Respite in Rome

While I am finding myself increasingly more comfortable and confident with the chaos that is my daily life in Ghana, I was ecstatic to travel to Italy.

The trip allowed me to see two new countries, two incredible cities, and to see Thomas, of course!

My bias aside, Thomas was a fantastic tour guide, and we covered a lot of ground in the short time I was there. Some of the highlights were the Roman Forum, Pantheon, 

Colosseum,

Trevi Fountain,

Spanish Steps,

Vatican,
 

Top of St. Peter's Dome,

Villa Borghese, and several famous piazzas. 

I loved Rome because its history isn't limited to a few sites throughout the city, it's everywhere. The new and the old are intertwined, making for a beautiful and fascinating place.

I also loved Rome because of its incredible eats. First and foremost, I had gelato every day. My favorite flavors were mixed berry, coconut, tiramisu, and nutella. I was in heaven, especially since, as I have mentioned countless times, I am deprived of adequate dessert here in Ghana. I preceded my delicious desserts (I also had a few canolis, a piece of tiramisu, and several other Italian desserts) with lots of pizza and pasta! I like the Italian style of eating because it allows you try a lot of different things in one meal, and since there are multiple courses, portions are typically smaller.

My favorite antipasto was bruschetta. For primo, I had three favorite pasta dishes: carbonara, arrabiata, and a red sauce with bacon (I'll have to ask Thomas for the name, I can't remember it). Arrabiata is a spicy red sauce, it was served with Bucatini (thick spaghetti shaped pasta that is hollow in the center), al dente, of course! For the meat course, or secondo, my favorites were roasted chicken, sliced beef, and meatballs. We also had ox tail twice, it was very tender and flavorful. Thomas lives in a neighborhood that isn't touristy, so I got to try some really great, authentic places.

I have to give Thomas a lot of credit, because Italy is not as western as I anticipated it would be. Outside of the tourist-heavy areas, not a lot of people appeared to speak English. Thomas ordered all of our meals in Italian, one of our waiters complemented him on his Italian. #GoThomas.

One of the things I like to try and explore in each place I visit is a local market. I have seen some interesting markets from Turkey to China to Ghana. Thomas took me to one a few blocks from his house, where he typically buys bread and fruit. There were tons of stalls selling everything from freshly butchered meat to underwear. There were some pretty adorable older Italians, whom I liked to observe whilst they did their daily shopping. 

I really can't say how wonderful this trip was, words just don't do it justice. Thanks for having me, Thomas, I love you.