Eating in Rome

Dining in Rome last week I was………….

 Bewildered by the thousands of restaurants in the ancient city. Which one should I pick?

Confused about why I let pushy café owners bully me into eating in their establishments

Curious why the waiters all have bow ties, are short, dark haired and take their jobs so seriously

Troubled by the fact Rome has so many pickpockets I need to closely guard my handbag the whole time I’m eating

Puzzled about how they keep the tablecloths such a pristine white

Intrigued by the international flavor of my fellow diners. What languages are they speaking and what are they saying?

Not understanding why people visiting chilly Rome in February insist on eating outside on a patio – then I start people watching and I understand exactly why

Thinking about how minestrone soup got its name.

Indecisive about selecting my pasta-there seem to be a hundred different kinds. What do they all look like and what will they all taste like?

Undecided about whether to put butter on my bread or dip it in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette and virgin olive oil

Eyeing with envy the thick, rich, many-layered lasagna and tiny raviolis swimming in cream sauce the people at the next table have ordered. Should I have had that instead?

Wondering how the waiter knows what size and shape of glass to use for every different kind of wine.

Guessing which sixties song the guitarist serenading us while we eat will sing next

Trying to figure out how they stuffed my delicious cannelloni

Determining whether I can sneak another bite of my husbands truffles and spaghetti bolognaise without upsetting him

Contemplating the reason why they serve the salad after the main course and without any dressing

Pondering whether tiramisu or amaretto gelato is sweeter

Losing sleep over how many calories Italian food has

Unsure about how I’ll lose all the weight I’ve gained in Rome

Glad Rome is an easy city to get lost in so we walked miles and miles every day to find our way around. Hopefully that balanced the effect of our sumptuous meals.