The third and final day in Rome was both more relaxing and more frustrating than the first two days. It was more relaxing because it was just a day of sightseeing by foot, but it was more frustrating because, at the end of the day, we ran off of free, close-by things to see. I don’t think you could ever run out of things to see in Rome, the tricky, limiting part was not spending any money.
We began at the Piazza della Republica and admired the fountain there. The fountain was surrounded by a traffic circle which lessened its appeal greatly. From there we walked west to the Piazza Barberini. Another pretty fountain greeted us in the shadow of some pretty buildings. We then hiked northwest to the Piazza Trinita dei Monti which is the spot of the white cathedral at the top of the Spanish Steps. Although the obelisk and cathedral were pretty enough, I was more entertained by the spectacular view and by the dozen artists selling paintings of all sizes.
When Ross had finished European Studies he’d brought me a little watercolor of the Pantheon. I really wanted watercolors of some of the other well- known Roman monuments. As Martha explored the church I stayed below examining all the watercolors in hopes of finding the perfect one. My final purchase was a matte of three watercolors depicting the forum, St. Peter’s Square, and the Trevi fountain. It was the perfect combination to sum up the three days in Rome. I’d been telling Martha of the watercolors before we ever got to Rome, so naturally when she saw how pretty my new one was, she was inclined to purchase one too. I really liked the one she purchased! We were both more than happy to tote our art around for the rest of the day and night.
Down the Spanish Steps, with a brief stop by the fountain at the bottom for a few touristy photos of course, then we were on our way to the Trevi fountain. Martha really wanted to see it at night, which was fine with me, but I also wanted to see it in daylight for the comparison. It was so beautiful: a huge wall of sculpture that meets with a large basin of water. It wasn’t quite time for lunch, but it was always time for gelato. Since we were about to sit and contemplate the greatness of the fountain, gelato seemed appropriate. It became trip tradition to stick to our 2 euro price. It was surreal to be sitting at the Trevi fountain eating gelato. Even though we were in Rome, and had been for two days, we still couldn’t help from turning to each other and saying, “We’re in Rome!!!” as if we’d just stepped off the plane.
Of the things we did in Rome I think that the colosseum was my favorite with St. Peter’s in second place and the Trevi fountain in third place.
Walking along the streets, Martha and I ducked into various souvenir shops. I came away with some Murano glass earrings in the shape of tiny rectangles. I already own probably too much green and blue jewelry but that’s the color combo I bought.
Next, after passing the Piazza Colonna and standing in the shadow of the huge sculpted column there, we admired the Pantheon from the outside as we passed it looking for our lunch spot. I think the meal had at Armando Al Pantheon was Martha’s favorite. It was definitely a highlight of the trip that we even ate there at all, considering we got there before it opened and snagged the last table for 2. Apparently the entire lunch crowd had reservations. The interior was very rustic, more like a grandmother’s kitchen with old and new all mismatched together into a perfectly cozy harmony. While I decided on bruschetta roma (bread with oil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper), Martha delightfully munched her artichoke and fresh mozzarella. Afterward we both enjoyed ravioli with mushrooms and white crème sauce. The meal was sheer perfection – the other sit down meals we had in Italy were fantastic but this lunch rose above the rest.
From lunch, we grabbed more gelato (yes gelato both before AND after lunch – which explains the pounds I gained on the trip), seated ourselves at the Pantheon, and took a moment. Inside the Pantheon, which was pretty and structurally impressive, I tried and tried to take really good photos of the dome and the hole in the center of the dome. Martha and I found Raphael’s burial tomb before heading out the door and toward more sights.
We stopped in the Piazza Navona, admiring the three famous fountains there, and the street artists (and the odd political rally winding down). We walked over the Ponte S. Angelo (Angel bridge) taking in the river winding below us and the beautiful cityscapes to either horizon. We walked up to the Piazza Borghese where I thought the Borghese Gallery would be, but it was not. Thus, we strolled down the Via del Corso and then spent some minutes sitting in the Piazza del Popolo trying to figure out our next move. It was still a little bit too early for dinner, and my right knee and ankle were really hurting by now, which made me less inclined to budge. However, Martha suggested catching sunset near the Angel bridge and the Vatican, then walking leisurely toward dinner. That would be the end of our sight seeing for the last day in Rome.
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