Easter Monday was a day of bliss with all the P words… a refreshing bottle (or two) of Peroni beer, Pistachio ice cream, Pescha (peach) jam, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese… thankfully not all at once!
Firstly, after a leisurely, danish-fuelled breakfast, I checked out of the humble B&B. I’d spent 2 nights at Hotel Zara — a 3 star B&B located on Via delle Quattro Fontane — and I’d thoroughly enjoyed my temporary abode, particularly the sun soaked balcony.
With a belly contently full of cappuccino and peach croissants, I wandered to Vatican City, which was approximately a 50 minute walk and included a stroll over the Cavour bridge, crossing the river Tiber.
I passed many stools selling books, wooden crafts and souvenirs, not to mention a medieval-looking castle to my right; Castel Sant’Angelo, before spotting the beautiful St. Peter’s Basilica and world famous dome, otherwise known as the Sistine chapel.
I made my way up Via della Conciliazione and as I got closer, I couldn’t help but take photographs. I walked around St. Peter’s Basilica in awe but decided not to queue to enter (which is free) as being a religious holiday meant the Sistine chapel was closed. Easter is a busy time in Rome and the previous day has seen many thousands of visitors from all over the world come to greet Pope Francis as he spoke to the masses.
Today, all that was left from yesterday’s swarms were the security barriers and ample amounts of seating. I hadn’t much fancied being squished by the hordes so I spent my day at the Roman Forum visiting Palentine Hill and the Colosseum – a fantastic day (I’ll write about this in my next post). With the Sistine chapel being closed, I decided the Basilica experience would be better left to my next visit when I hope to explore both the Basilica and Sistine Chapel in one go.
I think I forgot to mention earlier, today was the hottest day of my trip by far, a whopping 28 degrees, certainly not bad for April. So, instead of queuing up, I noticed a cute ice cream van parked up, and upon approach, I saw they sold beer. My eyes lit up, “ooh” I thought, “a Peroni in the sunshine… now we’re talking!” So, I soaked up the sunshine on a bench facing the basilica with my bottle of Peroni, feeling a tad rebellious.
All refreshed, and somewhat dazed by the sun, I waddled to the next street along, I wanted to explore the Vatican City after all. It was during my exploration that I found a very cute restaurant where the local Italian folk were dining al fresco and I thought, “hmm why not?” My chance to recreate that Julia Roberts moment in ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ where she dines solo in Rome, and delves into a plate of spaghetti without a care in the world. Having got half way through my second Peroni, I was certainly beginning to care a lot less.
I was seated al fresco, just like the locals, and did what I do best… people watched. I watched as a lady restauranteur opposite haggled with passers by to dine in her cafe “pizza, pasta, lasagne” she said to anyone who passed. Then there were the cyclists who stopped for a chat with friends in passing, and then, just a few tables up from me, a son, helping his dad up out of his seat having just finished a meal together, quite an emotional sight (I blame the Peroni). For starters I had the classic rustic bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip, followed by the ricotta and spinach ravioli with mozzarella in a tomato sauce from the specials menu. It was belissimo!
After my little feast, I made my way out of the Vatican City to the Piazza. A quick stop in H&M (Italian H&Ms have a much better selection of clothes I find), then I continued to the Spanish steps to sunbathe. It was still so hot! I cooled down with a pistachio ice cream in a turquoise-themed ice cream parlour en route back to the B&B (to collect my luggage).
On my back back, I stumbled across one of many souvenir shops and bought some Rome themed fridge magnets as gifts (it’s just one of those things I’ve got into the habit of doing), then I noticed another great sunbathing stop at the Palazzo Barberini gallery. Outside was a large grassy garden with a neat stone path and many sun worshippers. I found a sunny spot under a large pine tree and stretched out, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. “What a beautiful day” I thought, “a perfect day and my last day in Roma”.
