24 Hours in Rome

Back in 2018, I traveled to Italy and Greece for a classic Mediterranean vacation. After some enjoyable time in the sun, amazing meals by the seaside, and walks along the pristine beaches, sadly, I had to return to the reality that was my office, and the paperwork waiting for me.

On this trip however, my wife planned to stay with her family in Lazio for an extra week; while she packed her bags for the beach, I on the other hand, packed my bags for the return trip home. As it happened, our flight from Athens brought us back to Italy, and so I had less than 24 hours in Rome before my next flight. Rather than lounge around near the airport, and my wife take the train to her family, we decided to have an Anthony Bourdain style layover in the capital.

Knowing we had less than 24 hours in Rome, we decided to wing it. We were short on time, but we had a general sense of what we wanted to do. For us, nothing beats a tour of some excellent food spots, so we let that be our guide. We decided that we wouldn’t plan any particular place to visit, but we wanted to accomplish three things: 1) Eat Roman Pizza 2) Have a traditional Roman pasta for dinner, and 3) Find a gelato shop.

Looking back, if you ever get the chance to do a flash visit in a city, I recommend it. There’s something about the spontaneity that makes it special – you let the city speak to you, and let your destination give you the memories it wants you to remember.

In our case, for our “day trip” in Rome, we found our way to Bonci, spent a evening in Trastevere at Da Enzo, walked around the Trastevere neighborhood, and then discovered Otaleg gelato to end the night. No reservations made, no detailed itinerary, just the anticipation of new discoveries. Below is a travelogue of our quick visit in Rome, and perhaps some inspiration for your Roman travels.

Bonci

This was the first stop we made (we still had our luggage with us). We heard about Bonci, and knew we had to try some pizza al taglio. We traveled through the bustling streets in our cab, surrounded by those azzurri skies, and the trees dotting the scene. Then we arrived at Bonci for Roman pizza.

For the uninitiated, Roman pizza differs from Neapolitan pizza in two ways: there is the tonda-style, which is flatter and crispier than a Neapolitan pizza, and allows for more toppings. The second is pizza al taglio (“pizza by the slice”), which is cut, weighed, and then sold to the hungry visitor.

Bonci is pizza al taglio, and located in the Prati neighborhood – it’s well-known as of the best places for pizza by the slice, and Bonci prides himself on creating inventive flavor combinations. In a city dominated by famous artists who paint and sculpt, Bonci is a modern day artist, his canvas, the pizza.

We ordered an assortment of slices, so we could try a little bit of magic from each slice. It did not disappoint. The pizza was wonderfully crunchy (ah, the schrocciarella), the flavors fresh and distinct. As we continued our bites, and sipped on cold Italian beer watching everyday Romans move about, we understood in that moment why Bonci’s is beloved by all – at Bonci, tourists and locals unite.

Da Enzo

After our Bonci experience, we set our sights on Trastevere. In Rome, there are twenty-two “neighbourhoods” or “Rioni”, and Trastevere is one of them (Rione XIII). If you’re looking for a lively evening, then Trastevere will deliver. Amongst the cobbled streets are many choices for someone looking for a drink, or dinner.

As the night sky turned from orange to black, and the street lamps flickered, we walked around until we saw a trattoria bustling. The place was crowded, but happy. Just outside the trattoria entrance, tables were set and people were enjoying their wine and pasta. We waited among the crowd and thought this seemed like a fine place to try some Roman pasta.

While we waited for a chance to find out about a table, we enjoyed the scenery before us. Friends and family talking, spirited conversations from groups walking by, the old buildings holding all their secrets. Just as we were about to take a step closer to the door, out came a man, guitar strapped over his shoulder, shouting in Italian, and rousing the crowd. The crowd obliged and the man strummed his guitar, singing a lively rendition of “‘o surdato ‘nnamurato” (one of my wife’s favorites, as it happens).

After the impromptu concert, we spoke to the hostess about a table. “Per due?” she asked, scanning the space for some empty chairs (there weren’t many). “Si, per due” we replied hopefully. We could see space was tight, but she looked at us and said “I have two, but you have to share a table”.

Dining with Others

Of course, we would share, I thought, we are here together – but as we neared our table, I understood what our hostess meant – we were sharing with strangers. Trattorias are generally small restaurants, and Da Enzo is as quaint as they come. We were fine to share a table with two other people (when in Rome…) – they were two friends traveling together from New York; one was an Italian who grew up in New York. We exchanged questions, conversations and got their recommendations. They knew of my wife’s Italian hometown of Sperlonga, which we shared a good laugh about; the connection created with these strangers, who became our dinner partners, enriched the evening.

I ordered the carbonara, my wife ordered gricia. Both were fantastic, and authentic – we shared some wine, some more pasta, and then dessert. Even though we knew were soon to be searching for gelato, we couldn’t help but complete our meal with some dolci. We thanked our dinner partners, and wished them well on their trip; then we packed up ourselves and thanked our hostess for a perfect start to an evening in Trastevere.

Otaleg

We sauntered around the square, looking for gelato, when we found Otaleg. If you’re wondering about the name, it’s gelato spelled backward (I love wordplay). As it was later in the evening, there were a few other people getting some gelato. We stepped into the small store and peered into the glass cases with flavors abound. Difficult to make a choice, but when traveling with a generous partner, sharing is always an option.

We picked our flavors (I got a classic cioccolato, my wife, pistachio), and shared and exchanged tasting notes. The gelato was fantastic (of course, it’s one of the many things Italians are known for), and much like the entire evening. We continued around the piazza, watching the night crowds scurry home for the night. And just like that, we completed our quick tour of Rome, and headed to our Airbnb.

The Home Stretch

Once the sun rose, I picked up my bag and waited for a taxi to take me to Fiumicino. While I waited for my taxi, I recounted with my wife, under the azzurro sky. the fun excursion we had yesterday. It was truly a fantastic way to spend less than a day in Rome – we’ll have to try it again.

For some, it may be difficult to throw away the pre-planned itinerary, but as I reflect on this day trip, I’m reminded of the erudite traveler in Seinfeld, Mr. J. Peterman – when Elaine says to him “I’m sorry, I don’t even know where I’m going”, he replies “That’s the best way to get someplace you’ve never been.”