Last Hurrah in Roma

So there's always the big plan for the day and then there's reality right? That's how this day played out. The plan was to hit the Colosseum, The Vatican, and St. Peter's Basilica. If you've been there, it's A LOT to cover in one day. But with a decently early start and a metro ticket, one can cover all that in a day.

I got up early enough for it to be on the cusp of missing breakfast downstairs which isn't entirely bad since it's expensive. Breakfast could be had elsewhere. Jason was sleeping longer and I didn't want to wake him. I spent quiet time nibbling on the snacks we bought yesterday, combined with the complimentary fruit and reading a pregnancy book. Upon texting Rickey to get an idea of what our departure time might be, I found he was in a similar situation. Fernanda was still fast asleep so there was no hurry at the moment.

Jason woke up around 10:30 so I texted Rickey again to say we were now both awake. Fernanda however, was still fast asleep and for whatever reason, Rickey didn't feel the need to toss her out of bed and get her butt in gear. Instead, he took in some scene and sun on the Spanish Steps and visited the church at the top. So we went back and forth about what to do with the day since Fernanda had no interest in purchasing a metro ticket (it only costs 1 Euro per trip) and wanted to walk the city instead. Problem is, the Colosseum is at one point of the city and the Vatican is at the other end. And being that it was already 11:30, she had wasted half their day.

After much frustration on both sides and the tired girl still asleep, we finally decided we would leave it up to Rickey whether to get tough with her or do things her way while we did our own thing until 3:30 where we would meet up with them at The Vatican. So off we went, to get lunch. We revisited Le Grotte. This time I ordered the spaghetti aglio e olio con pepperoncino. Not as good as Vini e Vizi but the pasta was still delicious.

Being that lunch felt really filling we ended up walking. I was a little annoyed because I'd purchased a 3 day Metro pass in the expectation that I would get my money's worth with it. I'd also planned on exiting the Metro by the Piazza di Popolo and walking through the streets toward the Vatican where there were a number of stores along the way. Instead, Jason was having us walk a different route so I wasn't happy with how most of the day had gone so far.

One highlight though was that we came across the baby boutique we'd both seen separately yesterday. It's called Nanan and it's absolutely adorable. Pristine and white inside, they have a product line with these adorable sleepy bears, like a bear hugging the bottom of a floor lamp, a toy chest with a bear that appears to be sitting inside it with his feet sticking out the bottom, and everything else you need to decorate a nursery. They also have the most precious clothes, like a little white dress, with white pea coat, and knitted mittens strung over the shoulders for a little girl. This is why all the kids in Italy look like they stepped out of a catalog. We fell in love with a little bear nightlight but didn't buy it, thinking we'd be walking around all day and night. Turns out you can only purchase items in store, not even online! We missed our opportunity so we need help from Patrick. But I'm excited to have something only from Rome for the baby.


We arrived at St. Peter's early, about 2:30 or so. As we walked around, a guide said the last tour began at 3PM. So we asked how long everything was open. Turned out the Vatican would let people in until 4PM and St. Peter's would close its doors by 6PM. So I text Rickey to find out where they are at this point, in hopes that they could get here sooner since the sun was already dipping in the sky. Turned out they walked and were on an island that was a 30 minute walk if they hustled. We decided that we would head in to St. Peter's, leave it up to them to visit the Vatican first, and meet them eventually in the basilica. Rickey decided to skip the Vatican as St. Peter's was more important to him.

St. Peter's is absolutely and literally breathtaking. I still remember walking in the first time and feeling my heart beat faster when I stepped into the main body of the basilica. It's enormous, gorgeous, and there really is a feeling of something ethereal inside. Jason took a number of incredible photos, including some cool shots of the sunbeams shooting through the stained glass by the front altar. The altar alone is intimidating and awe inspiring at the same time.

My heart sank a little by the time I got the message that Rickey and Fernanda arrived because they had already ushered people back from the front section of the church. This is the procedure to slowly move people toward the exit as the day wears on. So little by little, they move these partitions further and further, cutting more and more of the basilica off to the public.

Rickey was angry and frustrated, Fernanda seemed clueless. But they were both glad to be there. So we spent time taking in the beauty of the place, reflecting, and stayed until they were ready to go. We had plenty of time before dinner with Patrick and Marta so we took our time sauntering into different little stores, one of which Fernanda bought some little trinkets to bring home to her family, and finally settling at a cafe for a time to grab a snack and a drink.

We slowly made our way over to the Trastevere neighborhood where all the locals go for great food and drink. We met Patrick, Marta, and Patrick's best friend, Cristian at Checco er Carettiere where the food was probably the best of all the nights we'd had dinner with them. We had appetizers and then an outstanding pasta Amatriciana, Marta's favorite. At the end of the night, we found one last place for gelato and ate in the brisk night with locals swarming the area. We caught a cab back to the hotel as we were all tired and it was too far to walk.

We got back to the hotel and there was some confusion in providing money from our various wallets to pay the cab driver. Fernanda had the nerve or denseness to step out of the cab without paying a cent. So this was the end of our trip since Rickey had a flight first thing in the morning. We hugged for a long time, with tears (mostly from him) =) and lots of love to send each other on our way.
We packed our bags, preparing for our own flight the next day. Next stop... Denver, Colorado.

A Castle, Gelato, Pizza, and more Gelato

Today we took our time heading out for the day. I slept in a little longer instead of joining Jason for breakfast and it was nice to enjoy breakfast on my own. I packed up our bags into a cab and headed off to the De La Ville. Rickey in the meantime, headed out to find breakfast somewhere. He returned after I'd checked in, with a large donut looking cake and a panini in hand. Since being gone, the hotel had decorated for Christmas. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving so Christmas is a huge deal.

The plan was to take him to a few sights before Fernanda arrived in the afternoon. The young lady was very vague as to when she'd be arriving at the hotel so Rickey arranged with the front desk to take care of her if she arrived before we got back. That way there wasn't any concern of being back right on time. The most frustrating thing is that she wasn't travelling with a cell phone so there was literally no way to communicate with her.

So off we went, grabbing a Metro card for Rickey so we could get around easier and so that he'd already have one tomorrow when running around from the Colliseum to the Vatican. We stopped off at Piazza di Popolo to take in the people milling around for a little bit, watching the pushy guys trying to sell flowers to passersby. You actually have to avoid eye contact with them and then if they approach you, you can't be polite otherwise they stay, insisting they want to give you a flower. I basically put a hand up in front of one guy's face saying, "NO" very bluntly and going back to what I was doing before he walked away. Even then, it took him two seconds to actually move away.

From there, we walked out toward the water and I was craving gelato. We happened to find a great place that had something like 70 flavors! There was an entire case of dairy free ones too. Not just a couple sorbetto flavors, but 3 different flavors of chocolate and others. Rickey was in heaven. It was the first time I'd seen rice flavored gelato, which actually had pieces of rice in it. I remember years ago, a friend telling me it was so good. So I had to try it. I paired it with a ginger cinnamon so it was like eating a frozen horchata. Sooo tasty. The place is called Il Gelato, located at Viale dell’Aeronautica 105, though they have other locations too. The guys working there were delightful and happy to take a picture with Rickey. The guy who I believe is the owner, asked Rickey to send the picture to him so he can post it on their Facebook page.

We walked along the water, admiring some of the architecture and the river along the way. Rickey decided that the palace next to Castel Sant'Angelo is his new residence. Just a little home away from home. We eventually arrived by Castel Sant'Angelo which has an incredible bridge framed with statues of angels holding the elements of the Passion of Christ. My favorite one is holding a spear but she looks like she's rocking out on a guitar. =)

The Castle was originally built by Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for him and his family. It was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle and now is a museum. It also has a little cafe up top with outdoor seating which has a beautiful view of the city.

We walked through the castle, up through the tunnels, and into the different rooms that have varieties of art pieces. Some rooms have tapestries, some have old rifles (with incredible detailing on the handles), swords, military uniforms, and there's one room that has some huge wooden trunks inside. We finally took the stairs to the top where you have a little more than a 180 degree view of the city. When we got up there it was dusk so the light in the sky was rosy and the lights on some of the buildings were just coming on. I didn't tell Rickey where the stairs led but after the surprise of the Trevi Fountain, I swore to myself I would capture his emotion somewhere along the way on this trip. We came up with the city stretched out in front of us and he gasped. He got very quiet as we looked around. I looked back and he was trying to hold it together but definitely overwhelmed. So I quietly snapped away and got this photo:

I hugged him while he said he was just grateful for the whole experience in Europe and the fact that we got to share these days in Rome. We took our time taking in the view until the sun was going down and the lights lit up the night. We made our way down back onto the street to find our way back to the Metro. Along the way, because I was starving, we stopped into a little market. We settled on a variety of nuts, cheese, crostini, and fruit. It was perfect because I could nibble on enough to tie me over while we walked to the Metro. I've discovered on the trip I'm sensitive to motion sickness. I mean like, riding on a metro train, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, made me a little queasy.

We arrived back at the hotel at 5:30 or so. Fernanda said she would be there around 4PM at the latest. She showed up at 6PM. We were just hanging out in our respective rooms, Jason had been relaxing, taken a shower and a nap, before heading out for dinner with Patrick and Marta at 9PM. They chose a traditional Roman pizzeria called Montecarlo. Patrick warned us ahead of time that the service may be rude compared to other restaurants we'd been to but it was traditional and really good food. We trusted his choice and everyone liked the idea of true Roman dining.

After meeting Fernanda in the lobby, we headed out on foot since there was no Metro near where we were headed. Being that we left late, we took off on a speed walk. Good against the cold and working up an appetite. I made the mistake of thinking Jason knew exactly where we were going. Instead, he was headed toward the Piazza that was closest to the restaurant based off Patrick's email. So we landed in Campo di Fiori which is about 2 or 3 blocks away from where Montecarlo is located. I didn't realize he'd led us without looking at the actual address. Good thing I had it written down.

We arrived a few minutes later and we were led to a long table squeezed in between two other parties at our backs. The restaurant is bright and bustling inside. The restaurant is all about churn and burn. Very opposite your typical European restaurant. There's no option for coffee after dinner and they don't want you lingering after you're done eating. On a busy night (weekend usually) they have all kinds of people waiting to get in. They're known for their 'personal' pizzas, way bigger than a personal sized one but because they are paper thin it's possible to finish it. Patrick suggested a plate of Frieds, a variety of, well, fried things - zucchini flowers, mozzarella, mushrooms, olives, and these risotto and cheese balls that were pretty good.

I wasn't thrilled with my pizza of mushrooms and onions, it needed more seasoning. But Jason liked his prosciutto and mushroom pizza, Rickey had a beautiful veggie pizza, and Fernanda got one that had a quail egg cracked into the middle. They're not about making the pizzas pretty, either. The onions on mine were just sprinkled in a pile in the middle. So it's left up to you to spread the onions around how you choose. Overall, people were very happy with their food. During dinner, we talked about other places we'd eaten and Patrick laughed, saying that Da Francesco is one of the best restaurants as is another we'd eaten at on our last visit, Dar Poeta. He'd been so eager to show us real Roman dining and here, we'd already experienced it.

But what we hadn't really experienced and needed a local guide for, was finding great gelato. After dinner, we walked around, first to get coffee for Patrick and Fernanda. We stopped into a cafe where they sidled up to the bar and Patrick polished off his espresso quickly. Fernanda had a latte which she drank pretty quickly too. Marta was very sweet and paid for her drink. Maybe it was the caffeine or just her youth but Fernanda, as we walked around, was visibly excited to be walking around Rome in the evening air. She was bouncing around and bubbly. Finally, Marta very calmly and matter of factly said, "You're very young, aren't you". We all laughed.

Eventually, we landed at Di San Crispino, located at Piazza della Maddalena, 3, right near the Pantheon. This is one of the top places in Rome to have gelato. They make some incredible flavors and I was just sad that we weren't able to return another day to try other flavors, like basil. Jason got a honey gelato that tasted like frozen honey butter. We both got a caramel meringue that actually had bits of meringue in it. You'd think with how cold it is outside we wouldn't get a cold dessert but this stuff is so good, it's worth the cold. The place didn't have a huge variety like Il Gelato but their flavors sounded incredible and they were great quality.

After finishing dessert, we said goodbye to Patrick and Marta with a vague plan to meet for dinner the next night somewhere upon Patrick's choosing. But we did request it be somewhere in Trastevere, where all the locals eat. We took our time heading back and walking by the big landmarks for Fernanda to see, like the Italian stock market building, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. This time, we all tossed coins in over our shoulders with our backs to the fountain, as tradition suggests. If the coin makes it into the fountain, it means you will return to Rome. Being that the fountain is about 65 feet wide and pretty deep, you'd think there's no way anyone could miss. But during the day, Rickey and I witnessed a blond woman attempt to throw one over her shoulder when her legs were literally up against the edge of the fountain. It was hysterical. She tossed the coin straight up in the air and it landed back in front of her! Her second attempt was a spastic motion but it got the job done.

We finally returned to the hotel, exhausted and headed to bed, preparing for a big sightseeing day the next day.

Chillin' in Rome

So the plan was to head into town after breakfast with Jason and meet Rickey at the De La Ville. His plan was to wake up early, do a light workout, then get breakfast. I figured with all the time it would take me to get there, it would work out just right. So I took my time getting ready and out the door. But when I sent him a text that I was headed out, he wrote back that he'd just woken up! Apparently, because he had been so used to the Duomo bells waking him in Florence, that's what he was waiting for this morning. Heehee.

Tourists in front of St. Peter's

Knowing this, I took my time walking to the Metro Station, this time being smart and walking to the RIGHT of Vatican City. It was quite a spectacle. Being that it was Wednesday, one could join a tour that would bring you to St. Peter's while the Pope addressed the public. This was about 9AM and I was surprised at how many people were already flooding in through the security gates and tour groups with their sea of yellow hats and leaders holding their little flags were making their way up the main walk. Police were in force as well. They had low metal barracades around the outer square with only one or two entrances into it. There was also scaffolding in the center and some chairs. Around sections of the columns lining the square was more scaffolding since they were slowly cleaning the whole structure. Amazing how dirty the place can get just from pollution. Unfortunately, with all these things obstructing the look, it wasn't the best time to get a picture of St. Peter's Square.

I continued on my enjoyable walk through the city to the Metro. When I arrived at Rickey's room, greeting my favorite doorman, Ernesto, on the way in, he was still in his robe and ironing his clothes for the day. Rickey completely embraced his adventure here, dressing a little nicer complete with a tie, each day, just like so many men do in Italy. The men are not wearing ties daily but even the young men who are dressed casually to hang with their friends are wearing nice, collared shirts, sleek shoes, and generally dressed to impress. As a female, I appreciated that they put the daily effort into their appearance.

I originally planned to take Rickey to see some sights since I didn't want him to miss anything and once his friend Fernanda arrived, it would be a big day of the Colliseum, Vatican and St. Peter's. But Rickey wanted to just spend the day together, taking the city in. So we did. =) We walked, grabbed breakfast at a great little cafe called Suggestum Cafe -via Veneto 14A. They had a10 Euro breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, and tea or coffee. I enjoyed my decaf cappucino, orange juice, and pear/ almond tart while Rickey enjoyed the breakfast. I can't speak for lunch there though we sat and talked long enough to actually welcome the lunch crowd in. That was sort of funny.

The next few hours, we generally stopped into kiosks looking for gifts for Rickey's family members back home as well as keeping an eye open for stores that might possibly have something for the baby. We also stopped by the Trevi Fountain in our wanderings and came across these incredibly powerful ads on the windows of a Benetton store right across from the fountain. The picture to the left is of the Pope and the current Sheikh of Al-Azhar. There was another poster of President Obama and the President of China, also in an embrace. These were so cool to see up on the storefront windows, sending such a powerful message. By the next night, this picture was no longer there.


Further in our wanderings, we came across a few toy/ kids shops but nothing for a baby. Plenty for kids who are 3 yrs and up. However, we did come across some great food shops and delis. I absolutely love the shops here, crammed with all these delicious, natural things, like jams, honey, truffles, oils, and pastas. But the best is always the cheese and meat counter. Huge slabs of prosciutto, salumi, and other meats hang from the ceiling or on high shelves while the cheese display is vast, complimented with olives, pasta salads, and a few other things that might tempt your tastebuds. The most astounding thing in the window was a basket with 2 white truffles in it... 380 Euro a hectogram. That is equal to 100 grams. They're like little funguses of gold. I wish there were more little cheese stores like this in the States. I'd be an avid customer.

Eventually, food was calling my name. A light meal/ heavy snack was all I needed. So we wandered the streets and settled on a place called Pizzarcano - via dei Pastini, which turned out to be blah. A guy in front of one of the other restaurants tried to flag us down for another restaurant but seemed happy to escort us into this one too. The owner seated us with a little boredom on his face, next to the waitress who was taking a break herself. We shared a 6 Euro caprese salad with mozzarella that was not good quality (great buffalo mozzarella has that soft and moist quality to the cheese) and 8 Euro prosciutto and mushroom pizza which lacked flavor. I wouldn't return here.

After eating, we headed back out, window shopping some more and eventually arrived at the Pantheon. Now that it was open, we could step inside. I'd forgotten how captivating it was inside with the towering dome up above and the massive doorway/ entryway. It was unbelievably cold inside, especially by the entrance since the air travelled from the entrance and up through the hole at the top of the dome. We took in the sights quietly and Rickey took a lot of pictures.

We went back out into the cold, wandering by the Vittorio monument. It's beautiful, all lit up at night right at the end of a huge roundabout. At this point, we made our way down a few little alleys and found an adorable shop called Thun. They make children's figurines, stuffed animals, and holiday stuff for the family, like tree decorations. What caught our eye were the incredibly cute animals, both porcelain and painted in soft, vintage colors and the stuffed versions of some of them as well. They're soft and so sweet. I just didn't want to buy one without Jason being there since there were a number to choose from. So we made a note of it and took off in search of dinner.

Again, with the help of Yelp (how did we find places before this site?) we decided on a place called Gusto. This time we also needed help on our GPS. It was a little confusing because we were looking for their main, sit down restaurant (located on via dei Pontefici). Turns out they have 3 different locations all within two blocks of each other. They have a nice little wine bar/ restaurant, there is an osteria/ formaggeria (pizza and cheeses), and then there's there full blown, 2 story place that has everything under one roof. It has the beautiful, swanky restaurant upstairs, the pizza on the first floor, and in the back it hosts the wine bar.

We went with the restaurant upstairs and were not disappointed. The place has a cool, comfortable feeling to it with the exposed pipes like in an old warehouse but whiteboard walls that make it more warm. Their menu is fantastic with so many choices. We started off with the fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cod and truffles. Sounded interesting and Rickey had never tried zucchini flowers before. These were delectable and beautifully plated. Just two long, graceful flowers placed on the plate.

Next, Rickey ordered a really good salad that I had a few bites of. Fresh with lots of ingredients that balanced out really well. For dinner, I ordered a black truffle pasta (the lady next to us had it and it smelled incredible) while Rickey enjoyed a black cod dish. Our theme for dinner was cod and truffles. It was such a treat. For dessert, we got a millefeuille. This time it was served with strawberries and chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. We spent a good chunk of time after that chatting some more and trying to plan out the next day since Jason and I would be moving back to the De La Ville but I alone would be handling the baggage while he was in training. I was looking forward to being back in a central location though.

Jason ended up not being able to join us since his work event ran late and by the time he was done, it was too late to come join us. So I would catch a cab back on my own. Now, I'd forgotten that catching a cab here is different than catching a cab say, in New York or San Francisco. You don't just flag a random cab in the street most of the time.

Rome actually has stations, sort of like bus stops, where the cabs, once finished with a fare, will return to and wait for their next passenger to hop in. Very civilized and convenient... so long as you know where one of these stops is located. After a few minutes of walking to the end of the block and seeing if there would be an available cab coming along, I realized we'd have to find a station. That concerned me because I had no idea where the nearest one was. Fortunately, there was one right up the street and just as we walked up, a cab drove up. I said goodbye to Rickey and hopped in my cab. I try to be hyper aware, especially if I'm riding solo, and not seem like a completely clueless tourist. I told the cab driver in my best Italian we were going to the Crown Plaza. He nodded and off we went.

He turned out to be very nice. He actually said in Italian, "It's pretty cold out there, huh?" Only problem is, I didn't catch what he said and I certainly don't know enough to carry on a conversation. I told him I really just spoke English. He guessed that I was a student, here studying Italian. HA! What a sweet guy. We conversed all the way back to the hotel and I gave him an extra tip for being so pleasant. The night ended with packing the bags to check out tomorrow. Yay!

Tea Time with a Best Friend

Sleep last night was awful. Jason and I both woke up around 4 AM stunned that the room had gotten so hot. The heater wasn't on and the A/C was broken so we couldn't cool it down unless we opened our balcony door. Jason was actually sweating. It's around 40 degrees at night so there's no reason it should be that hot but it was miserable. We actually left the door open all night and tried to go back to sleep.

We had to wake up again at 7AM in order to make it down for breakfast before Jason hopped on the bus that would take him and his colleagues to the training site. My original plan was to call down to the spa and make an appointment for a facial or massage (work research, of course) before heading into town but I was so tired I decided to lay back down since I knew I'd be out for most of the day with Rickey once he arrived in town. I was surprised at how hard it was to fall back asleep. I did manage to get a few hours in.

Once I was awake and got myself together, I decided to head to the city early, hop on the Metro, and wander on my own before Rickey came in around 2PM. I caught the shuttle with other tourists and looking at my map, decided to take what looked like the shorter route to the left of Vatican City to get to the Metro. What a terrible idea.

I should have walked to the right since eventually that's the direction I was going myself. But no, I walked to the left and landed in the middle of residential areas that I clearly was not supposed to be in. I kept going, stubbornly believing that I could get there rather than just turning around to go back the other way. You'd think being a city girl for part of my life I would know better.

But I followed my GPS and it led me up and down through neighborhoods until I was walking past more rundown buildings. Not the tenderloin necessarily but a far cry from the Spanish Steps. And the Metro station had all kinds of graffiti on it. I felt like an incredible idiot but had my city girl posture, walking like I knew exactly where I was going.

I managed to get onto the Metro with no problem, making a mental note to take the route to the right tomorrow. After a nice, quick ride in the tunnel, I came out in familiar territory, outside the Spanish Steps. I stopped into Babington's to see if I would need a reservation for tea later. The girl at the front wrote my name down on a card but it didn't look like a major issue to make a reservation.

I went back out, found a place to grab a slice and went back to the Steps to enjoy my lunch. It's the one and only time, after having climbed the steps so many times in the two trips, I actually sat down there to enjoy the sun and the view. Just a peaceful way to pass some time on my own. Shortly after that, I received a text that Rickey had arrived at the train station. I figured he would take the Metro in and it would take him some time to get to the hotel but he took a cab instead.

With uncanny perfect timing, I'd sat down in the hotel lobby for a brief moment when he walked by with the bellhop. I flagged him down at the elevator and it was such an ecstatic moment to see each other here in Rome! I chatted with him as he got settled in his room, surprisng him with the pregnancy news. This was one moment that I was so happy to be able to share with him in person, rather than over the phone, since he lives in San Diego. He cried which of course, made me cry. But I believe this sort of thing to be in the grand scheme of some higher power where we were able to take this "once in a lifetime" trip together.

Once he was settled, we headed down to Babington's. It's a pretty large tea room with cozy chairs and tables lining the rooms, a pastry display and store at the front of the establishment, and the ladies serving are dressed in cute knee length frocks. On certain days they offer classes like cake decorating. People were there to enjoy various things like a nice brandy and a treat, or some snacks, or even generous desserts. Rickey and I, having a lot of catching up to do, decided on high tea.

High tea comes with a LOT of food. There are a variety of tea sandwiches (cucumber, salmon, watercress, etc) served with a delicious, dark tea, as well as your choice of a slice of specialty cake or bowl of fruit, and finally a plate of their little desserts like brownies, cookies, pastries, and cakes. This was definitely a splurge kind of occasion but totally worth it. We sat there for an incredibly long time, something like 2.5 hours. At some point soon, we would be meeting Jason for dinner!

So we walked out and I took Rickey along the simplest route that would get him back to the hotel if he walked back on his own. He was smart and took pictures at major crossroads and landmarks like digital breadcrumbs. Since Jason's bus was taking awhile to leave the hotel, we took our time down Via del Corso and without telling him, walked Rickey right to the Trevi Fountain. It was lit up in all its glory and it caught him off guard. Immediately, his eyes filled with tears.

I was thrilled that he was so moved but a little surprised too. He took it in for a minute and then explained that a friend of his took a picture in front of the Trevi Fountain shortly before he passed away. We slowly then made our way across the street to the Pantheon and while Rickey was taking a few pictures I checked my phone, having lost track of time. Jason had been standing in our meeting place worrying about where I was since I hadn't answered the last three texts. Oops. :-/

Fortunately, he was just down the street at Piazza Navona. The Piazza was filled with artists and others selling their wares and there was even a woman starting a tap number in front of one of the restaurants. I couldn't believe she was going to tap on the stones!

We walked out of the Piazza since everything there is ridiculously expensive and wandered down a few side streets. You can get lost in a nice way down these curving little streets that have restaurants and cafes dotting them with the occasional guy outside trying to coax you in. Those are usually the places you want to avoid because they're not as good.

Jason thought there was a restaurant he wanted to try nearby so he pulled up the Yelp app (thank you Yelp!) and we found one right in front of us. Da Francesco (Piazza del Fico, 29, Rome, Italy). What an absolute treasure to stumble upon. You know it's a good sign when it's crammed with Italians inside. They squeezed us in at the end of a table where 2 guys were already seated. Very Italian that way, and Chinese for that matter. If there's a space in there, they'll put you there and you're now dining with another guest. This guy was very sweet and offered us, a number of times, a piece of flatbread he'd ordered. We politely declined and he shrugged his shoulders.

Our waiter, possibly the owner, was a handsome middle aged guy with a huge, warm smile and gray hair. He provided wonderful service and the food was top notch. I had a mouthwatering black tartufo bruschetta followed by a caprese salad. Tomatoes were fresh, basil was flavorful, and the cheese was delicious. The boys had bruschetta and salad, then Rickey had a truffle and mushroom pasta while Jason enjoyed a pizza.

After that, we decided to share a chocolate mousse. Really, Rickey and I had it since Jason's not big on mousse. It was rich and thick, nothing like pudding. So, so delicious and the perfect ending to our meal. We found out during our next dinner with Patrick that this is one of the top restaurants in Rome! We definitely will come back here next time since the food and service are outstanding and prices are really reasonable.



Rickey and I at the Four Rivers Fountain

Since our bus back to the hotel was near the Spanish Steps, we walked Rickey back, stopping into Piazza Navona again in order to take some pictures by the beautiful fountains and doing the same at the Trevi Fountain since there was hardly anyone there at this hour. We also came upon a huge structure with old columns in the front. Earlier it looked like they were repairing or preparing for something inside. There had even been security standing around outside. Now, the place was lit on the outside, with the colors of the Italian flag on three of the columns. The building used to house the Italian stock market apparently. And now it seemed they were renovating it. There would be a big speech the next day so I guess they were setting up for the press to come in.

After dropping him off at the De La Ville, we found our bus and after in unbelievably long wait (some of us had fallen asleep), at around midnight, we finally took off. It took almost 45 minutes just to get back to the hotel since they dropped off one group at their hotel first. The bus couldn't even drop us off at the front door since the front gate was closed. Being lazy rather than pulling up and buzzing in, the driver just let us out across the street, leaving us to figure out how to get back in. We were so happy to be back in our room, even if it was 80 degrees in there. We slept again, with the balcony door wide open.

Making New Friends

Today was a surprisingly late start. I managed to sleep through most of the night but finally woke up around 7:30 just to use the bathroom. I hoped I could go back to sleep for a few hours. I curled back up under the covers and the next thing I knew, Jason was waking me up, having already taken a shower. It was 11:30!

So with our late start and later checking out of our hotel to move to the next one for Jason's training, we grabbed a brunch down the street at a cafe where we paid way too much for things like water. But it was still way cheaper than our breakfast yesterday.

After filling our tummies, we walked through Ville Borghese Park, upon our new friend, Patrick's suggestion. Patrick is Jason's best friend, Brian's cousin. He and his wife Marta live in Rome and we decided to meet up with them for dinner this evening. In the meantime, we took the suggestion since neither of us had explored this enormous park. There are sections that remind me of Central Park and other parts are like Golden Gate Park. All beautiful, with trees lining wide cement roads, grand fountains in the middle of path intersections, and sprawling lawns. There are also a number of things to visit and see, like various museums, a lake you can rent boats to float around in, and even a zoo at the north end.

Unfortunately, the day we were there, Monday, all the museums were closed. It was actually a blessing for Jason since he's not big on museums. So we enjoyed the walk through the park, checking out some of the structures, fountains, and taking in the lake. The lake area was so pretty with the trees on the shore and ducks swimming around. It would have been even better if they hadn't gated off the little platform that jutted out into the water with statues and Roman columns on it.

We worked our way back out of the park eventually and actually came out right be the entrance of Piazza Del Popolo. It's at the opposite end of the street from the Spanish Steps and a great area to people watch as people soak up the sun in the square. We walked back up one of the main streets to get our bags and just before climbing the stairs a tea place caught my eye. Babington's Tea Room is at the base of the stairs. I glanced at the menu and Jason said, "I know you and Rickey are coming back here tomorrow". He read my mind. =)

So after a lengthy ride to the Crown Plaza St. Peter's, the place we were being housed while Jason had three days of work training, we settled into our digs for the next few days. This hotel is nice with amenities that make it a comfortable stay, including a sleep program specifically designed to help you adjust to the time zone and get the best sleep possible. Major bonus in my book. Plus, they designate areas as quiet zones so that even the maid service doesn't knock on your door before 10AM. I think they have to do things like this because the hotel is located so far out of the center of the city (southwest beyond Vatican City!) there's very little incentive to stay there. Which is probably why it's designed to be a good 'work stay' hotel.

There was a free shuttle that would take you just outside Vatican City in the morning or close to the Pantheon in the afternoon and evening. But neither location puts you near a Metro station and the shuttle stops running at 9PM. Terrible.

We laid low in the hotel for awhile because the wireless wasn't working in our room, which was an issue since Jason wanted to check in online for training the next day. Even an IT guy couldn't get it to work. He finally had to connect a long cable under our TV in order to get anywhere. The lousy thing was that we also got charged for the connection which was 10 Euro more than the wireless.

After that was taken care of, we headed into the city early before dinner. We were dropped off by these ruins in the middle of the city. It's amazing to me to see the clash in environment of these ancient sites with all the buildings and cars rushing around it. This particular site was the Area Sacra Argentina where 3 different places of worship once stood. They are now restoring it somehow.

We paused by the Pantheon and down a few streets where we eventually came across a great sweets shop called Della Palma. Located on Via della Maddalena, 20, it is a gelateria, cafe, and sweets shop. There are bins of gummi candies, Italian confetti almonds shaped into flowers, and a wide assortment of Lindt chocolates, which is a favorite of ours. We bought two different Lindt bars. After that, we looked at a few stores in hopes of finding a place with baby things. I am hoping to buy something for the baby from Rome, not just something we can buy at home. No luck with the stores but we arrived at the restaurant, Grano, a little early. Patrick and Marta were also early and had just gotten seated. This is one of their favorite restaurants and they know the owner well.

Patrick and Marta are warm, generous people good for lively conversation. They love to travel and when Patrick is engaged in conversation his eyes light up like a child. You can tell he's just a happy and gentle soul with a zest for life. Marta keeps him grounded so their dynamic is funny and they are a great match. She also happens to be pregnant with their first baby and due two weeks after me!

They already had glasses of prosecco ready. We toasted and enjoyed a slow, mellow dinner in this bright, clean restaurant. Grano makes homemade little rolls served in a basket, a variety of olive bread, plain, and a few others. Perfect little bite sized rolls.

For dinner, I started with their eggplant parmesan which was perfection and Jason had some really good fried meatballs. That started a whole line of jokes. Then for the main course, I got a white fish (forget what kind, sort of like branzini) with a thick eggplant sauce next to it. I should have eaten the skin with the fish as it was nicely salted but it wasn't all crispy so I had to add salt to the fish in order to bring out the flavor. Jason loved his tuna steak.

For dessert, I got a millefeuille (layers and layers of flaky pastry) with berries and cream stacked in between and dusted with powdered sugar on top. SO good. Overall, the place was a cozy restaurant with good food and reasonable prices. The owner was a very nice man who even brushed off the fact that Patrick, in his gusto of a story at one point, knocked over Marta's glass of wine and sent some flying onto their white wall. We had such a great time, we didn't realize it was 11PM!

Patrick and Marta escorted us to a cab, making sure we didn't get ripped off, and we said good night with the hopes of being able to do dinner again before we ended our trip. So, thank you Brian, for introducing us to your cousins. They are wonderful!

Exploration Sunday

Just as we dreaded, we woke up around 4:30 AM, wide awake. After a debate about Apple calendars on the iPhone we tried to go back to sleep. Earplugs have become critical for me when travelling and sleeping in a new bed. Fortunately, the combination of earplugs and a very comfy bed allowed me to go back to bed and wake back up at 9:30.

We decided to head down to breakfast in Intercontinental's restaurant. Here's something else we learned. They have a breakfast buffet or you can choose things a la carte. We had our breakfast and were surprised when we got the check that we got charged for one continental breakfast and one American breakfast, which is a 10 Euro difference. The way the waitress explained it was that because I had eggs and not just pastries and fruit with my decaf cappucino, I was having an American breakfast. I definitely did not have 10 Euros worth of eggs and breakfast was not cheap to begin with! That was our lesson for the day.

We decided to stroll down Via Del Corso and check out the Vittorio Emanuel Monument since the structure is so grand and we never went in the last time we visited. Turns out the outside is much more impressive than the inside. The outside has a small door in the fence surrounding the entrance. At the top of this grand staircase inside the fence, are two guards flanking a wreath with large pillars of fire next to them.

The inside structure is beautiful too but there's not that much to see. There's a room of Italian Flags. Granted we couldn't translate all of it but our understanding is that it was how the arrangement of flags and toppers changed with whoever the ruler was at the time. Below the flag room is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The soldier actually has been identified but it is symbolic of those who gave their lives in service. Again, it's this huge space with very little in it. Almost like they're not done with the place.

So back up the stairs and out the side of the building leads you to a timeline explaining the process from when the goverment decided to build the monument to when it was actually completed. It's a great brief history of how it all came about. Vittorio Emanuel was the king who united Italy together and that is why the monument was built. Past the timeline is an elevator (a small charge) that takes you to the top of the monument where I imagine you can have a spectacular view of the city. We skipped out on the elevator ride.

Instead, we stepped into the basilica on the property. Absolutely beautiful inside! The details in these old churches always astound me. The altar has an impressive set of chandeliers that frames it. And the ceiling is a piece of art in itself. The only thing I still have a hard time adjusting to is that they have all these people buried right under our feet. So we try our best walking through, not to walk directly on the graves. But time and footsteps have worn away many of the images and letters carved into the stone.

My favorite thing to see while we were in the basilica was a little girl, about 4 years old, with her father. She wanted to dip her fingers into the holy water that was in a gigantic stone dish which stood about 5 feet high. So her father lifted her up, she gently dipped her fingers in, and asked what she was supposed to do with it. Her father stood facing the same way she was and taught her the sign of the cross. She slowly copied him and at the end, put her hands in prayer and bowed her head. After that, she smiled and ran out the exit with him and her mother following her. It was the sweetest thing and I wish I'd gotten it on camera.

Exiting from the church we went back down to street level, gazed over the ruins across the street from the monument and one of many incredibly carved columns, then headed off toward the Trevi Fountain. This is one of my absolute favorite sights in Rome. It's impressive during the day but breathtaking at night. Even if you've seen the copy in Ceasar's Palace in Vegas, it doesn't compare to the real thing. Being that one of my best friends, Rickey would be joining us in a couple days, I would bring him back here since it would be his first trip to Rome.

After the Trevi Fountain, it was late lunch time since it was 3PM. We also had dinner reservations at 7PM at a restaurant farther south so we were looking for something simple. We strolled by a restaurant that had a few tables outside and a little lunch special for 18 Euro: bruschetta appetizer, pasta, and dessert. Pretty good deal. The restaurant is called Agrodolce Vini e Vizi, located about 2 blocks from the Trevi Fountain on Via de Crociferi.

We were craving spaghetti aglio a olio con pepperoncino (with garlic, pepper flakes and olive oil) which is incredibly simple but so good. They were happy to substitute that for the lunch pasta. We also ended up sitting next to an American couple who'd just arrived from Rhode Island. They were a joy to chat with while enjoying lunch. And being that the service is typical European style (very... slow...) it gave us a chance to exchange stories of travel, marriage, family, and advice on what to see since the wife had never been to Rome. But they have lived a fantastic life both apart and together.

The food was just as great as the company. The bruschetta was traditional with fresh tomatoes on top, lots of flavor and the bread was crisp and chewy. The pasta was outstanding. The ratio of garlic and pepper flakes was perfect and we were both saying it might be the best we'd had of this particular dish. The dessert was a cake covered in a marscapone custard and dusted with cocoa.

The only thing I will warn about is do not be in a rush here. The waitress was slow, even for Italian standards. We had to ask her 2 or 3 times for the check. I don't know if she just had a painfully slow memory or was ADD but she would come back out to deliver someone else's dish, wine, or even just stand at the door people watching before she delivered a check. It was bizarre since the waiter who first served us was great.

After that, we strolled around, revisiting a store where Jason had spotted a jacket he really liked and purchasing a few things for people back home. Originally, I thought we had to make a 7PM reservation I'd requested at Ristorante Antico Arco, which is farther south and would require a cab ride. But I should have known it was a sign when I asked to change our date from Saturday to Sunday and they returned the date to confirm and wrote in Oct. 23rd on their reservation sheet. I wrote back (around Halloween) saying not the 23rd but if we could still do Nov 13th, we would be there. I never got a response. Turns out the restaurant is CLOSED on Sundays. And no one there bothered to let me know or see if there was another night we might want to dine there! So that got crossed off the list.

Instead, we took a break in the hotel room (this kid is wiping me out!) and then regrouped to check out a restaurant my in-laws recommended from their visit to Rome. The restaurant is called Le Grotte. From the outside, it doesn't look like anything special and when you first walk in, there's no one seated at the front. They seat everyone in the main room in the back and this restaurant is beautiful inside! There are high ceilings with wooden beams through the place, like a small banquet room with a couple intimate tables set in little nooks in the room.

This place boasts a large prosciutto at the entrance that they slice off of and serve customers who order a dish with the delicious dried, salted meat (a no-no for me this time, sadly) as well as fresh, homemade pasta. They bring out warm flatbreads that are salted perfectly, brushed with a little olive oil and topped with a sprinkle of rosemary. There are also breadsticks and bread to go with your dishes.

Jason chose a prosciutto and mozzarella dish for starters while I went with their spinach cooked up with butter. The spinach was a bad idea only because it was so heavy with butter there was no way the healthy benefits of the spinach was going to outweight the butter content. It was so rich I couldn't get through half the large plate they brought out.

November happens to be truffle season in Italy. Not the chocolate type but the mushrooms that are buried under the dirt and require either a pig or dog to search for them. White truffles are particularly high in value for their subtle taste. They are freshly shaved, uncooked, onto a dish traditionally. Black truffles on the other hand, are cooked to enhance their flavor. I'm personally partial to black truffles as I found out. But I was in a restaurant that made fresh pasta and they had a white truffle pasta special, so I had to try it. Jason went with the Osso Bucco.

The pasta sauce was simple, something like olive oil, butter or cream, and a little salt. But I'm pretty sure that's it aside from the shaved truffle. The pasta was so perfect that even after I was full I kept nibbling because I couldn't get enough of it. The actual taste, as I said, was not as much to my liking as black truffles but it was still good. Jason liked the the Osso Bucco aside from the fact that there was some fatty sections that grossed him out a little and then I put him over the top by accident when I reached into the bone and scooped out some bone marrow from his dish. =)

Though we were full from dinner and got the check, the waiter brought out some little Italian cookies that were a perfect finish to our meal. We decided on a walk to help digest dinner, take in the city at night again, and then headed off to bed. I'm curious to see what the streets will be like tomorrow, with the Italian population back to work during the day.

A Birthday and Roman Holiday

We have lady luck shining on us! Jason was invited to do work training in Rome for a week and the company said I was welcome to tag along. So of course, we jumped on the opportunity! We were here 2 years ago but I was looking forward to spending a week here rather than the whirlwind 3 days of sightseeing we did last time. Plus, the weather might be much more agreeable this time and there would be less tourists. We arrived early first thing in the morning on Saturday. The weather was perfectly crisp and clear with a blue sky overhead.

With transportation getting into the heart of Rome, you have a few options from the airport. There is the train, an airport shuttle, or taxi. Unfortunately, like most places in the world, the cab drivers many times, will try to take advantage of people and gouge them for driving into Rome. Currently, the price from the airport into the heart of Rome (any hotel there), should only run you 40 Euro. One cab driver, when we asked how much it would be, actually thought about it and blurted out 65 Euro. What a joke. So if you want a cab, challenge them, knowing that you're only supposed to pay 40.
We opted for an airport shuttle that took us for 20 Euro per person. There was a 2 Euro charge for bags I believe (price was 18 Euro/ person).

We stayed for the first few nights at the De La Ville Intercontinental, at the top of the Spanish Steps. We are part of their Ambassador program which we are constantly pleased with. Saturday happened to be Jason's birthday, so I asked ahead if they could have something extra special delivered to the room. Being part of the program, there are automatic room upgrades, free bottled water, a free movie, late checkout, fresh fruit, and a gift themed to whatever location you're in. For Bora Bora, it's bright blue beach towels. For Germany, it's handmade chocolate. For Italy, it's a half bottle of Merlot. Well, after a few confusing emails back and forth, we received what you see here. A plate of an outstanding variety of cheeses with honey and a bottle of sparkling Riesling, along with our complimentary water and gift. So I was very happy that we could start Jason's birthday that way.

Via Del Corso

After a quick nap to make it through our day, we strolled out to the Spanish Steps to walk down Via Condotti toward Via Del Corso. It's sort of like the Rodeo Drive of Rome. The main streets leading to it are also lined with all the high end stores you can think of, Fendi, Prada, Bulgari, Gucci, La Perla, even a Ferrari Store. Less tourists, yes. Less people? No. The streets were packed with Italians who had come into town to hang out for their weekend evening either to eat, walk or shop, or all of the above. I've never seen a Disney store so packed there is a line out the door!

It was nice though, to be immersed in the European lifestyle of people walking everywhere with the occasional taxi or moped trying to navigate their way through the packed street. We stopped into a pizza shop for a way too expensive snack (but we're tourists in a very expensive area, so we sucked it up) and then explored a little farther to get our bearings again.

After some window shopping we headed back to nibble on the cheeses while getting ready for dinner. I had a reservation at Imago Restaurant at the top of the Hassler Hotel which was conveniently located next door to our hotel. The view alone is breathtaking as it's a panoramic view of Rome. This high end restaurant has outstanding service to go along with the delicious and creative dishes.

After you arrive, they offer an appertif of prosecco which you are indeed charged for. =) I was unable to enjoy one since I'm pregnant but Jason accepted one. For nibbling, they bring out various potato crisps and a goat cheese spread that is delicious. Along with that, a warm basket of breads that consist of croissants, rolls, breadsticks, and flatbread.

Following that is an amuse bouche from the chef. This particular night there were three bites which I didn't catch all the ingredients to but there was an eggroll of puréed potato with seasonings, a circle of rice with citrus and caviar on top, and what was essentially a cheese and broccoli ball with some cream a top it. A second amuse bouche was a piece of black cod with eggplant foam and cream.

Unfortunately, as a prego, I was limited to choices on the menu. As a primi piatti, we split a pheasant and 4 cheese ravioli topped with asparagus, parmesan, and incredible sauce. The plating was presented with the ravioli framed in brushes of gold on the plate and the dish was our favorite one of the evening.

For my main course, since I can't eat big meals anymore, I opted for the roman broccoli soup with ginger glazed halibut and cheese in it. Jason decided on deer saddle crusted with blackberries and mushrooms over risotto. Both were delicious and the meat was cooked perfectly. Jason had a well paired pinot to go along with his dish.

Since we were both full and wanted gelato for dessert, we decided to get the check and search for dessert beyond the restaurant. As a last little treat, the chef had a plate of desssert bites. A dark chocolate 'brownie' square over almond cake, a soft almond cup with berry jam, milk chocolate piece, white chocolate truffle with citrus center, soft espresso truffle, and a french macaroon with raspberry center.

As a departing gift, the ladies at the table receive a beautiful box of little cookies to take home and enjoy at a later time. We left with satisfied tummies, needless to say. We returned to the hotel so that  I could change before heading out in search of gelato. We found a Blue Ice gelateria down the street which is a chain of stores around Rome. Now, there's really not such a thing as terrible gelato, kind of like even cold pizza is good pizza. But this is like the ground floor of gelato. It's good but there's much better in the city. That comes in a later post.

We walked in the brisk evening, taking a few pictures of the Spanish Steps while there were less bodies around and finishing our gelato before heading back and attempting to go to sleep. I looked forward to having a leisurely Sunday and settling into Rome.