Sophia met us at the Metro station (sweet of her) and escorted us to her home. There we were pleasantly surprised with the amenities, which included an air conditioner (yea, very nice to have in Rome!), a bottle of rosso vino, two tarts, ample storage space , a comfortable bed, a washing machine steps from our bedroom, a neat and clean shared bathroom and a well stocked kitchen (we got our first "how to make espresso" lesson.

The neighborhood seems to be Rome "middle class". We never felt unsafe, even late at night. It is a 2 1/2 block walk to the Metro A line's Giulio Agricola station. From there the Metro A wisks you into the City Center (12 stops to Termini, about 20 minutes. The station is on Via Tuscolana - a major shopping area.

Getting to know Sophia and Daniel was more interesting to us than Rome's fantastic sites. They are warm and friendly and really make you feel at home in their home. Sophia was kind enough to take me shopping for an Italian SIM card shopping (she comparison shopped 3 stores!) and share some family pasta, meatballs and mussels with us.

Her advice and guide book were very on point for our 3 day trip. We hope to stay with them again in the future.