Kenny says “every 12 feet there’s another piazza” trying to read the map and navigate these little twisting, turning streets in Roma’s centro storico. Between the two of us we are managing to get where we need to go but I’m quite sure it’s not the most efficient route.
We started out the morning with coffee at the Bar Farnese. We really like it there–very simple little place but the coffee is perfetto.
Then we walked back to the Vodaphone shop to find out our number for the new SIM card. It’s 3427580585 in case anyone needs us. Then we walked to the Pantheon, very close by. We sat outside for a bit just to take in the beauty of it and the lovely fountain in front:

I took a bunch of totally inadequate photos inside. It was impossible to capture the literal awesomeness. The place is perfection. We saw a few little puddles on the floor from all the rain yesterday but it was amazing how well it had all drained off. Just in dealing with the rain through the open “occulous” of the roof it was an impressive engineering masterpiece–and then there’s the beauty of the marble, the tomb of Raphael–on and on. I was pretty much choking up the whole visit.
From there we walked to the Trevi Fountain. What an exhilerating scene! So many languages, so many types of people, and the overwhelming beauty of the fountain itself. We made our way to the bottom in order to toss our coins into the pool (it worked last time–I’m back) and there was a young couple sitting with a camera. I could tell they wanted to get a picture but they were very timid. They didn’t speak Italian or English–just “tourist.” I took their picture and they took ours:

We sat for a while to watch the international parade. I loved it. So many smiling people in so many “costumes” speaking so many languages. Huge entertainment value! I filled up my water bottle:

and we made our way back to the apartment to rest a little bit before lunch.
We met Slow Travel friends, Sandra, who lives in Rome, and Heidi and Marlene for a really nice lunch at Da Francesco. We followed Heidi the Teatro gelateria and really enjoyed it. I loved the nocciolo/hazelnut flavor. Heidi and Sandra came to see our apartment and then it was time to re group.
Ken and I went to the L’arcobaleno store in the Jewish ghetto area to buy my European flat iron. It was easy to find the shop and we enjoyed the wide quiet streets of the ghetto. From there we walked through some beautiful Roman ruins (Portico Ottavia)
where I was enjoying taking pictures:


and up to the top of Campidoglio for the perfect evening view over the Roman Forum and several other well know pieces, including this of Romulous and Remus:

We stopped at Il Fornaio for some pizza bianca and also bought a nice cold bottle of pink Prosecco.

I cooked some chicoria and we had a nice little dinner including the left overs from the pork place.
There was a lot of action in Campo dei Fiore–a ridiculous group of young Christian performers doing some juggling, dance and preaching with a big sound system. Pretty annoying. Finally we closed all of the windows and shutters and were able to read and relax in the bedroom.