Day 1 - After the Nap

For me, the whole world takes on a new look after a well-deserved nap. And so it was!

We were informed when we checked in that the hotel's roof-top bar opened at 5PM - who are we to turn down a good roof-top bar? Rome, as in other parts of the "less-stressed" world, runs on its own time so, at 5pm, we found ourselves alone on the roof looking down upon the masses below. The sun was peeking out from behind the hazy clouds and a nice warm breeze was blowing over the rooftops. Where was our bartender, damnit?

Our bartender finally arrived and shortly thereafter our friends, Jess and Nok arrived to join us for a couple drinks and appetizers. Those orange-colored drinks you see are orange spritzers that are all the rage here in Italy, from what I've been told. They are amazing. I stuck with a Jack and Coke as I felt the need for a little caffeine to keep me going on this marathon day but count on the fact that I'll be enjoying some of those spritzers later on.

Great conversation, wonderful drinks and a few great little munchies and, before we knew it, it was time to head out and make our way towards the restaurant where we were to meet Jess's parents, Terence and Lori Hill for dinner.

We had a bit of time to kill before our reservations so Jess took us on a little tour through some side streets. The only word I can use to describe this walk was "overwhelming". Everywhere you look are remnants of human history. I was so impressed when I visited Virginia some years back and had drinks in a bar that was built in the 1600s. Here, the 1600s are modern times! You can look at pictures, watch videos and pore over Google Earth all day long but there is nothing like standing in front of architecture that was built by human hands before anyone had every heard of America. Massive stone columns, intricate carvings, massive wooden doors, heavy iron hinges all built by hand long before the Industrial Age.

We were on our way to Alfredo di Roma which was the restaurant founded in 1914 by Alfredo di Lelio, the chef who invented “fettuccine al triplo burro” or, as it's better known, Fettuccine Alfredo. Terence and Lori were waiting for us and Terence immediately started ordering appetizers and wine for us. Appetizers were 4 kinds of artichokes which were amazing and unlike any kind of artichoke I'd ever had. They were baby artichokes only about 2 bites a piece and each one was prepared in a different manner. My favorite was the Jewish Artichoke. The entree was ordered next and, when in Rome, do as the Romans do so we ordered the....wait for it....Fettuccine Alfredo! The fettuccine was tossed on a large plate table-side with a gold spoon and fork and dished out to everyone at the table. The large dish and the gold cutlery, which was donated by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in 1927, is referred to as "the Queen's Dish" and is traditionally presented to the lady of the table which, in this case, was my lovely bride. The fettuccine was unlike anything I've ever had before. It was thick and rich and full of flavor but not filling. It didn't make you feel like you had to go home and sleep it off. It was so good I just wanted to get naked and roll around in it. (Visual)

The restaurant is very well-known and has been visited by celebrities for decades, as evidenced by their autographed headshots lining every wall. Unfortunately, for Terence, who likes to keep a low profile, they hadn't collected a picture from him as yet. Currently Terence is one of the most well-known actors in Italy and has starred in one of their most popular TV series for years. Think ER with George Clooney. Well, he was approached by Alfredo's widow and daughter and asked for a picture before we left. Terence graciously, yet awkwardly, complied as we were walking out the door. Unfortunately, we were "outed" and began to gain some attention - time to make our way back to The Pantheon.

On our way we, of course, had to stop for gelato at one of the Hill's favorite little shops. Why oh why can't they make gelato like that in America? Seriously? It was sex on a cone. Enough said!!!!

As I finish typing this at 5:41AM, the light of day is just beginning to illuminate the antiquities. Today we are going to get a tour of the Vatican and the Colosseum.