Tea Time Travels

Back in October we headed back to bella Italia for a long weekend getaway.

We flew into Rome on Friday night and got in quite late. We headed right to bed in our airbnb to catch a couple hours asleep before a day of exploring one of the most historic cities in the world.

The next morning we woke up early to get in line for the Colosseum. The lines can be quite long for entry, so we got there before the ticket booths opened. We had to wait for a couple more hours before we could enter the colosseum, but the wait was well worth it.

We spent three hours walking through the colosseum admiring the impressive structure that it is. We learned about some of the history and landmarks through Rick Steve’s audio app. It so interesting learning about how the colosseum was used over the centuries, and the role it played in the community. 

After the colosseum, we walked through the roman forum. Again we were astounded at these structures that have remained intact for so many years. As we were walking by the ancient buildings we tried to picture ourselves in an era without cell phones, cars, or modern day comforts. 

After grabbing some appetisers, we made our way to where we were staying for the weekend, a city outside of Rome called Tivoli. We stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast that had our own private patio, living room, and spa bathroom… For less than $100 a night… and a fraction of the price of the places we saw listed in Rome!

We immediately made our way to get our first fresh pasta of the trip. And it certainly did not disappointment. At most of the restaurants in Tivoli they only offered a 3-4 pasta dishes on the menu. But they were all very authentic, fresh, and delicious. The wine was just as wonderful and we ended our first evening, full, happy, and already in love with this small quaint town. 

The next day we met a lovely couple at breakfast who were also staying in the B and B. We chatted with them for a couple of hours and received some advice about things to do in town. Tivoli is home to two UNESCO world heritage sites.

We made our way to the 16th century villa after hearing about its stunning gardens. But we were not prepared for how beautiful these gardens were. The garden contains almost 1,000 fountains, waterfalls, spouts, or water jets. 

The gardens were truly stunning and there were fountains and spouts hiding everywhere you looked. The best part? There was barely anyone there. For a place as beautiful as it was, I was shocked there wasn’t more tourists. It was an extremely relaxing morning strolling through these luxurious gardens.

After working up an appetite with all that walking, it was time for more pasta of course! We found a quaint square in the middle of town where I had the most amazing caccio e pepe. Delicioso!

We then took a lovely walk through Villa Gregoriana, a beautiful park with winding paths leading to a very impressive waterfall. It was amazing to be immersed in such lush nature all while seeing ancient ruins across the gorge.

After exploring the gardens and heading back to our bed and breakfast to freshen up, it was time to eat again! When in Tivoli. right? It’s close enough to Rome!

We ate at the most lovely restaurant situated right next to ancient Roman temples. We sat outside in their beautiful outdoor terrace and had one of the best meals I have had in years. It was the perfect way to end a magical day.

We had another half day before heading home, so after breakfast with the lovely couple we met we made our way back to Rome to explore for a few more hours before catching our flight home. We strolled past the Trevi fountain, but it was raining, insanely crowded, and the fountain was not even running so we quickly walked past. We met up with some our family who were also on a trip to Rome for our final pasta dish of the trip (the most delicious carbonara) and sadly made our way back to London.

We truly had the best of both worlds on this trip… The impressive and enriching cultural experience of Rome along with the quaint, picturesque, charming town of Tivoli. Although it was a short trip we were able to see and do so much… Plus I don’t think my body could handle another plate of pasta!