I have said before that I'm not a big fan of capital cities in general. Our year of capital-hopping did improve my outlook on these over-crowded, over-touristy, over-everything destinations, but I'm afraid Rome still falls into the category of Not-My-Favorite. This visit was perhaps the best of my three trips to Rome, but that had a lot to do with the company.
Janis had very few requests for this vacation, but a steadfast one was a chance to take her kids to the Vatican. I figured that was as good a place as any to centralize our stay, so this was the view from our hotel.
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| Well hello there, St. Peter's |
We were even able to walk over for a night view:
Since my mom and I had both been to the Vatican museums (twice) and St. Peter's Basilica (twice), we decided to split from the group and take a walking food tour in Testaccio, a Roman neighborhood known for cucina romana, while the others visited Vatican City. (Favorite quote from Rome: "What time does Vatican City open?" Since it's a country, that's basically like asking, "What time does Argentina open?")
Our food tour had many stops from bakeries to butchers to gelaterias, but what made it memorable was unfortunately not the food, but the pouring rain. For the third time during our vacation, we were hit with a freak rain storm characterized by booming thunder, flooded streets, and two soaking wet travelers. This was not the environment for a walking tour, especially once we started wading through calf-deep water in order to cross the street. It was a memorable experience, but definitely not my favorite food tour. (Under different circumstances, I think it could have been amazing and is definitely worth booking if you are not going to be rained out.)
Meanwhile, the others were inside until the sun came out and dried up all the rain, literally. Here we are at the Vatican (and possibly being a little inappropriate with a statue of Pope John Paul II). I've been to Rome three times and each time there has been a different pope - John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and now Francis.
After their Vatican tour, we headed out to Piazza Navona, home to my favorite fountain, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). This fountain represents the major rivers on each of the four continents that had been touched by papal influence by the mid-seventeenth century. They were the Nile (Africa), Ganges (Asia), Danube (Europe), and Rio de la Plata (America). My favorite part is the Nile; Bernini chose to cover the face with cloth because at the time no one knew where the river started.
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| the Ganges river god |
San Crispino boasts flavors like cinnamon ginger, rum chocolate, and malpighi (balsamic vinegar), as well as more traditional flavors like stracciatella (chocolate chip), hazelnut, and pistachio. It was also mentioned in Elizabeth Gilbert's most famous book, Eat, Pray, Love. If you are in Rome, it is a crime not to visit.
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| we went twice! |
The next day Julie and Val wanted to see the Colosseum. The rest of us took a walk and got a delicious lunch.
Our last major stop was another Roman must-see, the Pantheon.
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| groupie with the Pantheon's most identifiable feature: the oculus in the dome |
It was hot and we were tired. Time for fun with fountains!
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| teaching the new tourists about Roman drinking fountains near Circus Maximus |
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| in front of the the Pantheon |
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| imitating the fountain in front of the Pantheon |
Italy, as always, was beautiful, welcoming, and delicious, but we were ready to go home. Thank you, Janis, for an amazing vacation!
It was time to take a break from travel adventures, which we did for exactly one day before heading up to Sacramento for a wedding. Then we really settled back in and didn't leave San Diego for 5 months. More on our Hawaiian Christmas soon.
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| The Colosseum looks like a nest! |
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