Our 3-day stay at Mario's home was a fantastic introduction to Italian hospitality. Not only is his home beautiful and comfortable, but Mario himself went out of his way to welcome us. He met us at the metro station (which is a quick walk down the street past convenient market shops of all the things you may need), helped us with luggage, and even provided city maps and a bottle of wine!

When we mentioned we'd not eaten for far too long (having slept on the plane and missing meals) he offered to cook us our first meal in Italy! We took him up on it and were treated to a delicious homemade pasta + veggie dish.

Maybe it was just us being exhausted from all the trekking around the city, but the bed at Mario's has got to be one of the most comfortable ones ever. Also, since we stayed during the freakishly hot heat wave in September and were taking 2 showers a day just to feel not-so-grimey, having the option to wash the clothes we'd worn before leaving Rome was a great help - Mario has a wee washer in the kitchen, and plenty of clothesline on the balcony to air dry everything.

We miss Rome already, and whenever we make it back, we'll definitely be looking to stay at Mario's again!