My third (very short) visit to Rome occurred unexpectedly. The original plan was to spend a couple hours at Fiumicino Airport in transit between Beirut and New York. Then I, um, overslept (see full story here), and my four hour layover in Rome turned into a fourteen hour visit. While I could’ve kept things simple and opted to stay at an airport hotel, my travel M.O. clearly dictated a different plan. I love Rome and wanted to embrace the opportunity that had presented itself to spend some time in the city, no matter how short.
I’m going to keep this post short and sweet, just like my overnight visit.
The MEA lounge at BEY was exceptional. I was technically flying on Alitalia, but it was a codeshare flight with MEA, so I still got lounge access. Way better than I expected.
Upon arrival at FCO, I realized that my luggage had somehow been lost. How does that happen on a nonstop flight? I argued with the Alitalia staff for awhile (they didn’t give a f***), completed a form, and finally departed for my hotel. Thankfully, I had all that I needed for the night in my carry-on.
I checked into the stunning Portrait Roma, located down the street from the Spanish Steps. While I wouldn’t normally have chosen to stay in such a touristy neighborhood, I was more than happy to book the Portrait for a night. The hospitality at the fourteen-room boutique hotel was incredible, and the property was associated with Ferragamo, which of course meant impeccable Italian design.
The hotel also featured a private rooftop terrace, which I had to myself when I arrived after 10pm. The Negroni was much-appreciated after all the travel drama from the day.
Simone, the bartender/server on the rooftop, was more than happy to set me up with a pizza and bottle of wine for dinner. We chatted for a delightful twenty minutes or so, but he decided to leave me to my own devices when he realized that I had a (male) friend coming to visit shortly. Funny how that works.
The next day, I got up early to walk around a bit. I was tired, but how could I not take advantage of an opportunity to wander the morning streets of Rome?
There were already a number of tourists at the Trevi Fountain, but it was much less crowded than when I had visited in afternoon in the past.
Overlooking the Via Condotti from the Spanish Steps
And the Piazza del Popolo
Quick glimpse of the Borghese Gardens. I’d been there before, and I’ll be there again. At the moment, however, I had a flight to catch.
The crowds were just beginning to descend on the Spanish Steps as I returned to my hotel room for a lovely Ferragamo-scented shower before my flight home
No visit to Rome would be a complete without a sighting of the Colosseum. Forgive the glare from the window of my car.
Back at FCO. After a long, confused runaround with Alitalia, I got my bag back! Just in time for my flight home to New York.
I left Rome exhausted, yet exhilarated. The last few days had been some of the most spontaneous and serendipitous times in my travels. I looked forward to attending my friend Vicki’s beautiful wedding to my other friend Bill – but first I needed to get a good night’s sleep. And then, Peru!
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