La Dolce Vita

For decades our Granny has been taking an annual pilgrimage to Italy, a place that has always held a special place in her heart. Through the course of her life, she has learned Italian and traveled across multiple timezones, flights, and 20+ hours of travel to get to her beloved Italy, determined to explore every inch possible - no mean feat for someone who is 93 years old.

I have long wanted to visit Italy and with the possibility that these next few years could be her last trips we jumped at the chance to visit with her and see Rome through her eyes and stories.

Our time in Rome was as relaxing as it was exciting. Traveling at a 93-year-old’s pace definitely suited me - early morning exploration, resting during the hottest part of the day, and regrouping just in time for aperitivo - usually a chilled spritz or Negroni, when in Rome! For such a populated and busy city, in the peak of the tourist Summer season, it still felt relaxed and slow-paced, giving us time to explore with Granny but never feel rushed or overwhelmed.

While we wanted to spend as much time as possible with Granny we knew we had to see the sights. Leaving Granny to her own adventures we signed up for a walking city tour - the kind where the guide has a little flag for us all to follow - and hit the Roman streets.

Our 8-hour walking tour took us to every corner of Rome, from the Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum, The Parliament to The Vatican City. With history, almost beyond comprehension, it was incredible to see the makings of modern civilization dotted amongst the bustle of the Roman streets.