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.
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