Rome

Jake and I spent the last week in Rome. As in Italy. As in, 8+ hour transatlantic flight, different language, different currency, different everything. We toured the city with my wonderful parents and a group of adults, led by a former high school classics teacher. We saw many of the 'must-see' sights, and a lot of little out-of-the-way treasures.

We walked literally everywhere except to and from the airport. In ever-widening circles from our hotel (which was next to the Pantheon), we dodged tourists, scooters, and tiny cars along narrow twisting cobblestone streets. As Jake hopped around enthusiastically, the adults panted at the top of what felt like a hundred steps leading out of the ruins of the Forum Romani. I can't remember the last time I walked that much without raising money for something.

Hesitantly at first but with a confidence that increased as the week went on, we tried out Italian phrases like 'grazie' and 'buongiorno'. Our halting Italian was graciously tolerated by those we met.

Between two cameras, we took a combined total of 600 digital pictures of everything from ancient ruins to the tiniest cars we've ever seen.

We ate food so good that I've spent the last day or so looking at my pantry with disdain, yearning for fresh vegetables, prosciutto, mozzarella, and perfect portions of homemade pasta. We tried new dishes and came to prefer sparkling mineral water with our meals. The gelato deserves its own post, but you can rest assured that we sampled a variety of flavors, at least once a day. As we toured the city, we refilled our water bottles at numerous free-flowing fountains tied into ancient aquaducts.

My diabetes required very little additional attention, outside of more vigilant testing and preparation. I wore my Dex-com for the first few days, until the battery ran out. That was the only charger I forgot to pack. I pro-actively treated a few walk-induced 70's and 80's, and managed the pasta and other carbs well enough. No doubt, the constant and steady exercise was a boon. Perhaps I can get my doctor to prescribe daily walking tours of gorgeous cities as a therapy.

Perhaps most important, I shared this experience with my amazing ten-year old son, whose curiousity about Ancient Rome was the impetus for the trip. He was a delight to be with, and made me so proud with his questions, humor and enthusiasm, not to mention his all-around terrific behavior.

I now need to find a fantastically lucrative career that allows for extensive time off for travel. "Lottery Winner" is the only job title that comes to mind, so it may be a while before I return to explore more of Italy. But returning is definitely on my high priority list of things to do.