Hello from Rome!
We’re entering the third day of a 2.5-week trip through Rome, Naples, and Crete. This is your second trip to Italy and definitely one you’ll remember more than the first, when you were here as an infant. It will also be our first trip to Greece as a family, and I haven’t been back to visit Aunt Pam in nearly two decades. I can’t give a great reason for why it’s taken so long. There are simply too many exciting places to see in the world, and the travel time and costs are no joke for a family of four.
This is a trip your Mom has been waiting for ever since we met. Soon after we started dating, she had the idea that we’d someday go to Greece because of my family connections there, and seventeen years is a long time to wait! Sorry, Amanda — and thank you for your patience.
Rome has been a wonderful start to the trip. We recovered quickly after the long flight from home through Reykjavik and spent our first evening walking the neighborhoods around our Airbnb just north of Trastevere. Yesterday, our first full day in the city, my watch recorded about 25,000 steps, which was probably closer to 35,000 with your shorter legs. You and Eliza were troopers.
We visited the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum — all the major tourist sites. You also put your new Camp Snap camera to work, taking photos everywhere we went. Because the camera has no screen, we won’t know how the pictures turned out until we upload them back at home. Mom and I are always looking for small ways to reduce screen time and the instant gratification that comes with digital devices whenever we can.
After checking off the major landmarks, we made it to the destination you and Eliza were most excited about: the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. Uncle Sergio told us about this place, where older and disabled cats are cared for among ancient ruins where healthier cats roam and play. We learned that the nonprofit shelter has spayed or neutered nearly 100,000 cats and helped control Rome’s stray cat population. But honestly, none of that mattered to you as much as getting to pet a lot of cats! Several were blind, and all of them were friendly. You spent most of your time running around with your Camp Snap camera taking photos of every cat you could find.
We’ve already eaten some amazing food. Cornetti in the morning filled with chocolate or pistachio. Tonnarelli with ragù. Rigatoni al dente with pesto. Endless gelato — with your consistent flavor choice being mango every single time. I can understand how Romans get away with eating so many carbs. When you’re not eating, you’re walking them off on the way to the next restaurant or café.
Today we’re heading back to the Vatican for a proper tour. Your Mom and I visited when Eliza was a baby, but we didn’t have a guide. This time, I’d like a better understanding of the art and architecture. It’s also an interesting moment to visit with Pope Leo, the first American pope, now leading the Vatican. I keep joking with you that we’re visiting his house.
Tomorrow we check out and head to Naples, where my Nonno and Nonna were from. We’re planning to visit Uncle Vince and Aunt Carla, see Pompeii, and possibly spend some time in Sorrento. We will eat all the Neapolitan pizza we can, and I can’t wait.
Love,
Dad