Rome - Day 3&4 — Patti Part Two

So much to do here! We’re trying to make sure and take in not just the sights but the ambiance of this beautiful city. For one, people walk much slower than in the US. Pretty sure I am pegged as an American just because I’m always passing everyone. So many of the streets have cobblestones so it’s better to slow down than twist an ankle. Better yet stop and have a glass of wine and reflect on your next couple of hours! Which brings up a question I have been pondering. Since wine is almost the same price as water, is it better to just drink wine?

So here are the main things we have done in the past two days. First The Pantheon. Two thousand years old and still in great shape. The dome is a marvel. Made from cement and not supported. The basilica of St Peter’s and the US Capital modeled after it. We did the Rick Steve’s audio tour. Worth it!

It was’t build as a church but is now considered to be one. That protects it and they do say mass inside.

Walked by the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj and made a spur of the moment decision to take the tour. A palazzo is basically a mansion that wealthy people live in. They had an adorable cafe inside so we grabbed a bite before taking the tour. No pictures allowed inside but they had the most amazing art collection which included three Caravaggio paintings and he is one of my favorite artists! Really a great surprise!

Lemon and orange trees in the center entrance. We could smell them from the street and that’s what peaked our interest.

A stop at the Victor Emmanuel Monument which is their tomb of the unknown soldier and such a huge impressive structure.

I am obsessed with paper products and Italy is known for having the best. Much of the paper is handmade. I had to stop at the store I remembered from my first trip here that I loved.

Still as great as I remembered. Just deciding what to buy!

We found the Jewish Ghetto and stumbled across more ancient ruins. Pretty sure it was Trajan’s Column but at that point food was a bigger focus for us. Still awesome to stumble across.

You might be thinking....aren’t they going to the Vatican? Yes! We spent over 4 hours there on a wonderful tour and it was incredible. I had been there 12 years ago and couldn’t believe how little I remembered. This tour got us into The Sistine Chapel early before the thousands of people fill it so full you can’t even move. They don’t allow pictures but breathtaking is how I would describe it. Then we went through the museum which is so vast and then into St Peter’s which is enormous and spectacular.

How did we get a picture with no one else in it? Believe me there were thousands of people and in the summer twice as many. Really amazing and no way you can take it all in.

The pictures can’t begin to show you the size of everything. Those letters on the gold band are each 6 feet tall!

All the food here has been incredible. There are so many tiny cafes and trattorias that it would take you forever to try them all, but one in particular we couldn’t help but notice. It was very close to our apartment and the line would start forming early in the evening and extend around the corner of the building till late at night. So we decided we had to try it and planned to get there at 7:30 which is early in Italy. When we arrived there was a line but we were seated in about 10 minutes which was quicker than we expected. I think part of the following is that everyone is very friendly that works there.and the food was wonderful!

Spaghetti and meatballs for me and pasta carbonara for Julie. We were so glad we tried it!

We ended the day at a tiramisu shop called Two Sizes because they only sell tiramisu in two sizes! The flavors available were original (coffee), caramel, pistachio, peanut butter and strawberry. We picked small peanut butter because in the states you can get the original - but probably not peanut butter. They have tiramisu shops in addition to gelato shops all over. Something I hope comes to the states soon!

So that’s what we’ve been up to! It was our last full day in Rome. Heading out tomorrow and I hope you come along!

Ciao for now!