Torna a Roma

Back to Rome.  We took the high speed train directly from Florence to Rome.  What a great way to travel.  This time we stayed on the west side of the Tiber, near Vatican city in a quaint little B&B.  In fact, our next door neighbor was St. Peter's basilica!

After being cooped up in a train for part of the day it was time to explore!  We walked through Gianicolo Park, which is located on a hill overlooking the city center of Rome.  We were able to see the ruins of Palatine Hill from this park.  Awesome!

That giant white building is the Victor Emmanuel Monument

The ruins of Palatine hill are in the distance and sort of look like red rocks

The lighthouse at the top of Gianicolo Hill

Statue of a general in Gianicolo Park

A swanky mansion outside Gianicolo park

Fountain outside Gianicolo park

Top of the fountain

After walking through the park we made our way to the Trastevere area of Rome.  Trastevere is a trendy, less touristy part of Rome on the east side of the Tiber.  Our main focus there was the restaurant Roma Sparita, but we were lucky enough to stumble upon San Michele Church.

The streets of Trastevere

The San Michele bell tower

Entrance of San Michele

San Michele had incredible, teeny, tiny mosaic detail

More mosaics

Entrance and bell tower of San Michele

Of all the time we had spent in Rome we hadn't really seen the Tiber River.  We made sure to walk to the River just for a glance.  Unfortunately it's not a very aesthetically pleasing river!

The Tiber

Ken hangin' by the river

Doors leading to an incredibly old church near the Tiber

Our Trastevere trip was centered around Roma Sparita.  For those of you Anthony Bourdain fans you've probably heard of this restaurant on No Reservations.  The most famous dish at this restaurant is Cacio e Pepe and after all this walking we were ready to chow down!

We showed up right at 7pm which is when restaurants in Italy open for dinner.  There were zero other people there.  We walk up to the door where a waiter asks us if we have a reservation.  We answer no and he tells us to wait while he asks the boss if he can seat us.  You gotta be kidding me...there are no other diners in the whole joint!  It was apparent this is not an American friendly dining establishment.

We were lucky enough to get sat and instead of assigning us the nice guy who spoke English to all the tables around us when the crowds arrived, we got the cankerous old Italian guy who spoke only two English words.  We didn't need to communicate that much anyways...we already new what we wanted to eat and that was Cacio e Pepe.

Cacio e Pepe...what can I say, it's heaven in a crispy little Parmesan bowl.  Pasta amazingness.  Dealing with the restaurant's anti-American mentality was more than worth it.  And to add to it, they had amazing rosemary focaccia bread.

D-lish focaccia

The infamous Cacio e Pepe

  
After gorging ourselves silly we wandered into the heart of Trastevere.  Trastevere is home to a hand full of universities and students had flooded the streets in search of food and drink.  The town was alive.  Quite a different atmosphere than we arrived that afternoon.

A Trastevere church surrounded by a flurry of activity

The busy nightlife of Trastevere

Tonight, our final night in Italy, was the first time Ken and I got lost.  We walked south instead of north, into a not so nice looking part of Trastevere.  After back tracking we finally just gave up and hopped a cab back to the B&B.  Upon our arrival we are greeted with a view of St. Peter's, bringing both our frazzled minds to ease.

It finally sets in that this is our final night in Italia.  We are saddened by the thought of leaving this magnificent country.  Two weeks is not nearly enough time here and I have to believe that two lifetimes wouldn't be enough time either.  Italy is not just a country, it's a belief, a way of life.  Vacationing there only makes you want more.  I can't speak for Ken, but for me, a part of my heart will always belong to Italy.