Rome Part 1 - The Host's & Neighborhood

We had a wonderful holiday weekend in Rome last weekend, and owe a HUGE thank you to my cousin Phillip and his partner Marlon, who were fantastic hosts. Not only was their apartment in a very cool part of town, but we walked into to a room full of guide books, a phone & charger, fresh towels and extra toiletries, in case we forgot something.  I mean, come on.

This is the door to their apartment, loved it.

Shot of the neighborhood

On top of everything, they cooked us a 4 course italian meal on Sunday night that was so good.  A big thank you to Phillip and Marlon for the wonderful company and hospitality.  We hope they make it over to Dublin to visit us.

I didn't get a shot of the dessert, I guess I was too eager to eat it

One of the best things about staying with locals are their tips and recommendations that make you feel like a local, even if it's for just a few days.

Every morning, Brian and I started our day with a cappuccino and croissant at the same place, in the neighborhood piazza, Piazza di San Cosimato.  We also ended every long day of walking at the same place for a beer or gelato!

When you stand at the bar, a cappuccino is €1, if you sit at a table, €1.30

We loved this piazza for a few reasons.  It wasn't the big piazza in the area, and there weren't any sights to see, so it was more of a locals hangout.  Every morning there was a market, and every evening, the piazza was full of kids playing and kicking around a soccer ball.

Gelato at Piazza di San Cosimato

The market had everything.  Fresh produce, fish, meat, cheese, flowers, etc.  It was awesome.  Look at the swordfish being sold at the fish stall!

My mind was wandering, trying to imagine what we were going to end up bringing back as a souvenir from the market.  Brian and I are known to come home with food from a trip.  Last fall, when visiting Lauren & Ryan in Seattle, we brought home a bag of Chanterelle Mushrooms.  They were absurdly inexpensive, and we are obsessed with mushrooms.  It just made sense.  And the Scallops, Risotto, Green Beans and Mushrooms Brian cooked with them made it well worth it.

Brian was tempted by the abundance of squash blossoms, and there were a few times when I thought he was going to go for it, but squash blossoms are delicate, and our bags were pretty tight already.  We ended up with a bag of Calamarata pasta from the grocery store, you know our love for a local grocery store experience.  Stay tuned for what comes of the pasta!

View from the hill behind Phillip's apartment!

Up next, Rome Part 2 - An Unexpected Second Honeymoon