Rome

Justy flew down from London to surf and work around San Sebastián. Gabe spent a day surfing with him, which I am sure was a blast—nothing like hanging with OG friends. A few days later, the four of us met up with him in San Sebastián. We ate pintxos, shared plenty of laughs, and then made our way to Bilbao.

Luke's "Christmas Weekend" in Rome was an incredible trip; he researched and planned most of the weekend. He initially gave me a list of 26 must-see places in Rome. With only four days, we managed to see 14 of them, including the Colosseum, Vatican, and Sistine Chapel, as well as the Baths of Caracalla and many famous piazzas and fountains along the way.

Alora, day one of our Roman adventure kicked off with an early flight from Bilbao. After the taxi ride to our hotel, we dropped our bags and made a beeline for the Trevi Fountain. Very crowded as suspected. But seeing this masterpiece, with its grand Baroque design and cascading waters was a sight. Bryan Sivak shared a foodie list of Rome, so we decided to have lunch at Trattoria Valentino. We had the best Roman artichoke and a carbonara-like pasta with a surprising twist of orange peel. Luke actually may have had the best cacio et pepe we have ever tasted. We spent the afternoon at the Colosseum, the Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Imperial Fora. Wow! The Colosseum. Until you're standing there in person, it's difficult to grasp the enormity of this place, with its colossal arches and seemingly endless rows of seating. You can truly feel the weight of its history and the sheer scale of the ancient spectacles it once hosted. At this point, I think we walked over 20,000 steps so a ride to the Pantheon was in order. Passing by Circus Maximus, which could accommodate over 300,000 people, really puts into perspective the scale of ancient Roman gatherings. It's fascinating how throughout Rome, you'll encounter areas cordoned off with protected ruins. I can't help but wonder about the stories hidden beneath—perhaps a building fire revealed an entire structure from 2000 years ago during excavation, putting a halt to any new construction plans for that spot. Then, as you look up at the facades of modern-day buildings, seeing the peeling paint and wires dangling down to connect to electric boxes, it almost feels like a metaphor for Rome's eternal state of transition. Maybe it's a testament to its rich history or simply a reflection of the country's financial challenges. To the Pantheon. Finding a spot to pause and admire the exterior of the Pantheon was quite a challenge with the crowds and a large section of the piazza blocked off for construction. Despite the difficulty, its columns and iconic dome were cool to see. Dinner was a mix-up—we ordered meat but envied the pasta dishes around us. Still, the fried Roman artichoke was a hit.

Alora, Saturday started with Gabe's solo walk to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps as the rest of us slept. I read that Rome's tourist spots are always crazy busy, so early mornings are the best time to see things without the crowds. But even at 6 am, the Trevi Fountain was filled with amateur photographers. We spent the afternoon wandering through Trastevere, an area known for its cobbled streets and hidden spots. Luke discovered the best gelato at Gelateria del Vialle. We spent our afternoon at the Vatican. The Gallery of Maps, or Galleria delle carte geografiche, was the highlight. Those painted maps of Italy by Ignazio Danti were absolutely mind-blowing—definitely one of the coolest galleries I've ever seen. And then, to our surprise, we stumbled upon Rodin's "The Thinker" tucked away in a quiet corner of a small room. It made me realize how many treasures like this are tucked away in the many rooms of this impressive collection, often overlooked by visitors in search of more famous works. We were following a single route, all leading to our ultimate goal: Michelangelo's renowned painting in the Sistine Chapel. However, upon entering the chapel, I was taken aback by how the iconic fresco of God reaching out to Adam seemed almost lost among all of the other paintings covering the ceiling—it took a moment to locate it. It felt a bit like my first encounter with the Mona Lisa, where I realized how small it is. The chapel was packed, and the museum staff were shushing people since it's a sacred space. I hadn't realized that we weren't supposed to take photos until after I had snapped a few. Oops. The experience was almost underwhelming, like a checkbox of "okay, we saw that." Don't get me wrong, the Vatican has an incredible collection. Sure, Michelangelo's masterpiece is incredible, but with so much to see and take in, it was almost overwhelming. I couldn't help but appreciate the quieter moments in other parts of the museum where each treasure felt like a discovery waiting to be found. After leaving the Vatican, we decided to call an Uber to take us back to Trastevere. Charlie did something to his big toe, and it was swollen and hurting, so we were trying to limit our walking to help him out. He thinks he jammed it hard at basketball practice last Wednesday, and with all the walking, it's now quite painful. Anyway, we're standing on the sidewalk, and our car pulls up on the opposite side of this busy street, with cars, buses, and motos moving fast in both directions. The driver arrives and parks, with no eye contact, not a nod in our direction. Just waiting for us. After a few minutes, we walked down to the crosswalk and over to his car. When we got in and said "Buona sera," he just shrugged, nothing else. Our 13-minute ride was probably the longest ride ever. He had this vibe. We were like, "What's your problem, dude? You're a driver." Especially when you have a passenger up front, make some small talk. But this guy, nope, silent. We were all happy for that ride to be over. We wandered around and ended up having dinner on the outskirts of Trastevere out of the tourist zone.

Alora, Sunday, despite a bit of rain, we walked to the Piazza del Popolo. Our plan to explore the Testaccio area led to a series of mishaps, with three Ubers canceling on us and a lengthy wait on the street. Finally reaching the Testaccio market, it was closed, it’s Sunday! Should have checked that ahead of time. We ended up in a little restaurant, called Jole, where we had what turned out to be the best meal of our entire trip. Our server, Sonya, exuded confidence, but as the restaurant filled up, it became clear she was under immense pressure. As we watched the bustling scene, we couldn't help but notice one male server's constant mishaps—he kept dropping things every few minutes, and his unsteady, drunken demeanor was impossible to miss. I was like, "Oh my God, this guy is wasted!" It was pretty clear why Sonya seemed so stressed out; this guy was useless. After finishing our excellent meal, I headed to the bathroom. The setup — it had a tiny ante room with a sink before the actual toilet. I locked the door behind me and within a minute, there was a knock. I said, “Un secondo,” but they kept pushing. Suddenly, I heard liquid trickling down, and when I glanced at the door, I realized it wasn't water—it was urine coming into the toilet area. I had to move my feet over to avoid getting fresh pee on my shoes. I couldn't believe my eyes. I quickly finished up, flushed, and I opened the door to find the drunk waiter zipping up his pants and making a quick exit. I was in shock. I immediately told Gabe what happened, and he decided to have a word with Sonya. He started by praising the amazing meal we had, but then he had to bring up the awkward topic of her colleague's behavior. Sonya was so embarrassed and clearly aware of the state of her coworker. We reassured her that as restaurant people, we’ve seen our fair share of crazy situations. However, this one takes the cake. Capito.

The day continued with a visit to The Baths of Caracalla, where we stumbled upon an incredible photo exhibit titled Narcissus. In the Mirror of Photography. The sheer scale of the ruins was breathtaking, and we tried to imagine the grandeur of this ancient Roman complex in its heyday. "Narcissus: In the Mirror of Photography" showcases works from thirty-five photographers, featuring everything from celebrity portraits to intimate snapshots of daily life. One highlight was the self-portraits in mirrors. The two standouts for me were the portraits of David Bowie and Barbara Streisand. After the Baths, we stopped at the Basilica San Clemente. This unique 4th-century church is built over a pagan temple and a Roman house, and it's decorated with incredible frescoes and mosaics. We entered the church and it was beautiful, but what really blew my mind was the maze below. We took the stairs down and entered this labyrinthine world. The underground area is a series of interconnected rooms and corridors, with ancient walls that still have remnants of frescoes. You can see brick walls from the Roman era, archways from the medieval period, and even parts of the old pagan temple. There are narrow passageways and hidden chambers. If you ever visit Rome, this is a hidden gem you can't miss. No photography is allowed - so you must go and see this for yourself.

We walked through a scene on Via del Corso, with street performers and tourists singing and dancing to the Italian classic “Ti amo”. Afterward, we had Negronis and played a game of couillon at Piazza Navona overlooking the Fountain of the Four Rivers. Since it was raining, people were taking cover so the view of the fountain from our terrace was void of tourists. We had dinner at Cesar’s alla Pellegrino and to end the night, Luke rode on a Bird scooter through the quiet streets something he’s been asking us to do since we arrived in Europe.

Monday started with us checking out of our hotel and heading to the Spanish Steps, or as the Italians call them, La Scalinata. We had a couple of shopping errands to run, including a visit to the famous Laura Bosetti Tonatto perfume shop. I ended up choosing a fragrance with Oud and rose of Taif—it was such a fun experience! Luke had flagged a few stores as well. As we wandered around, jasmine was blooming around every doorway. Now, whenever I smell jasmine, I will think of Rome. Super random - the same silent driver picked us up again, maintaining his stoic silence throughout the entire ride. It felt a bit awkward, especially considering that all of the other drivers we'd encountered had been quite chatty, engaging Gabe in conversation about our visit and proudly pointing out the various monuments along the way. We went back to the Testaccio market, but many stalls were still closed— Monday. However, we managed to find some amazing food, including a perfect carbonara. Our last shopping stop was UniQlo for the boys to grab a few essentials. Then it was time to collect our bags from the hotel, hail a taxi, and make our way to the airport for our 7:45 flight back to Bilbao. At Rome airport, we breezed through with fast-track access, which was a pleasant surprise and didn't cost us a penny. The modern scanning technology meant we didn't have to take out our devices or liquids, which was super convenient. And guess what? There's an Eataly at this airport! We grabbed some food before boarding our plane, marking the end of an incredible adventure in Rome. Capito.

Alora. Ciao Roma. What a city. Once again, we couldn't fit everything in, but we certainly made the most of our time, soaking it all in. Though we couldn't explore every corner, we certainly packed our days with unforgettable experiences—from marveling at the Colosseum to indulging in delicious Roman cuisine. Grazie mille, Roma. Alla prossima volta!