to leave and I think they consider that rude.







 


 





















-Paying for anything with Euros is fun. Their money is so colorful and comes in different sizes. A €20.00 SHOULD be larger than a €5.00, no?








 
 
-Sitting on the steps of the many local fountains eating gelato and watching the night life gather in the "piazza" is apparently what you do at night here. So…when in Rome…

   
















 
 
-I learned today that there is no word in the Italian language for privacy. They live their lives close to each other (literally) and seem to really be LIVING: laughing, eating, drinking, playing music, kissing each other, and just enjoying life. I like it.

-The streets here just DON'T MAKE SENSE. We have gotten turned-around-but-not-really-lost pretty much EVERY TIME we leave our hotel. Took us awhile to even find where the street signs are. Well, they don't have street signs. They label the buildings. Didn't think to look there. 

 So now we are navigating by restaurants.

 And fountains. 

 Se la vie. 

Ciao!