We sleep in exhausted from yesterday’s travels and exploring. Walking in Rome takes some getting used to
because nearly all of the streets and alleys we encountered are paved with cobblestones. These charming three-inch square stones are
spaced almost an inch apart and form an uneven surface over a randomly sunken
base. Difficult for me to walk on in
loafers or sneakers and damned treacherous for Mandy in anything like a fashionable
woman’s shoe. The residents of Rome
generally have the same love/hate relationship with the cobbles which make pushing
a stroller nearly impossible and slipping in wet weather nearly inevitable. For us newbies, it just causes additional
wear to our overworked feet.
We have a light breakfast at Café Peru, a neighborhood bar (coffee
shop) catering to the neighbors. Mama
waits on the patrons at the counter and squeezes the OJ fresh for each
order. Her son expertly makes the caffe,
a perfect heart on top of Mandy’s cappuccino.
Neither speaks much English, but I wield my 17 words of Italian like a
pro to order a ham and cheese panini and even get it cut in half. OK, so there was a bunch of finger pointing
and shoulder shrugging, too, but hey, mission complete. We watch a constant stream of locals stop in
for a quick fix, nearly all of them addressed by name. This is our kinda place.
Our first destination today is a tour of Castel Sant’Angelo. It’s a massive primitive round structure surrounded
by an actual moat. Built around 139AD as
the Mausoleum of Hadrian, it has served as a military fortress, safe house for
the Pope, and even as the Vatican prison.
Over the centuries, most of the original marble veneer has been looted leaving
the current unbecoming exterior. The
place is massive, and we really love the statue of the Archangel Michael who reportedly
appeared atop the mausoleum sheathing his sword to signal the end of the plague
of 590AD.
We have lunch in Borgo Pio, the medieval neighborhood just east of
the Vatican. The Borgo (as we his
friends call him), offers a lively afternoon scene and proves that it’s really
easy to find a good restaurant in Rome.
Next stop: the Vatican.
Mandy prepurchased timed tickets for the fabled Vatican Museum and Sistine
Chapel. I’m a recovering Catholic – they
say you’re never really cured – as I made a conscious decision to leave the
church many years ago. So going to the
Vatican is a mixed bag for me. The
museum is absolutely massive impossible to see in a single day, but Mandy has
done some research and has specific galleries she wants to see. The Egyptian galleries are fascinating, with
mummies of sovereigns displayed with their Tut-like sarcophagus. The tapestries gallery is especially engrossing,
and we cannot imagine the talent required to hand make these huge works out of
thread with the detail of a single hair paintbrush. We did not realize that the maps in the map
gallery were actually painted on the wall and used to locate the churches
throughout the country like pins on a GPS map.
Of course, the highlight of the visit is the Sistine Chapel, but
not how we expected it. Like most, when
we thought of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, we pictured The Creation of Adam, God’s outstretched hand reaching out to the
first man. I imagined this feature to be
huge and prominent. While it is in the
center of the chapel, it is just one feature in a very complex work. Apparently, Michelangelo set out to paint the
history of the world leading up to the coming of Jesus, and God’s creation of
man is just one vignette in this multifaceted picture story. In its entirety, it is a bit overwhelming, so
Mandy and I find seats along the edge of the chapel and just take it in for a
while. It has been a long day. Trying to find our way out, we stumble into
the Gallery of the Popemobiles. OK, I’m
sure it’s called something else, but that’s what it is. From the Papal Carriage to the Papal VW, all
the greats are here.
Walking home, we stop for a gelato on Borgo Pio. Gelato is huge here, and Mandy insists on
finding the small batch artisan kind, not the massed produced stuff. The fig-and-waffle was out of this
world. Almost back to the hotel, and
really into the rhythm of Rome, we stop back at Café Peru for a quick
caffe. Mama knows us by now and greets
us with a welcoming smile. Loaded with
sugar and caffeine, we do what comes naturally.
Nap.
Dinner is at Nino, just off the Piazza di Spagna and near the
Spanish Steps. Nino has been an “it” restaurant
for decades in Rome, a place to see and be seen. The restaurant lives up to its hype by
remaining true to its Tuscan roots.
While the wine list is extensive, we order the house red which is served
in juice glasses, of course. We close
the night with the Via Del Corso Stroll from the Spanish Steps to Trevi
Fountain. The Trevi Fountain was
beautiful during the day, but even more stunning by night.
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