Cindybelle's Bella Notte TR COMPLETE!! - UPDATED 10/19 With Prices! About This Page:

[cindybelle]

Robbie and I found the most wonderful shop on top of the Basilica. I think Paul and Rick finally gave up on us and went outside to enjoy some shade. After making several purchases, Robbie and I joined our guys and enjoyed some water and the lovely shade. I took this cute pic of Paul and Robbie. They are both so adorable -- we love them dearly.






Then they took the pic of Rick and me that's my new signature photo below.


Now I see one of Rick's best interior shots. I don't believe I've shared this one with you yet. (If I have, forgive me and enjoy it -- it's so beautiful, I figured you wouldn't mind. ) So now we're back inside St. Peter's Basilica.




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[cindybelle]

I mentioned near the beginning of my pre-TR how the architects in my firm suddenly started giving me advice, one day before we were to leave St. Louis for Rome. Well, I'm glad I listened to one of them. Marcus is a great guy and one of our firm's principals, and he studied in Rome (via University of Notre Dame) about 15 years ago. He came into my office the day before we left, and excitedly started drawing on a Google map he'd printed out. "If you're staying near the Forum, you've gotta walk to the Vatican Museum. It's about 2-3 miles, and I'll show you the 'authentic' streets, not the touristy ones."

Well, since our Vatican Museum tickets were for 9:00 a.m. and we're talking about our first full day in Rome after the fairly sleepless night on the plane from Philadelphia, I knew there was NO WAY we were walking TO the Vatican Museum. But I told Marcus that, depending on our feet, knees, and backs by the time we were ready to leave St. Peter's Square, perhaps we would walk at least part of his suggested way BACK to our hotel.

We stopped when tired, refilled our water bottles from nearby fountains, and somehow kept going. And going. And going. And it was quite lovely and definitely off the beaten path, and we walked all the way back to Hotel Nerva -- and we're all so glad we did.

First stop, about a block from St. Peter's Square, another way-cool water fountain.



After filling our bottles, we moved on. For those who'd like to retrace our steps, we took Via Della Conciliazzone to Ponte San Angelo, which is a bridge boasting replicas of incredible Bernini statues.

Right before arriving at said bridge, we saw this:



That is Castel Sant' Angelo, built as the tomb for the Emperor Hadrian. You see, in 139 A.D. (!) the city of Rome didn't allow tombs within its walls. So Hadrian built this "castel" just outside the city walls and across the Tiber River.

During the Middle Ages, this structure served various times as a castle, prison, and place of last refuge for popes under attack.


OK, now we're coming to Ponte San Angelo, the bridge with the Bernini sculptures.




I'm looking at that photo and thinking, "Pinch me! That's a postcard, right? We weren't actually THERE, were we?" Well yes, we were!

So, how good is Bernini as a sculptor? Oh my goodness, he's wonderful!



The sun was shining so brightly that I inadvertently clipped the wings of the statue above -- couldn't see much of anything on my camera screen, but I kept clicking away. I did better on this one:



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[skateycat]

more great photos....keep em comin, girl!

[ccmom]

I am so enjoying this trip report. I have never seen the picture of the greenery outside the Vatican before. It looks like it's clipped meticulously everyday with itty-bitty scissors. And the walk back from the museum!!! for some reason brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful.

[Laurie Malinowski]

Hey Cindy beautiful pics.Did you get to ride in a gandolla?

[mcc0313]

Cindy - more amazing updates. The food looks delicious, what I would give to be eating in a little Italian Cafe in Rome right now. More beautiful pictures, I still cannot believe how much you have gotten done on your first full day. I cannot even begin to imagine what you got done by the time the trip was over. I am so enjoying this each step of your journey. Looking forward to more.

[chezp]

Awesome photos! I think we took a similar route from the Vatican when we were in room - I remember passing Castel Sant' Angelo. It started to rain and all the street vendors who'd been selling souvenirs suddenly got umbrellas out and started to sell those instead!

[Colexis Mom]

More great updates!!

[Tawnya]

Just cought up. Beautiful Pictures makes me want to go back to Rome!

[LouigiAnne]

I just hopped on board and found your TR, all I can say is WOW!! Such beautiful pictures too!! LouigiAnne

[cindybelle]

Thanks for the encouragement, everybody. I'm back in the saddle and ready to share more stories and pics.

During our walk, as we passed a small grocery store, Rick had the brilliant idea of stepping inside to see if they served "real" milk, not the keep-on-the-shelf-for-years stuff we'd been offered up until now. To our mutual delight, he stepped back out with a quart. All four of us shared this as we walked Rome's back streets. I laughed to imagine what the Italians thought -- crazy Americans, passing around a carton of MILK. Here's a shot of Paul getting a swig, with Rick beaming and Robbie thinking, "I don't know them." (Wish I'd gotten a picture of her with the milk, because she partook also. ) Sometimes, life's simple pleasure really ARE the best, even when you're in the middle of paradise.





Next, we walked onto Via de Banchivecchi, and then Via de Pellegrino, just as Marcus had suggested. We stepped into a beautiful piazza and discovered we’d reached Campo de’ Fiori. (Of course, Marcus had suggested visiting in the morning, when produce and other fresh goods are sold -- guess we'll save that for next time! ) After that, we traveled to Piazza Mattei and Via de Funari to Piazza di Campitelli, where we came upon a little (compared to St. Peter’s anyway) “churcha-churcha,” Santa Maria in Campitelli. We went inside this lovely church, where Paul prayed and Robbie lit candles. We spent several wonderful moments in there, drinking in the quiet beauty of the place. Here's a photo of the exterior:




More lovely back streets, and then we went by our old friend the Colosseum and then up some steps to a sight that I'd been admiring from our hotel but was unable to find a postcard of -- because the Romans HATE the building, which some call a "wedding cake." It's known in English as the Victor Emmanuel Monument. While I have no feelings one way or another about the building itself, I love that it's a stark white color and is topped with two enormous black statues (I can't even imagine how huge if you could get up close). So here's the closest I got to these statues, thanks to Marcus' suggestion to go the back way. Because sunset was almost upon us, I unfortunately couldn't capture the brilliant white of the building -- but you get the idea.



I've read that the black statue of the king on a horse is 43 feet tall -- the largest equestrian statue in the world. Pretty , but don't tell the Romans I said so.


Soon we were back at Hotel Nerva (which has 19 rooms to let, by the way). We freshened up a bit but were starving (well, I should think so, after all that walking -- how long ago did we have lunch at the Vatican Museum's cafeteria )

We barely had enough "oomph" to stagger up our busy little street to Mario's Ristorante, which Rick had been wanting to try. Since it was about 30 feet from our hotel's front door, tonight seemed like a good time to try it! Turned out to be a great meal.

Because our little street was a very busy one, with lots of Vespas and cars racing down it (one-way only), we hugged the walls until we got to Mario's, and then decided to eat inside, away from the traffic. We had a wonderfully expressive server, Enzo, who joked with us. I medicated myself with two vodka tonics (that's right -- I couldn't feel my feet about halfway into the second one ) and Rick shared red wine with Paul and Robbie, who mostly stuck to Coke. (Well, SOMEBODY had to walk us back down to the hotel! )

Remember that last food photo I shared -- with the seafood risotto? Mario's is where Rick ordered that. Paul had lasagna that he pronounced excellent, but he really, really liked Rick's risotto. I ordered a delicious salmon pasta, and Robbie had gnocchi, which was yummy but more of a side dish than a main course. Naturally, we started with appetizers of prosciutto and sweet melone and caprese salad -- I've already shared a photo of the caprese with you. A great way to end a mind-blowing day.

Here's Paul, ready to dig into his lasagna. Boy, does he look tired!




Now, if you promise not to study our exhausted faces too much, I will share a photo of the best dessert "marriage" of the trip. Robbie ordered lemon sorbet that was served inside a hollowed-out lemon, and I had dark chocolate gelato. We alternated spoonfuls of one with the other, and it was like eating a cold lemon-filled chocolate. I think Paul and Rick were allowed one spoonful each, and then Robbie and I hogged the rest.




The food rejuvenated us just enough to get us back down the hill to our hotel, then up the steps to our rooms. I don't know where Rick and I found the energy to wash out a few clothes in our tiny sink, but we did. Then showers and for all four of us -- and nobody set an alarm for the next morning -- we knew we needed the sleep!

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[skateycat]

i am just loving the heck out of reading this, but i sure hope i get to go over there one day with you! wow, my own tour guide!!! keep the tr coming.....

[cindybelle]

I'm sure you've already figured out why "lazy" is in quotation marks, right? Well yes, we did "sleep in," meeting for breakfast around 08:00. We'd already seen and done a lot in Rome, but today would be our last day there. During another delightful breakfast at the hotel, Umberto informed us that it had been raining lightly and would continue all day. Then he grinned - turns out while it had been raining, it was just about ready to stop -- and did so, as soon as we stepped outside.

We walked the Via del Quinale, then down the hill to the famous Trevi Fountain, where our one mishap of the trip occurred: I fell on the damp marble steps leading down to the fountain, stopping just before I could knock Robbie over. Rick saw the whole thing from the top and came running down, sure I'd injured myself. Unbelievably, I was fine -- not even sore the next day, after twisting my back on the way down. I'm telling you, keeping to our commitment to eating a gelato a day was paying off for us. And I'm sure all the and from my PassPorter friends helped as well!

You've seen photos of the Trevi Fountain, of course -- but that doesn't mean you won't be subjected to MY photos!
























The fountain is as gorgeous as it looks in movies. This fountain was completed in 1762 by Nicola Salvi, hired by a pope who was celebrating the reopening of the ancient aqueduct that powers it. Salvi used the palace behind the fountain as a theatrical backdrop for the figure of “Ocean,” who represents water in every form. The statue surfs through his wet kingdom, with water gushing from 24 spouts and tumbling over 30 different kinds of plants – while Triton blows his conch shell.

This is a lively scene, with romantics tossing a coin over their shoulders, thinking it will give them a wish and assure their return to Rome. All four of us did it, and hope it works. We Rome! Here's a photo of Rick and me, making our wish!







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[cindybelle]

I'm willing to bet that most of you were introduced to Pinocchio the same way I was -- via the Disney animated classic. But long before Walt discovered him, Pinocchio was a dearly loved character from a book (1889) by Carlo Collodi.

I was delighted to see Pinocchio is every way, shape and form throughout our travels in Italy. After leaving the Trevi Fountain, we did some window shopping and came across a toy store. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!







Did Cindy get her picture taken with Pinocchio? You're kidding, right?




In the same shop, they had a wall of clocks that reminded me so much of Geppetto's shop. Really great for a child's bedroom.





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[skateycat]

So, i am assuming you also threw a coin in the fountain for me like i asked, correct??? he he he