Adventures of Lydia and Joe

May 3, 2013 Exploring Milano

Milan’s Duomo is exceptional. If you like highly decorated architecture that looks like kids dripping wet sand on their beach sand castles, you’ll love the Milan Duomo. It sits alone in the middle of a huge piazza. You can’t help but be impressed. We walked through the Galleria which is a huge covered shopping area next to the Duomo with a gorgeous glass ceiling and beautiful mosaic floors. In the center of the Galleria, the floor is highly decorative with motifs representing the 4 major centers of Italy. One is sympolic of Torino with a small bull (torino) dancing on it’s hind legs. Women take special delight in spinning around on a certain part of the bull’s anatomy. It’s supposed to bring luck, but not to the bull! We went on to the Opera House, La Strada. The tour book said you only get a glimpse of the theater which is what we all wanted to see, but we went anyway. Were we delighted that we got to go into a box in the opera house and see the whole stage! They said no photos, but some girl was blatantly taking picture after picture with her phone, so I snuck one, just one, of the opera stage. We walked through the museum and saw programs, posters, costumes, and paintings of operas and performers from the last several hundred years. It was a great experience.
Then the guys wanted to see the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum depicting his genius in his many talents as artist, inventor, scientist and sculptor. Jan and I got crazy and went up to the roof top of the Cathedral . It was breathtaking to be among the spires and gargoyles. From the top, I saw the Football store I’d heard about and we went over there to find a little something for Chris.
We finished up the day back at our hotel, grabbing a little dinner on the way, and waiting for the time to go to the train.

May 2, 2013 On to Milano

When we entered the town the town of Vernazza yesterday, the first thing Joe said was I wonder if there is a post office or a laundromat. There was both. So we did a load of wash while we waited for the first car ferry. I was able to fill a box and mail it home. It was only about 16 lbs, but it lightened the load. It should arrive in about 4 weeks. We got enough gas from Allessandra to get back to La Spezia and stopped at the first filling station we saw there to load up on diesel. Then in a much more relaxed state of mind, we continued on to Milano. The highway was easy if expensive. The tolls were a small price to pay for such good roads and little traffic. We had to return the car in Milano so we filled up again as we approached the city. Then the adventure of finding the Hertz place. I thought it was at the Central Train Station but we drove round and around without finding it. Then we went to the Hertz address on the car rental slip but that wasn’t right either. The attendant gave me directions to the garage and printed out a schema of the road. Finally! They should have included that with the car rental! But we found it and, thanks to having Super CDW, we didn’t have to worry about damage.
We got a taxi to our hotel, again a bit disappointing on first glance. It was not real close to the center and was very modern. Turns out it is a very nice 4* hotel with a great buffet breakfast, comfortable rooms, free wifi, and pleasant staff. We had dinner at nearby restaurant, the Stendahl, and turned in. We have all day tomorrow to explore as our train to Paris isn’t until 11:30 at night.

May 1, 2013 Pisa and the Cinque Terre (or as they put it, the 5 Terre)

We headed out of Florence and the GPS was more cooperative than usual in getting us to our first destination. We found a car park and got to the Basilica and Leaning Tower quite easily. It’s still leaning! There was a kind of farmers’ market in the piazza where we bought some great cheese, not my favorite salami (I don’t like salami!) and some bread that went stale as soon as it was in our shopping bag. We soon realized we needed a knife to cut the cheese so in a flash of brilliance I went into a little shop selling sandwiches and asked for one. She gave me a set of plastic tableware with the bonus of some napkins. Picnic time! Then we were off in the direction of La Spezia with the destination of Vernazza, one of the five villages that hug the Mediterranean coast. These villages are nearly inaccessible by land (as we were to soon find out) but are connected by train and boat. As we passed through La Spezia, a seaport city, we realized we were a little low on gas. But the gas station we pulled into was closed (it’s a holiday) and Joe thought we had enough gas for a while. We left La Spezia on a good road that soon morphed into a small road that wound and wound up hill and down dale with breathtaking views of the coastline and terraced hillsides. It made the Big Sur seem like a freeway. The road narrowed unbelievably and we could not find a gas station anywhere. We finally neared a turnoff marked Vernazza but it looked like a parking lot, so we continued on a hundred yards or so. I called Allessandra, our new landlord, and asked her what to do. She said we should pull into the lot and that someone would bring us to the hotel. That’s when Tom told us that he had read there was a devastating flood in this town about a year and a half ago and the town was nearly destroyed. Rick Steves recommends visitors go to one of the other villages because of the difficulty getting to this one. Wish we’d known that before. Somehow Joe turned the car around (I couldn’t look) and we entered the parking lot. There was almost no room. The attendant had to park the car for us. Because of the flood, all cars must park in the lot and a pickup truck ferries residents and visitors alike into town. There were many more cars and motorcycles than usual because of the holiday. We got that all figured out and climbed into the truck. The driver stopped close to the entrance to the town and pointed out our hotel. I was a little disappointed. It was a three story narrow modern looking building, not near the sea. A cheerful Allessandra greeted us warmly and showed us the lift in her building. The thought of not having to haul those suitcases up stairs made me appreciate the hotel much more. We explained to her our shortage of fuel and she said she could get us a few liters of gas by morning. (She was another of many angels we have encountered!) I was so relieved! We had a spacious clean room with good ventilation. I could hardly wait to get to the shore. So we packed up our cheese, crackers, and Tom had a good bottle of wine he’d been carrying for days and we headed out. Joe and I were still in our room when we heard a great crash and glass breaking. As we entered the elevator we could smell the wine. The picture grew grim when we reached Tom just outside the lift. He had slipped on the marble stair and twisted both ankles as he fell, loosing his grip on the wine in the process. Thank heaven he didn’t fall into the glass. He knew he had seriously sprained his ankle but he could hobble on it, so we walked a little way beyond the train tracks to the town square (an elevated platform about 20 feet square with a couple of benches and a small children’s merry go round) where we had our open air lunch. Tom needed to get back to the hotel and rest his ankles. Joe and I went down to the waterfront and how rewarding was that! Vernazza has a small natural harbor with a tiny marina housing some colorful fishing boats. As we wandered around near the breakwater, I started chatting with a lady who was gathered with several other people. All of a sudden a boat pulled up and put down a gang plank. She said she had to go and that was her boat. I was amazed! I asked her if she chartered it and she laughed! She said it was like a public ferry that took people from one town to another. It even goes all the way to Portofino. All the people were gathered there like a bus stop. Wish we had time to try it. I stopped in one of many curio shops and got a few tee shirts and a great bag with the names of all the 5 Terre towns on it.
We all had dinner in the restaurant recommended by Allessandra. Food was delicious as usual.
We’re all very concerned about Tom’s ankles. He and Jan turned in for more rest. Joe and I went into town for a capuccino (me) and gelato (him). I love Vernazza! I especially like it for all the courage the people have shown in putting it back together. I hope we can come back.

April 30, 2013 Museum Day in Florence

Accademia and Uffizi were on our list today. We had a 9:30 appointment for the Accademia and they didn’t let us in even one minute earlier. David was there in all his splendor but there were many other beautiful sculptures. There was also a room full of plaster casts of masterpieces which was interesting, but it made me think of other things that are “genuine imitations.” The weather would be very pleasant, around 80-85 degrees F., but the humidity makes the air heavy. It even rains at times. We weren’t carrying umbrellas today and as soon as the first drop fell, there were ten vendors selling umbrellas. The price has risen since Rome. The first guy who approached me said 10 euro, then he dropped to 8. Another tourist came by and he told her 10 which she paid. Meanwhile I was dickering for 5. I gave him 5 and he kept asking for 3 more. Then another vendor came by and said he’d sell for 5. So I told my guy to give me my 5 euro back and I handed him his umbrella. He was not happy but he indicated he’d take 5. Then he read the riot act to the other vendor for stealing his customers. We got away fast! We got some lunch and headed back to the hotel for a rest. Soon it was time to go to the Uffizi. We had 3 PM reservations and were glad we would not have to wait in the humidity. Turns out the 3 PM is to wait in line to exchange our vouchers for tickets. Then we had to go to another building and wait in line for our turn to go in. Good thing we got there early! All in all it was a long wait for what turned out to be a disappointing gallery for me. There were beautiful paintings by the world’s masters but I was too hot and too uncomfortable to fully appreciate what I was seeing. I did enjoy walking through the corridors between galleries as the ceilings were very beautiful and the views from the windows were lovely. We left there to continue our exploration. One place I’d always heard of but never been was the Ponte Vecchio. It’s very near the Uffizi, so we went to check it out. I think I hoped Joe would be inspired by all the gold to buy me a present. No such luck. The greenish, murky river snaked off in both directions with several bridges in view. The Ponte Vecchio was as I’ve seen pictured a million times, the shops a little tumble down, the vendors everywhere. But the jewelry on display was bountiful and beautiful. Another Florence landmark checked off the list!
We returned to our hotel to freshen up for dinner.
Because it was the eve of yet another holiday, there were more people than usual and you could feel the excitement in the crowds. There were some posters around announcing the Notte Bianci but I didn’t understand what that meant. Someone explained that the stores would all be open all night. Then I realized that with May 1 being a holiday, the young people would be looking for something to do. Even the waiter could hardly wait to finish his shift. He had a faux mohawk which looked strange on a grown man but he was very pleasant. I’m sure he flirts with all the girls, young and old! Now I understood why the band was setting up in the piazza. They were doing sound checks all afternoon. We had another good dinner always preceded by bruschetta and usually followed by pasta for Jan, Tom and me, and some kind of meat for Joe. Often Joe and I share a salad, and we usually end with a shared tiramisu. Such good food! We took a short after-dinner stroll and turned in for a much needed rest. We went to bed accompanied by these blaring sounds! I came out of our room about an hour later to look out the window in the salon and take a picture. There were several hundred young people celebrating to the music. It went on until about 4 in the morning. Such partyers!!

April 29, 2013 Beautiful Assisi and on to Florence

We awoke to see just how charming our Hotel Umbra is. Gardens, views, comfortable room, very pleasant and helpful staff, and well located with a downhill walk to the Basilica and a bus available for the uphill return. After an included breakfast we strolled down to the Basilica through narrow windy streets. There were a lot of people but not so many as Rome and the weather was perfect. It was great to see the upper church so perfectly restored after the earthquake. It is very beautiful with frescoes everywhere. We also explored the lower church which was more beautiful than I remember. I had a Mass said for Janice and Tom, for Mary Lou who is so ill, and for Michael and Anna, two friends who are also ill. We went down to the crypt and prayed before the tomb of St.Francis. I decided that was the perfect place to have a heart to heart about my St. Francis graduate, Danny. I asked St. Francis to keep him safe and to help him find whatever he is looking for. After a long one way chat, I was convinced that St. Francis would look after his former student. We emerged from that holy place and decided to look for the bus that would take us up the hill. As always, what is obvious to those giving directions is not obvious to those trying to follow them. After many false starts we found the right place and the right bus. One problem was that a shopkeeper emphasized that it was a yellow bus when in fact it is orange. Oh well, we found it. We found a good place for lunch, engaged a taxi to take us to the parking garage, and we were off to our next destination, Florence. The countryside was just beautiful, lots of rolling hills and mountains with snow in the distance. As we approached Florence, the GPS got a little vague. It would not accept the address we put in. It turned out that the Hotel Bigallo is on a Viccolo (an alley) of which there are zillions and most of them are too small to be registered on the GPS. After many frustrating missteps, we did the “taxi trick”. We asked a taxi to lead us to the hotel. I offered to ride in the taxi but the driver trustingly said that he was smoking and it might bother me, so he would lead and we should follow. I said, “Don’t go too fast!” and he assured me he wouldn’t. He not only took us to our hotel but he than led Joe and Tom to the parking garage which they would never have found on their own. They returned to us by another taxi in just a few minutes.
Janice and I picked an amazing location for our hotel. The duomo is literally around the corner. It’s a good thing we didn’t get a view room because the bells are so loud, they would have shaken us out of bed! We went out to explore our new neighborhood.
We checked out the Duomo and the Baptistry. Joe was beginning to look like the old man of the mountain so we looked for a barber. No luck. The area is full of shops selling a lot of Florentine specialties, especially leather goods. Jewelry, clothing, lingerie, (lots of girl stuff, now that I think about it!), but no barber. When we returned to our hotel I asked the woman at the desk where my husband could get a haircut and she took me to the window and pointed to a street about a block away. Go there and turn left. OK! So Joe went off to get his beauty treatment, Jan and Tom were shopping, and I just relaxed. Joe came back looking like a million bucks and feeling very suave. He should for 30 euros! We went to dinner at a local bistro. I’m sure we had bruschetta; nearly every meal began with that. Is there something about the Italian tomatoes that makes them taste so good? At home, I don’t use much oil for anything. But here, olive oil is a must on firm chopped tomatoes and fresh basil on toasted baguette. So good. I thought I would remember every meal, but I know they were always good. And we usually ended by sharing a tiramisu or getting gelato. Because it’s been warm and humid, the best gelato is their lemon flavor, so tangy and refreshing. But we’ve also tried melon, berry, and even tiramisu flavors. Can there be bad gelato?
Home to bed because tomorrow is museum day.

April 23rd, 2013 Tuesday in Rome

It is amazing to me that we can rediscover the wonder of Rome after having been here several times. And we have again received many blessings today as you will read.
First order of business was to get to the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel ahead of the crowds. We had a 9:30 reserved ticket but we arrived there about 8:15. Already there were many people in line, both tour groups and individuals. We showed our ticket to the guard and were immediately ushered in. I could not believe our luck! We skipped most of the museum part, but were awed by the ceiling along the corridor. I found a great keychain for Jonny with our new Pope Francis’ picture on it and a few other trinkets. Then into the Sistine Chapel. So wonderful. There were many people but we could easily find a seat and really absorb it. It was fun pointing out some of the things we’ve learned in earlier visits to Janice and Tom. Rick Steves’ guidebook helped a lot, too. Then down the back stairs to St. Peter’s . Only now you have to go outside to get there. Again, there were many people, but not as crowded as we’ve experienced before. We saw the Pieta and kissed Peter’s foot. We took our time to try to drink it all in. The guards must all take “nice” pills because they were all so helpful. We could not go down to the crypt because a cardinal who is third in authority to the Pope was saying Mass there. We learned that on our Anniversary, indeed every day, there is Mass in St. Peter’s at nine, ten, and eleven am. The crypt is usually open every day as well. We’re looking forward to beginning “our day” at St. Peter.
The next order of business was to try to get tickets to the Scavi, the excavation under St. Peter Basilica where the bones of St. Peter were discovered and still remain. Joe and I went there 15 years ago on Msgr. Connolly’s recommendation but now tickets are nearly impossible to get. I had requested an appointment from home last month but was turned down. We met a priest at the baggage claim in the airport and he
suggested that we go to the office and see if there are any cancellations. It’s so fun to walk up to the Swiss Guard where people are gawking and snapping photos and be ushered in when you say “Scavi”. Only it wasn’t quite that easy this time. They asked for our appointment time. When I admitted that we didn’t have an appointment but were coming to seek tickets, he said, as had others, “Impossible”. But he relented and said that only one of us could go. I was elected. Then he pointed to the security trailer and said I must go there first. In I went where they wanded my purse and sent me off on my mission impossible. When I got to the office, I pleaded my case and the man kept murmuring, “Impossible”. Then he looked my name up in the computer. On my request, I had stated that we were two couples celebrating our 49th wedding anniversaries. I don’t know if that made the difference, but he motioned me over to the other end of the counter and produced a coupon for 4 tickets to the Scavi on April 25th. I could not believe my eyes! I gushed my thanks and got out of there before I could embarrass myself by bursting into tears. Everyone was so joyful when I gave them the news. (I am adding this part later as I didn’t want my family to worry. The joy of getting the tickets was so overwhelming that I decidedI just had to stop into the Residence Paul VI to thank them for helping Joe and me when we were so sick after our cruise in 2010. I didn’t remember that the reception was up a flight of steep stairs. As I dragged myself up the stairs, I almost made it to the top when I caught my right toe under the lip of the last step and I fell forward with a crash. Only there was a wall in front of me so I had to bend to the right. I landed on my left knee and took a big hit on my left shoulder. I also twisted my left hip. it’s been very painful for the duration especially the shoulder.)
Then we were off to the train station to get city tour tickets as recommended in Rick Steves. After a taxi trip that rivaled “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” complete with much honking, close calls, and threatening insults by an otherwise grandfatherly driver, we arrived in one piece at the main train station. As we were looking for the place to buy the tour, two men approached us and waved their city tour brochure in front of our faces while they proclaimed that theirs was the best and only tour one should buy in Rome. When I told them what I wanted, they claimed that the Combo ticket was not available because the Archeobus was on strike. We bantered for several minutes. Meanwhile, Jan, Tom, and Joe had my back to protect from pick-pockets. Finally, Jan pulled me aside and said she didn’t think this was the tour for us. After our huddle, I agreed and turned to the men with a cheery, “Gratie” My three companions followed me out laughing merrily. Apparently, the man called after me a very bad name which I didn’t hear. Oh well. Just as we stepped out of the station, we came upon a little booth where a young man was selling exactly what we wanted. Another angel! As Rick Steves suggested, it is a hop on, hop off, bus valid for three days in combination with an Archeobus that goes down the Appian Way. The Archeobus is not on strike, but only runs on the weekend. He pointed out where the tour bus was located and suggested we get some lunch first, then take the tour. He also told us where we could find some decent restaurants. We walked in the direction he showed us and stopped at the first pizza place we saw. It was tiny inside with only two minuscule tables and four stools all vacant. Actually, one stool was occupied by a worker munching his pizza. Jan took the other stool at his table and sat there like the Queen of the May until he left. The pizza is sold by weight unless you buy a whole one, and there were many varieties. We opted for the simplest one, just cheese and tomato sauce. We ordered a whole one and watched while the older man with a rolled up stocking cap rolled out and made our pizza. The aroma alone was tantalizing. The pizza was huge and we devoured the whole thing! It was delicious! So off we went for our city tour. We rode on the top of a double decker bus and listened by earphone to the descriptions. It was glorious! After nearly a full circuit, we got off at the Trevi Fountain stop and walked home, stopping for a gelato on the way. Joe and I went to the Tim phone store to see about getting a sim card for our little phones we’ve had for several years. We were told the phones should work and that a sim card would be 50 euros each phone. That’s a lot! But we decided to do it anyway. When we got to the counter, it was only 30 euros each with the first week free, calls between our phones free, hundreds of texts free, and 5 euros of credit for phone calls which usually cost about 12cents apiece. Such a deal!
When we got home we all took a refreshing nap!
In the late afternoon, we took a taxi to the Spanish Steps where many people were already gathered. We climbed the steps, took some silly photos, and people watched. Tom looked up some possible dinner spots and found a likely place nearby. I got to use my little phone to make a reservation and get directions. The Enoteca is a small place in a very old building. We were seated in the very back where we could admire the ambience. The food was very good. I had a roasted lamb shank along with salad. We all shared a delicious tiramisu. Fully satisfied, we walked to the Piazza del Populo where we found a cab and headed home for a much needed sleep.

April 29, 2013 A New Adventure – Janice’s Roots, Lydia’s Whims

Today is the first day of driving through Italy. We got a pretty silver Alpha Romeo at Hertz and took off, relying on GPS to get us out of town and on the highway. Our ultimate destination was Assisi by way of Janice’s grandparents’ home towns of Colormele and Goriano Sicoli, due east of Rome. We found both of them but the first one was the best. We just stopped to see the Church and have a coffee. But gregarious Janice engaged the proprietor in conversation of sorts and we were off to the races. A pleasant young woman started helping to translate and it turned out she and Janice share the same family name. Janice was so excited! They exchanged information and plan to get in touch to pursue family history. We moved on to Goriano Sicoli where we took some pictures, but the one restaurant was closed. We moved on down the road to the next village and stopped at the local restaurant. It was wonderful, run by an American woman and her Italian husband, serving delicious food. And who should come in but Janice’s new cousin and her friend. Small world!
After a good meal, we decided to detour for the Adriatic coast just to see it. It was beautiful. We stopped at a little seaside town to see the sea. It’s a beautiful pale blue color. Then my whim came into play. Joe and I love to go to far out places and San Marino, San Marino, was so close we just had to go there. Janice and Tom were very good natured about the very long detour. We got there around 7 and stopped for dinner. It was getting dark but we pushed on just a little further until we could see the lights of the castle in the old part of San Marino, San Marino. I called Julie and Garrett answered. It was fun to tell him where we were. Had a short chat with Julie and sent post cards to all the Hill boys.
We were finally on our way to Assisi! When we arrived we were completely charmed by our hotel. I wish we could have stayed longer. Joe and Tom dropped us off; then they had to park the car quite a distance away and got lost walking back to the hotel. Twelve hours of driving was exhausting and we vowed to never do that again! I think I’ll be owing Janice and Tom and Joe for a very long time for granting my wish. Good night, Assisi.

April 26, 2013 Busy Morning, Quiet Afternoon, Fun Evening

First order of business today was to get back to the Termini station to find the Archeobus and take a tour along the Appian Way. Met a nice lady named Marie Claire from Paris. If I hear from her, I’ll send her the photos of her that I took on the bus. When you’re traveling alone, you don’t often have pictures of yourself. We spoke in English and French and it was fun for me to dust off my limited French vocabulary. While we were riding around, the weather went from warm and humid to chilly and rainy. Did I mention it’s an open air bus? Fortunately for me, Joe had a poncho for me so I didn’t get completely soaked. This is a hop on hop off bus so many people planned to get off at one of the Catacombs. However, it was announced that the bus would only run until 2 PM as a demonstration is planned along the Appian Way. It didn’t matter to us, but some people, including our new friend Marie Claire, were disappointed. On return to the Termini Station, we walked to the same Irish Pub for lunch that Joe and I went to the last time. Can’t think of why we went there because the only thing Irish about it is the ambiance. Not an Irishman in the place. Only Italian food, except they do serve Guinness. Then we went back to the apartment while Tom and Janice went to see the Coliseum, the Forum, and other obligatory Roman sights. I was chomping at the bit to do something and endured a forced rest with a bit of protest. To be fair, Joe has not been feeling well, a cold, and he has forced himself to push on when he would really like to rest. So we took a breather. When Janice and Tom got back, we had a light supper of cheese sandwiches, then went to a church for a concert of Italian arias. It was very entertaining and well done. Back to the apartment and some good sleep.

April 25, 2013 Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today’s agenda included Mass at St. Peter’s at 9 followed by the Scavi visit at 11 and a visit to the Catacombs of Priscilla in the afternoon.
We arrived at St. Peter’s for the usual security check. We were approached by a young woman selling tours. We said we were on our way to Mass and weren’t interested in a tour. She quickly countered that there was no Mass today; it was yesterday. We responded that there were Masses at St. Peter’s everyday at 9, 10, and 11. She looked like a light bulb went off and she said, “Oh, you mean the Catholic Mass!” What an idiot; do people go to St. Peter’s to any other kind of Mass???
Anyway, we got through the usual security and went in to a lovely Italian Mass. A good way to start an anniversary day. Then we thought we’d get something to eat before our 11 am tour. But Jan and I wanted to get some post cards at the Vatican store and write and mail them. Joe bought a DVD about the Vatican. When we finished all that, there was not enough time for a coffee. We got to the Scavi Office in plenty of time (another security check) and got our tickets. I said thank you to the attendant, our angel and he smiled. A group of four people were turned away because the man and his son showed up in bermuda shorts. It clearly states the dress code on the confirmation letter. One of the women said, “Well, I guess we didn’t read the letter.” So stupid! People wait months to go to the Scavi and some, like us, get turned away. She should have known better.
(writing the rest of this on May 2)
The Scavi tour was impressive although the guide had a very thick accent and was hard to understand at times. I ‘m so glad we got to do it. It felt like a holy presence.
We had lunch at a place recommended by the family we met at the Audience. Frankly, I didn’t think it was that special.
Janice and Tom have not seen a catacomb, so we decided to go to the the one we’ve been to before because of the beautiful images, the first known image of the Blessed Mother with the infant Jesus, and the images of the Good Shepherd. I called the Catacomb of Priscilla and was told we could come. It was a much longer taxi ride than I remember and we nearly didn’t get in in time. But our guide, Sister Fancesca (like the Pope!; I pointed that out and she smiled.) was a tiny wizened angel. She led us along and explained everything in detail. All the images I remembered were there plus several I’d forgotten. I think she liked it that we “got it” regarding the references to Jesus. After the tour I asked her (actually I pantomimed an old bent woman with a cane) about the Sister who had toured us in 1996. As soon as I went into my act, she brightened and said “Madalena”, the name of our old guide. She died in 1997. Sister Francesca made our tour very personal and special. I asked her if I could take a photo and she said no because another sister monitored the cameras and if she let me take a picture, she would get in big trouble. With the purchase of a few postcards and a warm farewell, we were off to our apartment to rest and prepare for our big evening.
We decided to go to Fortunato al Pantheon for dinner because Rick Steves said it had linen tablecloths and flowers on the tables. He was right! We had a delicious dinner. Sorry, I can’t make your mouths water, but I sent home the paper with our menu choices on it. However, I do remember the tiramisu. There are many nuances about the way tiramisu is made, but this one was outstanding. They serve it in a bowl like a pudding and the lightness of the moscarpone, the sweetness of the ladyfingers in rum, and the slight bitterness of the cocoa powder combine to make one dish of YUM.
We ended the evening with a stroll to the Piazza Navona. This time it was teeming with tourists, vendors, and Romans as it was the last few hours of a holiday. (Don’t know which one; there are so many!) Then back to our apartment for a much needed rest.