Rome is a vibrant city 24 hours a day. You could walk around at any given hour and find young couples getting cozy on the monuments with a nice bottle of wine or a singer serenading people for euros and personal gratification. I chose to do most of my exploration during the evening shooting long exposures and attempting to capture the stars. During the day I ate.. And ate and ate. The food in Italy is second to few and is in a league of its own. With the advice of our cab driver we ended up in the northern half of Rome Ristorante Ambasciata d'Ambruzzo. A local spot that has been serving authentic handmade italian for decades. The owner Roberto generally makes it a point to talk to all of his customers and his son seemed to know everyone who came in by name. They were greeted with a kiss as is customary in most places through Europe and shown to their table. This is not a place to go for a quick bite. We arrived around 1pm after a 3km hike through the city and left after dining for 3 straight hours. The ravioli was to die for and the lasagna was something out of a dream. Surprisingly though, this type of dining was fairly cheap as it catered to the local market and not the vastly touristic part of Rome. Rome was a captivating place that is fantastic to explore. It has its downsides though. The daily tourist tax was a little abrasive at 4 euros a day just to see the city. It makes sense though given that Rome is the world capital or tourism. For me the most rewarding feeling was not the monuments that changed the course of history but one small basilica named San Luigi dei Francesi which held the work of Caravaggio, who is in my opinion the greatest painter to emerge from Italy. Seeing his works The Calling of St. Matthew, The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, St. Matthew and the Angel was something that left me feeling such a sense of enlightenment and inner peace. When I exited the church I felt so much joy that I shouted at the top of my lungs, drawing in a little too much attention from local authorities. I could care less who stares though, I saw the paintings I've desired to see for years, at last! Thanks for all the love Rome!
