The Warm Sun Of Rome

The Beehive

A cab, a shuttle, a ferry, two trains and a couple of flights eventually landed us in the warm sun of Rome. We reset our watches and quickly tried to forget that we had been up for 27 hours, riding the buzz of being back in Italy. A quick walk about the neighborhood we were in, just behind Termini train station, and it was time to crash so we could be somewhat fresh for a breakfast with Linda from the Beehive Hotel.

A little oasis

The Beehive is a little oasis in the chaos of Rome. The hotel has a great garden in the front where guests can hang out and relax. Inside, the decor is fresh and funky with great artwork and photos. In the basement there is a tiny cafe where they serve breakfast and have a lounge to enjoy a coffee and check your email. Over a tasty breakfast we had a great conversation about life’s journeys and how we all ended up at the point we are now. Linda’s bright smile and engaging personality made it easy for us to hit it off and we were certainly glad we shook off our jet lag to meet her.

Cross-Pollinate

Unfortunately, the Beehive was full for the time we were in Rome. Luckily, Linda and her husband Steve started another business called Cross-Pollinate, which allows you to book a room in another hotel or B&B that they have inspected themselves and gets the Beehive stamp of approval. That’s how we ended up at the B&B Atos, a very clean room with everything you might need including a gracious host. Its proximity to Termini Station also meant that we wouldn’t have to get up too early the next morning to catch the train to Bologna and Blogville.

Pantheon

With a delightful breakfast under our belt we struck out to visit the Pantheon which was closed on our last visit to Rome.

Its ancient and spectacular architecture did not disappoint even amongst the crowds jockeying to take in the massive interior.

On our way to the Pantheon we both clocked an eatery that had ACNM written all over it and we decided that we would stop on our way back for a late lunch.

Er Buchetto is absolutely tiny even more so because almost blocking the minuscule entrance way was an enormous porchetta perched on a pedestal carving station.

Meticulously cutting

The owner was meticulously cutting beautiful slices of perfectly roasted pork and carefully arranging them on a fresh bun, making sure you got well balanced cuts of meat across the bread and then inserting a couple of pieces of golden crackling on top from a little pile he had reserved to one side. No mustard, no mayo, nothing but perfect porchetta on a bun, simplicity at its best and all consumed standing at a small table just outside the door.

Meid in Nepols

By the time we made it back to the hotel, jet lag had reared its ugly head and we both collapsed on the bed and napped like cats. Staying close to the hotel that evening, we walked about checking out the streets of Rome and eventually ended up at a restaurant Linda had recommended for a late dinner. Meid in Nepols is a relatively new addition to the neighborhood and by all the “reserved” signs on the tables, it would seem that they already have a following, and for good reason.

Buffalo mozzarella

We started with an antipasto of fresh buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto. The mozzarella di Buffalo (made with milk from water buffalo) is delivered fresh every morning from Naples and has never seen a refrigerator. The combination of this extraordinary cheese and paper thin slices of prosciutto di Parma is truly one of the best flavor combinations imaginable! We followed this with two of the best pizzas we’ve ever had. Simple and fresh tomato passata (sauce), a little cheese and basil for Nat and for Tim more buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh tomato (no sauce) both had perfectly baked thin crusts and both drizzled with an incredible olive oil. This trip is starting out on the right foot.

Pizza dough beard

Sitting at a table across from us we couldn’t help but notice a young boy playing with his beard. Yes I said beard! It was a beard made of pizza dough. Seeing that we noticed him and could not contain our laughter at his dough-tee, he happily posed for his picture. Where else but in Italy would a restaurant give a boy a piece of raw dough to play with rather than a placemat and some crayons?

The following morning we jumped on the train to Bologna where we will be hosted by the Emilia-Romagna Tourism Board for Blogville.
Have you ever been to Bologna or Rimini?  Is there anything that we definitely need to do while we’re here?