Friday was another chock full day. We started at Circo Massimo, a park where they used to have games in Ancient times. It was pretty, but really hot. We started walking north, towards the Pantheon (because Mom wanted to see it again, and I was more than happy to oblige because it was awesome) and on the way we passed the Palazzo Venezia where Mussolini declared war. Also, the Pantheon looked very different on a sunny day, since much more light was shining through the open top. After the Pantheon we had coffee at Tazza D'Oro, this super famous espresso place in the city center. Then we made our way to the Trevi Fountain (where we began what was going to become a two day Bernini-fest). I can see why people don't like the Trevi Fountain during the day - it's extremely busy and touristy and annoying, but it's still a gorgeous fountain (see picture). After that we walked to the Piazza Spagna to see the Spanish Steps, but first we had lunch in Piazza Mignanelli (the restaurant made amazing ravioli). Once fortified with food, we trecked up the the steps - the building was under construction, which kind of ruined the facade, but the steps were still really pretty (see picture).
Later in the day we went to Piazza del Popolo and relaxed in the park for a bit. I liked Piazza del Popolo a lot - it was less crowded than Piazza Navolo, and had more space and fewer annoying men trying to sell you stuff (see picture). After we rested we decided to stop in a cafe for a drink - now, I don't know if you all have seen Fellini films (i.e. La Dolce Vita), but Fellini is a super famous Italian director, and restaurants in Rome fight about which one he preferred/which establishment he frequented the most/blah blah blah. One of the biggest fights is over where he liked to go in Piazza del Popolo (since he lived on Via Margutta, a nice street near Piazzo del Popolo). Some say Rosati, some say Canova - I will settle this right now: he preferred Canova, if for no other reason than the simple fact that Rosati has the worst service ever. Seriously, it was way worse than any other cafe/restaurant we had been to in Rome, so Mom and I just got up and went across the street, where we had lovely service at Canova (we also saw an adorable little homage to Fellini inside Canova).
Friday night we had dinner in Trastevere with Alex Holmes, which was lovely - he suggested an amazing pasta place called "Sale e Pepe". I highly recommend it for those traveling to Rome any time soon - it's on Viale Trastevere.
Saturday we went to the Villa Borgese in the morning. The parks and gardens are beautiful (see pictures, especially the cute one of me and Mom), and so is the Galleria Borgese (the museum with all the famous Bernini statues)...but they didn't let me take pictures! Lame.
After the Villa Borgese we went to the Piazza Barberini, walking along Via Venutto (the super fancy street featured in "La Dolce Vita"). At the Piazza we saw the Fontana de Tritone (see picture). This is my favorite Bernini fountain (it's the famous one of the guy chugging the jug of water). After that we walked towards the Campidoglio, stopping along the way at the Pallazo Barberini (another Pallazo that will remain in my mind) and the San Carlo Quattro Fontane, a church with a lot of Bernini statues around it. It was also nice to see the Campidoglio again - it's such a nice square (see picture).
Well, tomorrow we leave, and I will certainly be sad to go. I must recommend the hotel we are staying in - it's called Pallazo del Velabro on Via del Velabro (near the Campidoglio and Santa Maria in Cosmedin) and it's gorgeous. Our room has a great view from the balcony (see picture).
Mom also wanted me to mention that I have done ALL the navigating on this trip - now, any of you who have traveled with me recently will not be surprised by that fact, but just so you know: all of my travel neurosis genes come from my mother, so it was a big deal that she let me be the map reader (and thank god she did because she has no sense of direction...her anxiety over getting lost is completely justified).
Anyway, I'll try to post when I'm in Seville/Madrid/Berlin, but if I can't, I'll be back in the States on May 11 and will have plenty of pictures to show you then.
xoxo Pam
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