Day 2: Rome

It was a busy day in Rome for us as we visited several iconic sites. We started the day with breakfast and purchased a panino at the local bottega ready for a full day excursion. Walking the streets of Rome, one of the things we have enjoyed the most has been living the Italian life and just appreciating the unexpected beauty in the everyday parts of Rome. This morning's stroll brought us to the Pantheon, a temple to all pagan gods, which has been expertly preserved and restored over time. We marvelled at the enormity of the buildings and attempted to decipher some of the Latin inscriptions on our way to Basilica di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola. One of the most impressive parts of this church was the Napolitan nativity scene as it is a tradition here in Italy for families to set up a nativity together by collecting materials in the lead up to Christmas each year. 

A highlight of the day for many of us was our visit to the Trevi Fountain. Due to the safety barricades, we had varying degrees of success at tossing our coins into the fountain itself. Hopefully this means we will return to Rome one day. While the area around this tourist attraction was busy, we enjoyed cooling ourselves down with granita or gelato, and even saw some horses with a cart. 

Our next stop was Piazza di Spagna where we climbed the Spanish steps for another gorgeous view of Rome and earned our panino for lunch after all that climbing! Around the area were the most luxurious designer shops and some that were more within our budgets for us to indulge in some retail therapy on Via Condotti and the surrounding streets. 

At the Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi we were greeted by carabinieri enforcing a strict dress-code for entry into the sacred place. Luckily, we had come prepared and most of us were sufficiently covered to enter and view some Caravaggio paintings which exemplified his classic chiaroscuro technique. We were amazed by the religious artworks as they were so dramatic and expressive, especially because of the painter's use of light and dark. 

As the afternoon heat began to tire us out, we passed through Piazza Navona to admire some statues and fountains before making our way to Campo dei fiori which is an open-air market where we could purchase Italian foods and souvenirs. We had never seen so many different coloured caffettiere (coffee maker/Moka pots). The multicoloured pasta also stood out to us and it came in many shapes including hearts and mini Colosseums.

After a long day out, it was time to return to the hotel for a rest before dinner at Pimm's Good where most of us opted for a lighter option of salad or a simple pasta dish. We couldn't resist returning to Piazza Trilussa for another taste of last night's atmosphere, and got involved with dancing and singing along to the same street performer from our first visit. 

We have had a wonderful time in Rome, learning more about history, culture, and typical foods. Just now passing through the borders on our way to the Amalfi Coast, we say grazie e arrivederci Roma!