October 17-18

Thursday October 17

We like to start our days with bombolone filled with nutella, some fruit and yogurt.

Todd's friend Paolo spent the morning with us and took us to the train station so we could go to Rome. Our three hour train ride turned into five hours when the train broke down 45 minutes into the trip. Everyone got off our train and onto an already full train the was only a fraction of the length of our original train. It was going to be full, sweaty, sardine-like standing on a train for 40 minutes, so Todd and I decided to wait for an hour for a not full train and sat in the cool shade of a cafe in the middle of Nowhere, Italy. 

We made it to our apartment in Rome which was in the home of an elderly lady, which meant that there were antique lights, mirrors and tiles decorating our bedroom and bathroom. 

After changing and freshening up, we went out to walk around Trastevere. It's Todd's favorite place with narrow streets where you get lost and ivy grows on the 500 year old buildings. We found a place to sit outside for dinner. It was a little disappointing that the area had become so touristy, but only annoying when street sellers approached our table for the sixth time. The food was good and the staff was great. We walked over to Piazza Venezia before taking the bus home.

Friday October 18

In the morning, we met Jonathan at the train station and walked around the   historic disrict. We went to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona (which is really touristy, but still I love it and could sit there all day), St Peter's basilica, and then had lunch at La Tavernetta, our favorite place to eat in Rome. We went to St. Ignazio, where the ceiling is one of the most impressive Baroque paintings, I think. It also has a cool tromp l'oeil dome painted and some lovely angel sculptures. 

We got gelato next to the Pantheon that was whipped and delicious and then went back to St. Peter's to see the inside. I didn't know it was free and so easy to get in. It had Bernini sculptures in the niches, including St Veronica, which I had researched. It was grandiose and awesome, we heard mass and singing, and he only thing that would have made it better was if there weren't a millon people. I think my favorite part was the outside colonnade with the sculptures on top.

After St Peter's, we went home to freshen up, because it was really hot and sweaty, and to look up a good place for dinner. We found a place that makes really good arancini and pizza for cheap, took a bus through the park of Villa Borghese, saw some sights on our bus ride, walked around the Colosseum and Roman Forum, ate dinner, got dessert at that underground pastry shop by Ottaviano (bombolone with nutella and a canolo for a buck fifty!), then spent some time walking around/window shopping by Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. Long day, too much walking, but I just love Rome. It's so beautiful at night. I truly hope we live here some day soon.