The best way I know how to celebrate an accomplishment is to go to Rome. I was recently selected to be a Department of Energy Fellow. To celebrate we rented this apartment. It was a great location with beautiful views of the city center.
The train ride down from Vicenza was eventful. There were multiple delays, and drunk Americans on their way to Florence. I know they were drunk because they drank straight vodka out of water bottles for the three-hour ride to Florence. Things were quiet after they left.
As planned we met Dr. LeVeness, one of my professors from graduate school for dinner, and my dear friend Denise also from graduate school. She has a dream job at the American Embassy in Rome. No Rome trip is complete without a visit to my friend Carlos' restaurant Baires. We spent the evening reminiscing about the amazing times we all had in grad school. Dr. LeVeness has this amazing gift of making the people around him feel like they are smartest people in the room. It's a lovely gift.
Saturday morning I woke up early to do a little shopping without Ryan. We met up around noon for lunch at Court Delicati. This is supposed to be the best Asian restaurant in Rome. It did not disappoint. It is located a little outside of the city center near the UN, my old stomping ground when I was in grad school. We visited San Giovanni and The Mouth of Truth. Exhausted from walking around in the 90 degree heat all day we stopped for a few cold ones at a bar to decide on dinner.
We settled on Sapore di Mare. It was an average seafood dinner which does not say much I know.
Sunday we met Dr. LeVeness and his colleague Dr. Clarke for a very fancy brunch. Plenty of prosecco and an all you can eat buffet. We stuffed ourselves for hours then said our goodbyes before taking a taxi to our train. Dr. LeVeness will visit us in September. I cannot wait!
Our Roman getaway was just what the doctor ordered.
