The Last Days of Rome

We did things a little backward on Saturday night; we had dinner first then our passagarie. We had run out of steam in the late afternoon, but dinner recharged us and we took a very long walk. We went back to the Campo di Fiore and then Piazza Navona which was quite a spectacle as there was a carnival taking up the entire Piazza. Unfortunately it was difficult to take everything in as you could not see from one end to the other, but it probably did not matter as the center fountain was under restoration and there was a bunch of scaffolding around it. Next we hit the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and then the Quirinale (the home of the Italian President). We then made our way back toward home via some of the smaller streets and saw the hotel we stayed in during our honeymoon. Lastly, we stopped at the gelato shop by our apartment for a well deserved treat and had some of the best gelato on this trip. Rome had done a great job of lighting the major sites so they can be visited in the evening and have a very romantic feeling.

Sunday (12/2) started with a light sprinkle and then changed into heavier rain. We walked by Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) which is mostlt just a big grassy area with a few ruins at one end. We then walked along the Tiber for bit then crossed over into the Trastevere area. This turned out to be a very pleasant neighborhood with quaint streets and little traffic. It didn’t hurt that it was a rainy Sunday morning either. We walked by the Santa Maria in Trastevere which has a very picturesque exterior, but did not go in due to Sunday mass. This was the case with all the churches we went by today.

Next stop Il Ghetto (the old jewish ghetto area) and got in line at a bakery where the line was out the door. We weren’t sure what the specialty was but figured it had to be good. We had some good stuff, but the staff seems to purposely work slow to make sure there is a line at all times. We walked through the Campo di Fiori and saw some beautiful flowers. One of the most unique sites there was cotton on the stalk. We then went to Il Gesu (the Jesuit church) which looks more like a government building than a church from the outside. I got to peak at the interior while trying to determine if services were going on. It was really beautiful.

We then made our way to the Spanish steps and walked to the top today. I have to say this is one thing the guide books really do over sell as the view from top is not that great since you are not much higher than the rest of the roofs. We skirted the edge of Villa Borghese and decided we should come back with Parilla.

We stopped at Dagnino patisserie near the Termini station to try out some Sicilian pastries. We picked up cassatatinis (mini cassata cakes from Sicily that have bright green icing) and some stuffed rice balls that has ground beef and peas in a sauce. Pretty good stuff. As we continued back to the apartment it really started to rain so it seemed perfect timing to take a break.
For dinner we made Polpette di Vitello e Spinaci (veal and spinch patties) with Insalata di Finocchio e Caprino (fennel and goat cheese salad). The patties were very good and for the salad we substituted fresh ricotta for the goat cheese which turned out perfect. We are getting ready to head out for the nightly walk now.

This morning (Monday, 12-3) we headed out to see the last sites we could squeeze in. We hit Il Gesu, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva and then the Pantheon (do not miss this) and then St. Luigi dei Francesi (the official French church in Rome). St Luigi is a must see as there are 3 Carrivagios.

We then started wandering and have covered a lot of ground and it is not quite 1:00 pm.

Said Hi to Saint Pete

Saturday (12/1), first thing we went to the market. We had our list and were not disappointed. We bought vegetables, lamb chops and veal. We are looking forward to cooking. After the market we went to Panella (the bakery we went to yesterday with all of the gorgeous window items) and picked up some pastries for dessert. After dropping off the groceries and Parilla, we headed out.

We took the subway for the first time. The subway was very clean and modern and did not strike fear in me like so many of the things I had read about it said it would. We got off along with almost everyone else on the subway at St. Peters. We came into the Square from the side, but it is impressive from any angle. After taking pictures and examining the exterior we then got in line to go inside, which luckily had gone down quite a bit and moved very quickly. It is hard to describe how spectacular it is. We were both expecting it to be like our experience at the Sistine Chapel which was not very peaceful and terribly over crowded but we were pleasantly surprised. People were quite and respected the environs. We are glad we waited in line. When we exited we walked down the Via della Conciliazione which is the street leading into the square. This is worth the walk as the view is great.

Next we walked by Castel Sant’ Angelo and over the Tiber. We made our way to the Spanish steps. We then grabbed some pizza a taglio (take away) wandered some more. Our last major stop for the day was Santa Maria Della Concezione. This was originally a Capuchin convent which is famous for its cemetery. The walls and ceilings of the 5 chapels are decorated with skeletons and loose bones of about 4,000 capuchin monks who died between 1528 and 1870. It is a very odd sight.

For dinner Aaron cooked a great meal, Costolette d’Agnello alla Calabrese (Lamb chops calabria style with tomatoes, peppers and olives). Another great Italian meal in Italy.