Roman Holiday: Day 2 - Exploring Rome

Roman Holiday: Day 2 - Exploring Rome

After leaving the Sistine Chapel we began making our way back to the hotel. We stopped at a local pizzeria for a fabulous lunch. As we were sitting down at the table the couple next to us began giggling at something we had said or done. Oh well, we were obviously tourist – what do you expect? The pizza was great. I even ate the bruschetta with tomatoes! It was fabulous!

After a brief rest at the hotel we headed back toward the river. Kara – who loves water – had suggested a river cruise. So, we signed up and set out. It wasn’t really one of Kara’s better ideas! We gave her grief about it for the rest of our trip, but she knows we love her! The walls along the Tiber River are built so high that when you’re on the river there is really nothing to see. Well, nothing except graffiti and more homeless people than you can imagine. I think the most interesting and unusual (at least to us) thing we saw was the advertisement for gay dolls that we saw at the boat pier. I had to take a picture! Homosexuality is definitely more widely accepted in Europe than in the U.S.

Once the tour was finished (and most of us had taken a short nap) we wandered through the streets of Rome. We came to the Piazza Navona and as soon as we emerged from the alley into the piazza it took my breath away! There were artists everywhere! I could have stayed there all day looking at paintings and watching people.

Michael and I had already decided that we wanted to buy a painting to remind us of our trip. We looked for some time for that extra special something and we finally found the perfect one. Well, two actually, but they were small and will look great framed to match! We also bought two paintings while we were in Paris. I hope Michele is planning to be very busy framing all of these for us once we get back!

After great shopping, pictures, and people watching we finally left the piazza. On our way toward the Trevi Fountain, we stopped at the Pantheon. Michael and I were a little disappointed that even this ancient building has been taken over by the church. The Pantheon is located in the Piazza della Rotunda. It was built around 25 B.C. as a Roman temple. Pantheon is a Greek word which means, “to honor all Gods”. Much of the building was destroyed by fire in 80 A.D. and had to be rebuilt.

The interior of the building was interesting. It contains the tombs of several Italian Kings. It was built so that the distance from the floor to the top of the dome is exactly equal to the diameter of the room. There is a large round hole in the ceiling which was meant to allow natural light into the room. The building was turned over to the Pope in 609 who turned it into the Chiesa di Santa Maria ad Martyres. They still hold masses here on special occasions.

The Piazza della Rotunda where the Pantheon is located is a lively place filled with bars, cafes, and restaurants. We saw a lot of street vendors selling their wares. Of course they disappeared in less than 30 seconds when their lookout spotted a police officer. I’ve never seen people move so fast in my life!

Next we saw the Trevi Fountain. It is the most famous and romantic fountain in all of Rome. It was beautiful. There were so many people around that it was difficult to take a great picture because I had to stand so close, but I still think you’ll get the idea that it was lovely! We found a human statue near the fountain that was quite good – Kara tossed a little money his way and was rewarded with a great photo opportunity!

We stopped at a charming outdoor restaurant for dinner on our way back to the hotel. It was my favorite meal during our trip. I don’t even remember the name of it. I only know that it was at the end of the long open area called the Piazza del Parlamento. It’s a little off the main road and made for a peaceful, relaxing dinner.

Travel Tip: If you think you like American coffee, then do not under any circumstances order coffee while in Rome. You will be sadly disappointed to be given the equivalent of mud to drink. You’re much better off to ask for a latte or even espresso. Be willing to try it! The espresso I had after dinner was flavorful and smooth – not bitter at all.

After dinner we continued our leisurely walk back to the hotel. After a full and busy day, we decided to sleep a little later the next day before meeting for breakfast. We knew that we would need our rest before tackling the Colosseum and ancient Rome on Saturday.