Rome was always going to be a big way to start our Hall Family Italian adventure and it did not disappoint.
We arrived at our Airbnb, right near the Ottaviano metro stop and very close to the Vatican City entrance. Having booked it for the day before we arrived, we could access the apartment at 7.30am, rather than standing around Rome with tired kids and bags.
Getting into the place though was a bit of a mission — remote Wi-Fi entry for the main door, another code for the apartment, and a massive heavy steel door that felt like it belonged on a bank vault. Once we cracked it, though, we were in. Three bedrooms, a little kitchenette, a couple of showers and, best of all, a balcony overlooking the pedestrian street below. Across the road were beautiful Roman buildings with shutters, ornate plasterwork and all attention to detail and effort that went into these Roman buildings.
After showers and a bit of sorting ourselves out, we headed out around 9am for our first proper wander. The weather was about 30 degrees, so shorts and T-shirts were on — a very nice change from wintry Perth. We wandered around St Peters Piazza, got some beautiful photos, the girls picked up some lemonita, and we started what became one of the big themes of Rome: finding excellent coeliac-safe food.
Mama Eats got the first big thumbs up. Georgia had a lovely pizza and was all smiles, she just so delighted to be able to walk into a restaurant and order what she wants. I had a simple Roman pasta with cheese and pepper (Cacio e Pepe), and we had our first (of many)tiramisu as well.
From there we tried to find a completely gluten-free supermarket, but it was closed, so we retreated back to the apartment to recover. Jet lag was sniffing around by then, so naturally we put on Angels and Demons, because we were in Rome and had just been around the Vatican. We made it about halfway before I nearly fell asleep.
That evening we found a 100% gluten-free Venezuelan place on Atly (El Maíz – Roma Prati) and brought dinner back to the apartment — empanadas and arepas. We ate, finished the movie, watched a bit of the Giro d’Italia, and collapsed. Lulu fell asleep on the couch and I carried her to bed. Day one was about 20,000 steps. A ridiculous arrival day really, but also exactly what we needed to slot in to the European timezone.
The next morning we went full Rome mode and set the alarm for 5am to get to the Trevi Fountain early. Leonie and I had been there more than 20 years ago before kids, and I have a great photo of her sitting there almost completely alone at likely 5:30am!
This time with our three girls getting out the door in a timely fashion is always a challenge – we are slow getting moving but still got out by 6am, walking through beautiful early light bouncing off the old buildings.
By 6:45am we were at the Trevi. Already getting busy, of course, but still magical. Charlotte was brilliant and took photos of Leonie and I, and I got some lovely shots of the girls sitting together on the fountain edge to send to Grandma and Papa. Georgia looked spectacular in her long white skirt and yellow top.
From there we wandered towards the Spanish Steps, climbed up for views over Rome’s rooftops and stopped at a little restaurant just opening up for coffees and pastries.
Leonie even managed to find a gluten-free pastry, which was a win. I practised my Italian — mainly bathroom location and “Il conto, per favore.” Very advanced stuff!
Later we met Hannah for our gluten-free eating tour at Piazza Navona, which was fantastic.
It ended up being much more than food. Coffee, gelato and gluten free cones at Fiocco di Neve, suppli, Roman pizza, a church Santa I’gnazio of Loyola where everyone was lining up to take ceiling photos using a mirror, Largo di Torre Argentina with the cats (also where Julius Caesar was assasinated), and little pockets of Roman history everywhere. Hannah told us about the drinking fountains still being supplied by the old aqueduct system, which explained why the water was so cold and delicious in the heat.
Then, after already walking ourselves into the ground, we had a 20-minute rest at the apartment — shoes and socks off, timers set — and headed back out to watch the Giro d’Italia finale. Jonathan Milan won the final stage, with Jonas Vingegaard winning overall, How lucky to be in Rome for that.
We kept moving closer each lap until we were near the final corner, about 400 metres to go, and got Lulu right up at the barrier thanks to a couple of nice gents who let her through to the front. You could feel the whoosh of the riders as they came past. Awesome.
Because apparently 25,000 steps was not enough, we then walked to the Colosseum at sunset because Georgia was really keen to see it. Fair enough too. By the time it was dark and lit up, it was pretty special.
We had dinner nearby at an AIC-recommended place where the bill even noted “celiac”, then took a little metro adventure home via Termini and popped out about 100 metres from our place. Rome transport success.
Day three was Vatican day, so thankfully we had a slower start. We had a lazy breakfast and lunch spread at the apartment — croissants, cheese, ham, fruit, yoghurt, bread and coffee pods — then headed off for our 1pm tour of the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica and the dome.
The Vatican is a lot. The museum courtyard, the statues, the tapestries, the Museum of Maps with its incredible ceiling, then the Sistine Chapel. No photos, no talking, which I promptly forgot when I asked the guide a question and a security guard seemed to think I was asking where the toilets were. He and the guide then had a passionate Italian argument!
St Peter’s itself was something else. The size of it is hard to take in. We saw the jubilee door, learned a bit about Saint Peter being buried beneath the main altar, and then climbed the dome. Well, lift first, then tight angled steps up through the dome. The views from the top over Rome were fantastic, but my legs were shaking by the time we came down. Lulu’s too.
That night we went to La Soffitta Renovatio, another AIC-certified restaurant near the apartment. We had a very funny pre-dinner moment where I had been telling everyone to hurry up, then we realised we had 30 or 40 minutes, so I cracked open a beer. Everyone gave me grief. Fair enough. Dinner was a classic Italian evening outside: focaccia, melon, burrata, zucchini flowers, pizza, pasta, spritzes, mocktails and people wandering by as the sun went down.
Our final day in Rome turned out to be Republic Day, which we had completely jagged. We headed towards the Colosseum area with thousands of people around and somehow managed to get a good vantage point. Firemen abseiled down the Colosseum unfurling a huge Italian flag, then the military jets flew overhead trailing green, white and red smoke. Very cool.
After that we met Leonie’s friend Valeria, who had been an exchange student when Leonie was at high school more than 30 years ago. They had kept in touch all that time, and Leonie was a bit emotional seeing her, which was lovely. We had coffee and ice cream with Valeria and Andrea, swapped travel and cycling stories, and got a few Tuscany food and wine tips for the next part of the adventure.
We wandered on towards the Vittoriano, dodged metro works, got a look at the wreath from the morning’s celebrations, then split briefly when Charlotte and Georgia went off on their own little shopping mission. The rest of us found lunch near the Trevi. Lulu wanted supplì, the Roman rice ball with the hidden mozzarella surprise, and I had fried shrimp and squid salad after seeing it arrive at another table and immediately deciding that was the one. I also tried a bit more Italian with the waiter — “tutto bene” — which gave him a good belly laugh. We were having a go.
That afternoon became packing and gluten-free supply time, getting ready for the train to Siena via Firenze/Florence and the start of the cycling part of the trip. Then we headed out for one last Roman dinner in Trastevere. What a vibe. Tight little streets, restaurants everywhere, people out, kids playing soccer, the whole place buzzing.
We ended up at Il Tulpane Nero, a highly recommended gluten-free restaurant. The owner was a big, energetic Italian bloke who asked straight away if anyone was gluten-free. When we said Georgia was coeliac, he said he was too, which instantly made us feel comfortable. Out came gluten-free focaccia, meat and cheese, zucchini parmigiana, huge pizzas, truffle carbonara, salads, spritzes and my first glass of wine in about 13 years. The pizzas were enormous — mine basically stretched into Georgia’s territory across the table.
We finished with tiramisu, which may have been the best so far thanks to a little Nutella layer at the bottom, and the girls were given free gluten-free gelato after the owner sent someone running down the street to get it. Lovely touch.
I finished by trying one more Italian phrase when I paid — something along the lines of “my family and I had a wonderful evening” — and he was very appreciative. Then we had a 30-minute walk home through Trastevere and back towards the apartment, a few showers, final packing, and bed.
Four days in Rome and we had already done ancient ruins, Vatican domes, gluten-free pizza, sunrise fountains, the Giro, Republic Day, old friends, too many steps, balcony views and several tiramisus.
Not a bad start to Italy.