This Makes Me Laugh: Italy, V

Dates: Saturday, June 16th to Tuesday, June 19th
Hotel: Okapi Rooms, Via della Penna 57, Rome, 00186
Visits:

Piazza del Popolo --- Our hotel was just off and around the corner from this Piazza. We walked through it every morning on our way to the Flaminio train station on our way into town. It is also a popular area of demonstration, and we have since seen it shown on TV while the Euro 2012 was broadcasting.

Roma Pass --- This is maybe not essential, but we found it useful. It gives you unlimited train access for three days from validation and it also lets you in to two Roma Pass participating sites for free. At some sights, such as the Colosseum there is a Roma Pass line where you can skip right in to the site. Very, very convenient.

Tiber River --- The walk along this river is just beautiful. The whole sidewalk is treed and shady. We enjoyed an afternoon walk back to our hotel via the river and the shade as the days were so hot.

Viator: Skip the Line: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica Half-Day Walking Tour --- This is with whom we booked our Sistine Chapel, Vatican, and St. Peter's Basilica tour. We met at the agency as required where we were introduced to our guide who was a blast. She was so well-educated about the area and the art and darn funny to boot.
Vatican --- It was surreal to be here with its Swiss Guards, extensive museums and and varied history. For such a small area there is so much to see!
St. Peter's Basilica --- The sheer size of this building is ridiculous. Seeing the Pieta and architecture, hearing about the history and relics, and just being in this vast building made one realize the sheer size can not really be understood. When our guide explained that each letter around the dome was six-foot tall I was floored.
Sistine Chapel --- Michelangelo's famous frescos. It was so busy and hectic in the room that it took away from the experience, which is also how I felt at The David. The neatest thing was heading across the room to the large doors where you can view everything in perspective as well as see the small, dark corner that was not cleaned while the Chapel was being restored. The difference between the rich colors and the sooty corner is night and day.

Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum --- When one thinks of ancient Rome it is probably a picture of this area that is conjured to their minds. The expansive Palatine Hill, famous Colosseum, and ruin filled Roman Forum took a hot afternoon to visit.

Catacombs (of San Callisto) / Appia Antica --- We made our way far south from Rome to the Catacombs one sweltering morning. Soon we were below the chilly earth in an invisible realm of dirt and stone. Just next door is the Appia Antica (the old Roman road) and we took a sweltering bus ride up the cobbled street back into the city.

Basilica San Clemente --- This was one of the most underrated sights! Thanks to J for this one. The basilica in and of itself is a church worth visiting but it really starts to become interesting when you go below the church where you find not only a buried Roman nobleman's house (and running water that still supplies it!) but also a Mithraeum (a place of worship for followers of Mithraism). Google it, the whole place is awesome. Also a fun find was the old fresco of the Madonna on the first level down the stairs. This place was just too neat.

Terme di Caracalla --- Another visit that is thanks to J. These are the Baths of Caracalla. Another building that is so large I can not even remotely describe it. The ruins are not very popular, or at least they weren't at the time we visited, but seeing the remaining tiled floors and mosaic work that had fallen from the no longer existing second story was interesting enough. Reading about how the frigidarium and other areas of the baths worked inside was even better!

Trevi Fountain --- Neptune and the sea. It was fun when we started noticing that, like other fountains, this one had the sea represented as to horses with fin-tails, one raging one tame (just like the moods of the sea). Another area of nothing but people, but gorgeous as the sun set on it and the lights came on nonetheless.

Spanish Steps --- Dusk had rapidly approached by the time we made it to the Spanish steps, which we happily climbed to survey Rome. The evening energy was wonderful and the coolness of night was an added bonus to enjoying the view.

Pantheon --- The Pantheon was wonderful for how accessible it was. It almost sneaks up on you before you realize what you've found, it is free to enter and one can also take pictures. A great place to contemplate or just be.

Piazza Navona --- Filled with three fountains, many more restaurants, and many, many more vendors and tourists. This was a fun place to walk around and appreciate the artistic talents of those modern day Romans.

Piazza de Fiori --- We headed over for the market but missed it a bit too late. Still glad we found it out!

Eleni --- Last but not least, this is not something you'll find in the tour guides! One of our fabulous friends we met years ago in Morocco contacted us as she lives in Rome! The last evening in Italy we spent eating pizza and gelato and catching up. We just love her and are so thankful she was able to visit with us!
Food:
Vineria Chianti --- Via del Lavatore 81-82 --- Our first dinner in Rome, this place was right off the Trevi fountain and while service was abrupt, the food was tasty (even after I had eaten a gelato right before). The outdoor seating was situated at long tables, so you sort of shared and our table mates were a dad and daughter from Portugal who were great company.
***Gina's gelato place --- needs more info --- We went here after dinner (and I went there before too) very convenient to the Trevi fountain and right next door to where we went to dinner. I want to confer with my sister on whether or not we found the right place.

Rosati --- Piazza del Popolo 5A, Rome, Italy --- This was one of two cafes open on the Piazza del Popolo right next door to our hotel. We went here our first morning in Rome for our customary macchiatos and pastries.

Il Bocconcino --- Via Ostilia, 23, 00184 Roma, Italy --- Having had an eventful morning in the catacombs and a fun exploration in the Basilica di San Clemente, we were starving and stopped in at this Trattoria for a refuel lunch of carbonara (delicious!), wine, and ravioli.

Alberto Pico Gelato --- Via della Seggiola 12 --- This gelato place we found on the way to the Pantheon. According to our travel guide it is known for its rice flavors and rose petal flavor. J and I tried each and they were both wonderfully refreshing.

RistorArte Il Margutta --- Via Margutta 118, 00187 Rome, Italy --- This was a siggestion from one of mom's doctors at her work. It is a vegetarian restaurant that is decorated very modern/contemporary. Everything was fantastic and we really appreciated the lightly pan fried vegetable-potato appetizer that was brought out courtesy of the chef. The food was top notch and we were delighted to find it was close to out hotel!

Canova --- Piazza del Popolo 16, Rome, Italy --- This was the other cafe on the Piazza del Popolo. Less expensive and our favorite of the two. We tried to go back the morning we left but were unable to as it was too early in the morning.

Mondo Arancina --- Via Marcantonio Colonna 38, Rome, Italy --- Fried rice balls filled with ragu? Yes please! J tried the specialty, called arancini, at this Sicilian style eatery. My mom and I stuck to the more familiar pizza, although after a bite of J's I wish I would have ordered the spinach arancini.

Gelarmony --- Via Marcantonio Colonna 34, Rome, Italy --- Right next door to Mondo Arancina, this place serves up Colosseum-sized servings of gelato. My mom and I both tried 'gelato non gelato'. We are still not really sure what this was but it was rich, creamy, rich, rich. Almost too much, but still very, very good.

***La Forchetta "the forks" via della pace? --- more info needed --- with the information I wrote down I am unable to find the name and address of the restaurant where Eleni, J, my mom, and I went to dinner. Great pizzas, and huge too! This is the only meal we were unable to finish. :D

San Crispino --- Via della Panetteria 42, Rome, Italy --- Suggested by Lonely Planet and Eleni! No cones here, after we were starting to be so good about them. :P It's perfectly fine though as the gelato was out of this world. Mine included wonderfully refreshing ginger. The small cup I selected was the perfect after-dinner treat as we walked around Rome one final time.

The Colosseum with not a cloud in the sky.

J the gladiator. He's fierce.

Arch of Constantine, as viewed from the interior of the Colosseum

Colosseum steps.

Temple of Saturn, my favorite of the Roman Forum.

Temple of Saturn, once again. I really believed this to be the most photogenic of ruins.

Arch of Titus

After dinner one evening we all bought gelato at "Gina's gelato place" or what we think is Gina's gelato place. If it is, it is just off the Trevi fountain and was her favorite gelato in Italy.

Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain as the street lights illuminated.

View from the Spanish Steps.

A side street in Rome. Heels could be dangerous.

Terme di Caracalla, floor.

Terme di Caracalla, mosaics originally from second floor).

Another mosaic piece.

J and I looking down towards the frigidarium of the Terme di Caracalla.

My mom at the Terme de Caracalla, with the rich remaining mosaics.

Pebbles and shadows.

The Pantheon. I do not have a wide enough lens for these places.

My mom at the Pantheon entrance.

J takes these great photos where it could be his profile for a National Geographic bio.

I just take boring pictures.

A random side street in Rome, probably between the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona, as the sun begins to set.

J and I at the Piazza del Popolo.

My mom is there too!

The stairs to our hotel room. The left was so slow and this worked off some of the carbs.

A chiaroscuro ceiling at the Vatican museum.

Climbing to the Duomo of St. Peter's Basilica.

A detail of the mosaic work on the way to the top of the Basilica.

Looking out over Vatican City.

J surveying Vatican City and Rome.

At one of the fountains in the courtyard area of St. Peter's.

J posing at the columns surrounding the grand courtyard entrance to St Peter's.

Beautiful, chilled wine reflecting the Piazza Navona.

The gentleman who served us at the pizza place Eleni took us. A barrel of laughs and a helpful guy. My favorite was when he took the empty wine bottle, poured the last half a drop in to J's glass, and said something to Eleni in Italian. She translated for us: The last drop always goes to the pettiest. :D