Two different views on Rome

“… places tend to look the way you feel when you look at them.”

Ian Frazier

Reading my entry on Rome, I was struck by how your state of mind can affect your travel experience. According to my journal, I was feeling “blah”. Much of my entry was written from this grumpy point of view.

On the second day, I was exhausted and quite frankly overwhelmed by all the ancient sites. We were too cheep to join a tour for the Colosseum and Roman Forum, so it was a jumble of confusion. I still kept snapping photos through it all (despite Sarah’s look of “will you put down that camera already”).

After seeing Julius Caesar’s tomb I declared I had seen enough tombs for a lifetime. I came, I saw, Enough!

And to make matters worse, I had my first disappointing gelato in Italy. Even my tastebuds where grumpy.

Not all was lost. I marveled at the hidden treasures you could find wandering around the city from the grand fountains to intimate piazzas. I also loved that we witnessed a fashionable photo shot in Villa Borghese and my jaw literally dropped entering Saint Peters Basilica. My doldrums did not overshadow my whole experience but it certainly dulled some of it.

I have since been back to Rome and the city did look different through a rosier lens. The city is anything but “blah”. I had a fabulous time. I saw many of the same sites, but the most enjoyable way to explore was aimless wandering. One evening, my wanderings led me to a wonderful restaurant at the end of a small alleyway. The waiter declared everything was fresh. They did not even own a freezer. My ravioli was fresh, pillowy soft and absolutely delicious.

The gelato was also delicious on this second visit. Even my tastebuds were in a better mood.

This is one entry from my 1992 European backpacking trip with my friend Sarah. If you want to start at the beginning, please check out The journey starts in Nice.