An evening with Rome Tourism

The other night I was invited to a Rome tourism press event at the Crystal London by Comitel & Partners. Travelling is one of my favourite things to write about on this little space of mine, and having never been to Rome (or Italy in fact!), I was intrigued to learn more about what this beautiful city had to offer.

I arrived at the Crystal in London - a beautiful building that I never knew existed in London until the other night! - to warm welcomes and a journalist pass pressed into my hand. With my press pass around my neck, and my camera and notebook in hand, I made my way to the press room filled with a mix of journalists, travel writers and bloggers.

Speaking to us that evening was Leonardo Maria Costanzo, the head of Rome Tourism. He was a passionate speaker and clearly very proud of his city. He invited us to watch a couple of videos which combined panning shots of a city so palatial in its architecture and so full of history, with the now in the form of couples dancing the Charleston on Rome's streets. He said that seeing the videos always filled him with pride and emotion. And it was not difficult to see why. Seeing this video footage gave me a further urge to hop on a plane to this city that I have yearned to visit for the longest time.

Did you know that the average visitor to Rome only spends 2 days there? Leonardo said such a length of time was an insult to the city, as that was not nearly enough time to enjoy the very best of Rome. A lot of people associate Rome with the key tourist hot spots like the Trevi fountain and the Colosseum, but Leonardo stressed how Rome is so much more. I had never heard of Cinecitta Studios or Cinecitta world theme park before (located just outside of Rome), but I have since googled it and the attractions sound amazing!

What I found most fascinating was that I didn't realise that Rome was such a great hub for visiting other places in Italy. Did you know that Milan is only three hours away by train or one hour away by air from Rome? And that Naples is only one hour away by train, and from Naples, Capri is within reach by ferry? The possibilities are endless.

Interestingly enough, the previous mindset of the city was that Rome didn't need to be promoted, that reputation alone would be enough. Leonardo explained how tourism spend had gone from thousands of euros to millions of euros, as they want to drive a high quality, more luxe visitor experience going forward. Part of this being the rather exciting opening of new luxe hotels in Rome. For instance Rocco Forte Hotel in 2019 and  W by Marriott in 2021

One thing that struck me (and several others it seems!) was the lack of Italian cuisine in Leonardo's presentation. But fair enough, he simply didn't want to adhere to stereotypes and said he couldn't deny that food is still very much a key element to their city!

And with that, the press conference ended and we were invited for food. We were offered a selection of Italian salads, breads, cheeses and cured meats. Chefs wheeled out cauldrons of pasta amatraciana to applause. This was not something that I have had before, but I was told it was a local specialty consisting of a tomato based sauce containing some form of ham, be it sliced ham, pancetta or pork cheek. It was absolutely beautiful - especially when paired with a glass of Italian red wine - and to this day I am still so inspired, I will be recreating myself at home next week!

Seafood salad with smoked paprika and peppers

Lemon chicken with tomato and olive dressing

 Mozzarella and freshly made pesto

The whole meal was a blessed celebration of Italian cuisine, accompanied by wonderful music. Another first for me was the orzo and pesto salad. Fret not dear readers, I have OF COURSE had pesto before (life would be really sad without pesto!), but it was the orzo I had not tried before. And you know what? I would again. Orzo with pesto is a tasty, tasty thing.

I miraculously managed to avoid any penne amatraciana or pesto spillages on my white blouse. And I was secretly quite chuffed that my bag - a new purchase from Accessorize the other day -  matched the wine I was drinking. The bags I carry are usually linear with their straight lines and corners, so going from this to round with zero corners was quite the adjustment. I love the autumnal berry shade and the way it swings when you walk.

Dessert was delicate little pots of tiramisu. I would have smuggled some home if humanly possible #SmallBagProblems

Thank you to Comitel & Partners and Rome Tourism for inviting me and I look forward to visiting your beautiful country soon!

#EnjoyRespectRome

A British girl in Paris: Part Une

If you can, cast your minds back to the start of December. I arrived at King's Cross ready for the 8am Eurostar crossing, bundled in so many layers that I felt like the michelin man. I stepped off the Eurostar late morning to a dark, drizzly, and absolutely freezing Paris. Being far too early to check in, we left our bags in our hotel's reception (a stone's throw away from Gare du Nord station) and went exploring to build up our appetite for lunch. A long walk later, we made it all the way to Notre Dame where we sheltered from the weather a while. I could spend hours in Notre Dame.

Outside, Notre Dame was looking pretty festive with it's Christmas tree and lights.

Hunger finally caught up with us and we stopped at Le Depart de Saint Michel (1 Place Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, France), where we enjoyed a goat's cheese salad, snails, and boeuf bourguignon all washed down with a carafe of red wine.

By then our room was ready so we were able to check in and warm up for a bit.

The cold really took it out of us so we had a relatively easy first day. That evening we walked from the Arc de Triomphe right down the Champs-Elysees which had the prettiest Christmas lights and shops with the most incredible festive decorations. We found Laduree but the store had already shut by then :(

We finished up the day at the Champs-Elysees Christmas market which has the nicest atmosphere when you go at night. It's always interesting looking at the different craft stalls but a dilemma and a half deciding what to eat / drink. We settled for chips and then hot chocolate / mulled wine to warm our numb fingers. I liked my Christmas market cup so much that I washed it up and took it back to the UK with me as a keepsake!

I was in Paris exactly a month before all the atrocities happened in Paris. It was a huge shock and it's times like these that I despair for humanity. Namely the selfish few who feel no compassion and take pleasure in the suffering of others with no thought to the friends and families of those killed. It disgusts me. My heart goes out to the people of Paris <3

Until next time... stay tuned for Paris - part deux!

* full marks to those of you who got my SATC reference in the title!