Rome - Final Day

Our final day in Rome began with a trip to the Piazza de Spagna (Spanish Steps) to book some train tickets for our journey to Tuscany. After doing that, we wandered through the piazza, marveling at all the tourists. Vicki, the horse-lover, found one to pet that was attached to the carriages that give rides to tourists.

Vicki's new friend at Piazza Spagna

After that we wandered down to the Via del Corso, a main artery to the Piazza del Popolo. We stopped at the church of Santa Maria de Popolo to see their fabulous Caravaggios, but were rather trampled by gawking tourists so made a quick get-away to the Café Rosati where Vicki indulged in a pre-lunch dessert called Caffé Granita con Panna (coffee ice with whipped cream)―what the heck, we’re on holiday.

Caffé Granita con Panna — a perfect pre-pranzo snack!

From there we wandered on to the Osteria de Margutta with their beautiful blue dinnerware to have our final pranzo in Roma. This a marvelous little osteria, a place that Vicki had found on her trip to Rome last November. Always promising to eat light, we once again indulged in a two course lunch with a nice bottle of Sicilian white wine. We began with a lovely antipasto di mare, which came with shrimp presented in a rounded half-leaf of radiccio. From there we were on to our primi.

Primi - Antipasto di mare

Vicki had tasty spaghetti with clams and Bob, Saltimboca, that classic Roman dish of veal and ham. It was a thoroughly marvelous lunch.

Spaghetti e vongole

Saltimbocca - sauteed veal and proscuitto

with sage in wine sauce

Our wonderful waiter (cameriere) at Osteria de Margutto

Evening found us walking the streets of Rome again, enjoying the evening light from the setting sun reflected on the city' beautiful buildings.

Evening light

Our passagiatta ended back at the bar across the way from our apartment on Via d’Orso. It’s a busy little street with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants.Our little bar generally attracted a good crowd at its three outside tables and we found it a good place to sit and enjoy a cocktail, watching the world walk by. Our drink of choice was usually a negroni, made with gin, vermouth, and a splash of Campari. In the U.S., I’m sure it would be thought of as a fancy martini.

Due Negroni

After our drinks we decided we were hungry again so we walked over to have a pizza at the Campo dei Fiori. All of the market stands are gone by evening and the piazza is filled with people either eating in outside cafes or just wandering around.

Pizza di Roma

We ate a pizza at what seemed to be the best place and then strolled back to our apartment, thus ending our last evening in Rome.