Mark and I spent several months researching, planning, and trying to learn some Italian before our two-week trip in May 2019. Nevertheless, we felt ill-prepared in many ways, and found that we encountered surprises nearly every day.
We arrived at the Leonardo DaVinci International Airport in Rome, the afternoon of May 3rd, after a long and sleepless journey from our home in Oneonta, New York. It was such a relief to be greeted by our driver, Armand. Originally we had planned to take the train and bus to our Air BnB in Brevata, but decided to splurge on the 45 euro ride, knowing we would be exhausted on arrival and probably confused by the train and bus system. It was about a half hour drive to Brevetta, a neighborhood we had chosen for our stay because it would be quiet and not as touristy as a center city hotel. This decision would prove to have both advantages and disadvantages.
The main advantage to staying in Brevetta was that there were very few tourists there, so we had a little taste of what life is like for ordinary Romans. We ate dinner in a neighborhood restaurant, where tourists were a novelty, and the food was scrumptious. We ended up having dinner there 3 of our 4 nights in Rome. (I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was in walking distance of our apt.) My favorite dish was a tenderly cooked artichoke.
Mark and I thought we were late for dinner when we went to the restaurant at 7:30, but as it got later, more diners joined us. We would learn that dinnertime is much later in Italy than it is in the States. The next night we were there at 10:00 and families were still coming in to eat with their young children.
When you sit down in an Italian restaurant the waiter will ask if you want water - "still or with gas" - and you will be brought a bottle that you have to pay for. Italians do not serve free water as we are used to. When you finish eating and drinking all you can hold, don't expect the waiter to bring your bill. You might sit at the table for 15 minutes or more, and eventually you will have to flag down the waiter and say, "Il conto, per favore." Apparently Italians like to sit and talk for hours after a meal, and they probably think that Americans are in too much of a hurry to take off. Mark and I tried our best to relax the Italian way, but we just couldn't wait to see if they ever brought the bill without being asked.
We arrived at the Leonardo DaVinci International Airport in Rome, the afternoon of May 3rd, after a long and sleepless journey from our home in Oneonta, New York. It was such a relief to be greeted by our driver, Armand. Originally we had planned to take the train and bus to our Air BnB in Brevata, but decided to splurge on the 45 euro ride, knowing we would be exhausted on arrival and probably confused by the train and bus system. It was about a half hour drive to Brevetta, a neighborhood we had chosen for our stay because it would be quiet and not as touristy as a center city hotel. This decision would prove to have both advantages and disadvantages.
Our home-away-from home in Rome: Brevetta apartment.
The main advantage to staying in Brevetta was that there were very few tourists there, so we had a little taste of what life is like for ordinary Romans. We ate dinner in a neighborhood restaurant, where tourists were a novelty, and the food was scrumptious. We ended up having dinner there 3 of our 4 nights in Rome. (I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was in walking distance of our apt.) My favorite dish was a tenderly cooked artichoke.
Mark and I thought we were late for dinner when we went to the restaurant at 7:30, but as it got later, more diners joined us. We would learn that dinnertime is much later in Italy than it is in the States. The next night we were there at 10:00 and families were still coming in to eat with their young children.
When you sit down in an Italian restaurant the waiter will ask if you want water - "still or with gas" - and you will be brought a bottle that you have to pay for. Italians do not serve free water as we are used to. When you finish eating and drinking all you can hold, don't expect the waiter to bring your bill. You might sit at the table for 15 minutes or more, and eventually you will have to flag down the waiter and say, "Il conto, per favore." Apparently Italians like to sit and talk for hours after a meal, and they probably think that Americans are in too much of a hurry to take off. Mark and I tried our best to relax the Italian way, but we just couldn't wait to see if they ever brought the bill without being asked.
Love the blog. The apartment looks great. How was the bed? Any mosquitoes? I have to usually ask for the bill everywhere here! The restaurant sounds great!
ReplyDeleteComment by Emily's cousin, Joyce
No mosquitos anywhere. Never used our insect repellant. The bed was firm, just the way we like it.
ReplyDelete