Roma Dialogue - Part II Easter Saturday

Easter Saturday I woke around 8.00 am which was good for me and made my way to the hotel for breakfast.  The restaurant was roof-top so it had a wonderful view across to St. Peter’s.  Breakfast wasn’t bad, although not as good as I had hoped, given that I was also in Rome for the food J.   What was funny, although very usual in some European countries (France and Italy in particular) is that there were several people with their small dogs in fashionable ‘handbags’ sitting at the tables with them.  It made me miss my ‘girls’ back home in Wilmington.   Who also went on a road-trip to the ‘foster grand-parents’ in SC for Easter!

My plan of ‘attack’ for the day was to start at the Piazza Campo de’ Fiori where I had read there was a great local market and I wanted to get a couple of things to bring back to Accra with me.  I found my way there without too much problem and my first sensation was the beautiful scents of all the flower stalls, they were just georgeous – I do so miss my garden, especially at this time of the year!  Other stalls included one that had just boxes and boxes of different types of sun-dried tomatoes, I probably should have got some of those in hindsight but didn’t, cheeses, olive oils and balsamic vinegars, pastas and all sorts of different herb mixes for pasta, etc.  A friend here in Accra had asked me to pick up some organic almonds for her which I did, although it was quite interesting explaining why an English, American was buying 1kg of Californian Almonds, but then I added I was living in West Africa and that seemed to make the stall owner happy again!   I also found some great hard roma cheeses for me and some olive oil and balsamic, so with all that in hand, I made my way quickly back to the B&B to drop that all in the room before heading for my next ‘attack’ on Rome.

My plan was to go to the Colosseum, Palantine Hill and the Roman Forum so I set of for the bus stop – I had taken time to know which number I need to catch by this time as I would have to change buses to cross town.  Making my way there fairly quickly I found that the lines to the Colosseum were very lengthy so I decided that maybe for this one (as it covered all three ‘sites’) I would join a guided group, which I did – this also meant not having to queue so was worth the 10 Euro’s just for that.   I have to say that I could easily have missed the Colosseum as it really is so ruined there isn’t much to see and it leaves a lot to your imagination, which is actually easier if you look at it from the outside!  Walking up to Palantine Hill and through the Roman Forum was really interesting, although I have to admit I tired of the whole ‘tour guide’ approach and abandoned them to walk through at my own pace.  It is pretty amazing if you really just think back to all the roman leaders, etc. having walked in that very area.  But for those of you who know me well, also know that I am somewhat ‘historically challenged’ and can only take so much history or ruins in one day, so by about 2.00 pm I was finished in the Roman Forum and headed back towards the Pantheon (since I hadn’t been able to get inside the day before).  I ended up walking my way back across the city and stopping at a couple of other Piazza’s on my way including the Piazza Venezia and the Piazza della Minerva, seeing the Elefanito della Minerva ‘arranged’ by Bernini – I have to say I am not to sure what arranged means, after all it was an obelisk sat on top of an elephant – how arranged can that be!!

Arriving in the Piazza della Rotonda which is where the Pantheon is located J, I first met an Italian selling tickets for a concert by the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra that evening at All Saints Church near the Spanish Steps.  They were performing Mozart’s Requiem K626; I really couldn’t believe my luck as I had tried to find a concert to attend on line before arriving but with no luck and I had been fortunate enough to be at the Piazza just at the right time – they were only there for 30 minutes J  God was certainly looking out for me!  I purchased a ticket and then headed into the Pantheon which was as incredible as I had anticipated.  It was amazing to think that people had been walking on those marble floors for the past 2000 years!  I took a picture of just the floor….

By the time I had seen the Pantheon I decided it was time for my first gelato – can you believe I didn’t even have one on my first day!  The first thought that went through my mind on that first mouthful was “heaven”, and the second was that I needed at least a couple more before I left Italy!

It was about 4.00 pm by this time so I decided I would head back to the B&B, take a little nap and then get ready to head out for an early dinner and then the concert which started at 8.30 pm.  Thankfully I set the alarm clock to wake me up as I went sound asleep and had a very good nap J  I had decided that I would go by Metro (as I hadn’t tried that yet) to the Piazza di Spagna and then find somewhere to eat once I had located the Church.  It all ended up being very easy and I found this amazing little Osteria – it only had tables to seat 24 people and there were already three tables full when I arrived.  I couldn’t have found a better place to eat – the food was delicious; starting with the tomato and mozzarella salad, and then having a local favorite (so I had read) which was pasta noodles with black pepper and roma cheese – very simple but delicious, plus a nice glass of red wine.  That was definitely my dinner of the trip!!  From there I walked back to the Church and found a seat (it was open seating) for the concert.  It was so beautiful, I thoroughly enjoyed it – just sitting their closing my eyes and listening I forgot about all my worries in Accra and loved every minute of the music.  What a perfect evening J

The concert ended at about 10.00 pm so I head back for the Metro station to work my way back to the B&B, however on arriving in the area of the Vatican, I could hear music coming from St. Peters Square so of course I had to go and investigate………. It was the Saturday night Mass which again was being broadcast on the big screens in the square, so I sat and listened to that for about 30 minutes, however it started to rain so I called it a night and headed for the B&B.