I could see blue sky though the crack in the shutters so cranked my eyes open a bit more so that I could find the shower. Once we were presentable (barely in Rome terms), we slid across the cobblestones to the breakfast place. A few scrambled eggs were piled on my plate, leaving plenty of room for a delicious pain au chocolat - not really the healthiest start to the day but I hoped that the sugar, along with the caffeine in the cappuccino would power me through much of the day.
On our way back to the hotel we deeked into the Pantheon and then I ran ahead of Carm so I could throw open the shutters for a few photos.
We took a few minutes to look at Google maps and then were on our way to the Jewish Quarter. We actually found our way through the maze to our destination: another maze of ancient streets.
From there we went to Campo di Fiori, a large open air market full of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and people selling trinkets and treasures.
The sky was still blue as we traversed the aisles, oohing and ahhing at the beautiful produce.
We’ve seen lots of people with dogs in this crowded city and remarkably, they have all been well-behaved. No pulling on leashes and lurching at passers-bys. They sit patiently as the owner chats with others along the way. I can only dream of Adia being so good - perhaps something to aim for. I’m sure it helps that they’ve been raised here and learned what to expect from the beginning.
Our path back to the hotel (oh our aching feet) took us through the Piazza Navona where we found an empty bench to sit and enjoy the hubbub.
The sky was clouding over and between the cooling air and the icy stone bench we were sitting on, I was starting to get a chill.
Next stop, the church that we visited our first day in Rome. We didn’t realize at the time that there were original Caravaggio’s and since we learned so much yesterday we had to look at the paintings again, this time with new appreciation.
By this time the crowds had reached epic proportions - many more than we’ve seen on the previous days here. Luckily it was time for a rest before we figure out what to do for the rest of the day.
After a long nap we put on our warmer jackets and headed out for another walk. First stop - espresso. Then we wandered around, passing the Trevi fountain, and traversing roads we haven’t travelled. The narrow maze of roads hid many architectural treasures.
It was too early for supper, but we were hungry so were dorky tourists having a very early supper, which we preferred to call a fashionably late lunch. We took refuge in a little restaurant around the corner. The food was okay - Carm loved his meal but I could barely choke down the ravioli that I ordered. I think a grater got into a fight with a nutmeg. So much for tying something new…
There was a bit of rain when we were having our lupper but it let up for our walk back to the hotel, via the gelato shop. By the time we stepped into the foyer it was pouring. We’ll have a quiet night in… I have to pace myself a bit. We go to the port tomorrow to meet up with our ship and then sail to Florence for Monday. I expect a full day of walking around the historical district.
A local radio station is having an event below our room in the piazza about the falling of the Berlin Wall. I’m hoping for some good Pink Floyd music!
Oh! I know what I keep forgetting to say: yesterday at the Villa Borghese I SWEAR I saw Daniel Craig.
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
~Henry Miller
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