Day 10 Rome

April 5, 2010  Monday
CAVEAT: Do not read this post if you are easily offended by nudity/art or spoofs of!
I didn’t know there was an Easter MONDAY, but there is. It’s observed in Roma, Italy and therefore all the stores are closed. Beau was sad. 9.30 a.m. We ate breakfast at the hotel. The usual suspects: Nutella, toast, salami and cappuccino. 

By noon, we were dressed and waiting for the bus. 

Looking back, it would have been smart to take this shot of bus 360 on our first day and use it as our main map for bus routes and Metro stops. We finally figured this out on our last full day in Roma! The bus took us to Termini, where we got on the Metro to go to the Vatican. The Metro is quite modern and spacious with TVs running strange ads. My favorite were the psycho cat commercial and animated pickpocket warnings. This afternoon the ride was empty, but later we were packed like sardines and there was an actual riot outside of the train. Teenage boys were slamming their fists on the doors and yelling — not sure what was going on. It didn’t surprise me, since there are so many policemen at every corner.

We exited the Metro and looked for signs to the Vatican. It’s hard to miss the giant wall that surrounds it. We walked halfway around to get in the city, only to see a mass of people in line for the Musei Vaticani and Cappella Sistina. As much as I would have loved to see Michaelangelo’s masterpieces, it would have taken us the whole day to get inside.

Saint Peter's Square and Basilica are amazing. 

We didn’t stay long and took the Metro to Piazza del Popolo where we walked… and walked… and walked. 

It took a long time for us to find the restaurant the concierge suggested (it was in another hotel!) and we decided to go somewhere else. 

Smart cars were everywhere (even in Paris and London). I love how they park on both sides of the street, facing each other, and sideways even. There are no rules as long as they fit. 

During our search for a good meal, Beau was nearly run over by a boy on a bike. All she saw was the gorgeous Italian with ocean blue eyes, who continued to flirt with her in Italian. I was too busy looking for food.

A few pretty sightings along the way…

We settled for Taverna del Corso, where we had friendly service and very good Spaghetti Carbonara and Fettucine Marinara. 

We walked around to find last minute souvenirs from Rome. Inspired by Michaelangelo’s David, we found a few interesting items to bring home. Harry Potter David. 

Before leaving Popolo, we saw another Michael Jackson performer. They love him in Europe. 

We circled back to Barberini and took the Metro to Termini. By the time we took the bus to the hotel, it was 8 p.m.

Our favorite hotel waiter served our dinner: Margherita pizza, Nutella gelato and cappuccino. After dinner, we packed, packed, packed. Tomorrow would be a long travel day HOME! 
Photos: Ren Reiske © All Rights Reserved