Rome, Day 2

After 14 hours of sleep... yes, I said 14 hours of sleep we awoke at 1 pm in Rome starving! Showered and bundled up for the cold day, we headed for Piazza del Popolo for some people watching, and some food/coffee. The Piazza was great, there were marching bands performing, dancers, street performers, young lovers cuddled up along the fountain, families walking dogs and people on the go... It was so much fun to see it all! We then headed up several flights of steps to a great lookout point where we got some great pictures of Rome from above. Below are some pictures of the Piazza and the view from above:

The view was amazing and the walk was enjoyable. The air is cool and brisk here, probably in the low 40's or high 30's but it feels great! We then headed to a cafe for our coffee and tasty snack of petite pastries:

Cappuccino with whipped cream and four delicious pastries... The roses seen in the photo are from a young man in the Piazza "giving them to us" and then asking us to "help him out as a favor"... Anything for a Euro.

The street leading away from the Piazza were full of people window shopping, street performers, the aroma of pizza and pastas and small Italian deli's if you will shown here:

We stumbled upon this place and were immediately in love... An array of wine and cheese and meats from all over Italy... along with chocolates, dried pasta, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, olives, pestos and the like... If you're a foodie, this a great place! We opted for some garlic and black pepper salami and some pecorino cheese. You will not get meat or cheese like this in the states, I guarantee it. It was delicious!

We then strolled along the stores and stumbled upon the Piazza de Spagna (or Spanish Steps) and just stopped and stared. The throngs of people walking to and from the steps along with some young Mexican men in their early twenties were chanting in Spanish some songs that both Claudia and I could recognize. We headed in their direction and got a great view from above and below:

The energy here was alive and fresh, however relaxing at the same time. People were taking pictures, families were sitting together talking and taking in the sights, and young men and women drank wine and beer while chatting away in Italian... We loved it!

We then strolled along some more and headed for the Trevi Fountain which is an amazing sight. The carvings in the stone are larger than life and just seem to captivate everyone who takes a moment to take it all in. Legend says that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain and make a wish, it will come true.

The picture above is me throwing a coin over my shoulder into the fountain... Let's see if my wish comes true! We sat for some time just talking and looking at the fountain and the people coming and going taking pictures... I love people watching!

We then headed through the streets some more and came across the Pantheon, however it was pretty dark and the side we were on was being renovated so we will be heading back later this week to get pictures during the day time. Then we went on to the Piazza de Navona where it appeared a small carnival was taking place. Small vendors and game stalls were setup around the area. You could buy leather goods, candies and nuts, hats and scarves, and cotton candy. We came across a candy stall that was selling European Drinking Chocolate... it was like liquid pudding of delicious silky chocolate. I opted for just chocolate, while Claudia did 50/50 of white and dark chocolate. The cups were so clean by the time we were done they could have put them back... It was so amazingly good we are actually thinking of heading back there when we go to see the Pantheon in the day time.

We stopped in at Valhrona Chocoates and picked up a few samples there too... SO GOOD! (Yes, we are eating our way through Rome.)

The night quickly set in and shops started to close and bars and restaurants began to fill up by now and we then started back in the direction of the hotel passing by Castel Sant Angelo, which was a small but beastly castle that was closed but does have a museum to explore - we may try to head back there before heading off to Florence on Sunday.

As we got closer to the hotel, we knew we needed to actually dinner and not just snack our way through Rome, so we found a small restaurant and had pasta and a glass each of red wine, very delicious and satisfying. Pasta here is al dente and the sauce in not so "red" like it is in the States. It's more of an orange/brown color and not red at all... and it was thicker than sauce I'm used, and not heavy at all. Plates are generous portions and piping hot. I almost finished mine while Claudia ate just over half her plate and was done. We sat and talked about the day and finished our wine, then headed for the hotel room to kick off our boots and get ready for bed as we are heading out early tomorrow for a farmers market at Campo de Fiori.

I hope you enjoy the pictures in the gallery and I will continue to add more... Ciao!