Day 3 - Rome

Day 3: Roaming Rome
We went pretty much everywhere... so here goes.

Ok.... first I am an ignorant American. I ordered a latte at breakfast, what I got was milk. Yucky milk at that. So I realized that what I wanted was Cafe Latte...but I got Cappuccino because Cafe Latte is tiny....and I wanted more. It was very yummy once I got something that I was looking for!

Our first stop after breakfast was the Spanish steps. There are 136 steps from bottom to top and at the top is a church, at the bottom a fountain. We got there and were at the top, so we didn't get our workout from the steps two days in a row, but trust me....we got a work out during the day.

Here we go!

Next we came across a farmer's market in a Piazza so we looked at the fruit and got some strawberries (fragola). We used our free water from the fountains to rinse them because they still had dirt on them from being picked. We walked to Trevi Fountain and found a shady spot to eat them. The tradition in Rome is that you throw a coin over your left shoulder to guarantee your return to Rome someday. So, we ate, took photos and threw coins. We happened back that way later in the day and it was absolutely jam packed...go early it isn't as bad. Also while at the fountain we saw a man with wand, like a magnetic wand reaching into the fountain and stealing people's money...so we made sure to throw our coin in the fountain really far so that he couldn't steal it later. We also found several small streets near the fountain that are not often traveled by the tourists. It was nice, it was quiet and it was calm. These are the streets we were expecting to see in Rome. We happened upon what we thought was a small wooden toy store, but it turned out to also be in the airport...so not so small. We also happened upon an interesting pair of boxers. The shorts were of Michelangelo's David, but only the part the would in the shorts, minus the fig leaf. Anyway, outside sitting on the bench was a wooden Pinocchio, so Danielle took Alison's picture with him, both from the front and profile. Alison may have a Riggs nose...but he can really do the big nose salute. After the store, we headed to the Pantheon. Did you know that it was church...like a current working church? We had no idea. To be brutally honest, I had no idea what it was, I certainly knew what it looked like on the outside...but had no real idea what was going on inside. Also, it is totally lit by natural light, from a big ole' hole in the roof. It is crazy. Also it is crazy that it has been there for thousands of years...how did they get it there? Also...in the square around the Pantheon is a McDonalds, with seating Al Fresco (outside) as if it was a real restaurant.

After The Pantheon, we walked to the Trastervere Section of the City. Our waitress from the Hard Rock Cafe had told us about Meo Patacca restaurant. She said it was fun and they had a show during dinner. We headed out during lunch. We had to walk across the river (which has an enormous amount of trash in it....it was GROSS) and then had to ask people in Italian where exactly we were going. It was fun....and I finally used some of the Italian that I learned on the CD's. I was nervous about it before that, but I just jumped in and after an older Italian woman told us that she didn't speak any English...we did our best to ask her and her husband how to get to Meo Pattaca. After she repeatedly yelled CHIN EE MAAA (Cinema) and gestured to take a right after the Cinema, we parted and followed their directions. We actually had to ask two other groups to help, but it was fun. We arrived at Meo Pattaca at 12:30, unfortunately they don't open until 19:30 or 7:30....we were early. So we took photos of our small victory. At least we got there and used our Italian. We walked back to the Pantheon and found a place to eat lunch.

Pretty typical Roman lunch. However, after we ordered our Bruschetta (we kind of made ourselves the unofficial Bruschetta tasters), Danielle asked where the toilet was. Unfortunately the waitress only heard her say toilet and thought that she had ordered the toilet. Then at our expense, thinking that we didn't understand them, she told all of the other wait staff. Oh well it was funny. Lunch was yummy. Danielle had veggie lasagna and Alison had a caprese salad. I am used to having the tomato and mozzarella mixed together with some olive oil and salt and pepper and basil. I just cut it up and put it together the way that I wanted it...it worked. We also learned that rochella=rocket=arrugula. Some how the translation didn't work...but it is printed everywhere...even in the book that we have on Malta.

After lunch we went shopping on Via Del Corso. Italian shopping and Saldi season. Saldi=sale. Although it is still outrageously expensive. We had fun in a bookstore looking at all of our favorite books and their different covers. We also found a store somewhat like Spencers with some very interesting pen holders. We saw a postcard with a cat on the big foot. Danielle wanted to find the big foot so we sent off on another trek across the city. On our trek we came across the Italian Tomb of the unknown soldier. Just behind that we were outside of ancient ruins that just kind of appeared. They were the ruins of the Church of St. Rita. Then we walked around the National Museum outside and the bookstore, so that we could find the BIG FOOT that we have seen in so many pictures. However, the foot is inside...and we didn't want to pay admission to a museum for one piece. We did follow a walk way down and ended up on the back side of Ancient Rome from where we were on Tuesday. It was fun to see it from above. It is certainly very interesting that these ruins have been here for so long and that people like Julius Cesear and Marc Anthony walked and lived there. After that we ended up with our feet in a fountain for a few to cool off. It was nice and cool and very fun.

After the ruins, we headed toward Hard Rock again. Don't worry we aren't that lame. We just forgot a coupon to get our free souvenir the day before, so we walked there to get it using our receipt. Then we walked a bit further up the street to Villa Borghese. This is like the Roman Central park. It was beautiful. We saw a lake with ducks and swans and turtles in it, ok so that sounds lame...but in the middle of this very dirty city it was somewhat amazing to us. We also ran into a man with 5 dogs who were all very cute. They seemed to be all mutts but each showed parts of some breeds that we knew.

We walked by another fountain in the park and spent yet some more time with our feet in the water. We also saw a man come up and draw part of the fountain and he was incredible as was his art and he drew his picture with only a bic pen. After the park we were heading toward our hotel and ran across a Ferrari and Masserati dealership as well as a Harley Store and dealership. It is interesting here because all of the dealerships and garages are part of a block and inside not outside. So at home where you would drive onto the lot, here you walk into an air conditioned room and order your car and not see it before hand.

So we finally made it back to our room. We dropped off our things and headed down to dinner. There were 3 restaurants just outside the hotel so on the first night we ate across the street. Tonight we went to the one right next door. It turns out they have a nice coupon sitting right under their menu that you can read on the street, so I grabbed one...and they let us use it. We also met a boy from Russia. He had been spending one day here and there throughout Italy before he ended up going to a conference in Rome on Architecture. It was interesting because he had never heard of Saint Peters or the Vatican and we told him to go there if not for the spritual place, just for the architecture. He ordered anti pasta from the menu because it said pasta, he expected spaghetti and got Salami and Ham with cheese on a plate. Oh by the way this restaurant ended up winning the Bruschetta contest because it was by far the best and it was free. Also....a free shot at the end of dinner. It tasted somewhat like a lemon drop, but I think that it was limoncello which is a lemon flavored liquor. They had canoli in the menu, but we learned that they don't always have them because they are not an all over Italy food. They are Sicilian. On the mainland they are actually called Canoli Siciliano. The owner of the restaurant was able to tell us where to get one though. We went "sans mappa" thats Italian for without map (ok that's Alison's Italian for without map :) ). We ordered our two canolies porta via (to go). Then it was back to our room to pack for Malta. The canoli lived up to our expectation and used ricotta cheese instead of marscapone cheese....tomorrow we will be spending some time submersed in water. OUr hope is to be swimming by the time you all wake up.