This morning,even after going to be super late, my wonderful body clock had me up at around 6:30am. I woke up and went to the bathroom and then told my body "remember all those times you fantasized about sleeping in on all those morning? Well now is your chance! Go back to sleep!" And it worked. I slept for two more hours and we both got up around 8:30.
We went down to breakfast and took our time and just talked and ate and honestly it was blissful. I know all we had done was wake up later and eat breakfast alone, but I was already feeling rejuvenated. And that is probably a good sign you need a vacation as just grown-ups.
We got ready and just before we were going to head out, we heard huge claps of thunder and it started to downpour. Ayyy! We walked down to the Lobby and there were tons of soaked to the bone tourists coming in the lobby from outside. Not ideal, but hey we were in Rome, and in Italy! We grabbed some umbrellas from the front desk and headed out in the rain.
I am not going to lie, the rain was making me kinda grumpy after a few minutes since I've had visions of us spending our day in a bright sunny Rome. Todd is so good at knowing how to get me out of my grumpiness. I am lucky I married such a glass half full kinda guy!
We walked over to the top of the Spanish Steps and saw this view...
This was another misty eyed moment. My heart was literally bursting, I know that might sound nuts, but I truly just LOVE ITALY!! We stood and looked out over the view for several minutes listening to all the Italian around us and soaking all of it in. We are saps.
Behind us was this church, which we learned later is actually a French church. Hence the French flag waving on top.
We walked down the Spanish Steps and looked behind and took this picture...aren't the flowers so pretty right now?
And then I bugged someone to take this picture of Todd and I. I am always a little bit on edge handing my iPhone over to a complete stranger to take a picture, but seem to find nice people to do it for us...
We walked down the rest of the steps and headed over to Via del Corso to just walk and admire it all. I love the buildings in Rome...
This is a little side street we took to get to Via del Corso, it couldn't be more perfect. Totally Italian and again maybe a little misty eyed walking down it.
While we were walking we literally almost bumped into this sign! And I took it as a sign, because I believe in those types of things! How crazy is this?
We got to Via del Corso and just walked and admired all the buildings and architecture, and window shopped.
Then we spotted this store...
I'd recognize that name anywhere! They make really delicious Italian chocolates, most famous for Baci. I am totally obsessed with Baci and buy them whenever I see them. Lucky for me they do sell them in Texas, but they are pricey, so I get them as a treat sometimes.
Floating giant Baci!
We got a big bag of Baci and put it in my bag to have throughout the trip as a little treat. Mostly I got it to be able to say to Todd, "dammi un bacio!" (give me a kiss!) and when he goes to give me a real kiss, I say, "nope not that kind!". I mean that way.
Here is a chocolate fountain in the window of the shop...yum!
Us with Via del Corso in the background...
We walked all along Via del Corso until it took us to Piazza Popolo.
I had never been to this piazza so we roamed around for a bit and then decided we were getting hungry for lunch. Since the only thing that seemed to be around piazza popolo were super touristy places to eat, we decided to grab a cab and head over to the area around piazza navona.
We got in this cab and when Todd told him where to go in Italian the guy started talking to us. He asked us how we knew Italian and we told him. He asked us where we were from and we said Texas and then started talking to us about the death penalty. This guy was hilarious, and was super animated and was talking to us about this guy named Caryl Chessman, but he pronounced, "Kerry Cheeseman", who Todd and I had never heard of. He told us all about this guy, he was American and I guess wrongfully convicted of a crime and then was put to death. He had read a book on him and was so appalled by this story. We just kept laughing at him because he was so animated and was talking to us forever all the while the meter was running. Oh Italians are seriously the best! We asked him for a good recommendation for somewhere to eat and he brought us to this place close to piazza navona, but down a side street.
We went to lunch at this little place and it was amazing. Absolutely, insanely delicious. We ordered bruschetta and the first bite we thought we had died and gone to heaven. We both had pasta for lunch and I am not kidding when I say this pasta was amazeballs. I don't know what it is about Italian food but it really is like the ultimate comfort food for me, it like fills a place in my soul that I didn't even know needed to be filled. I actually told Todd this right then while we were eating and then he looked at me like I was completely nuts and was a little scared. It's all good, he doesn't get it, it's not in his blood like it is mine I guess.
After lunch we walked over to piazza navona which is one of my favorite places on the planet.
We roamed around and admired the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of Four Rivers, but everything sounds better in Italian. I love this fountain. I feel like you really don't start to appreciate this kind of stuff until you are older. I can stand and look at this for a long time admiring the details, where as before when I was younger I was like, "cool, a fountain". Look at the way the stone looks like actually cloth! Amazing.
Then I handed my iPhone to another stranger so we could get a picture in front of the fountain.
In Rome most of the roads, sidewalks, etc. are made of these stones. It sure is pretty, and so cool, but honestly a big pain as well. When these suckers get wet you are like walking on ice. It is SO slippery! I am a natural klutz so this was a challenge for me. Plus, they really hurt your feet after a while, so it is best to where good tennis shoes. Walking on these in sandals kill.
Another fountain at the end of the Piazza, Fontana del Moro...
We decided to head over to the Pantheon since Todd had never been. The Pantheon is one of the neatest buildings I think. I really, really love it. It is in a great Piazza and I just love the new mixed in with the old.
We went in and did the self guide by Rick Steves' which was actually pretty great. We learned a lot and enjoyed wandering around.
After the Pantheon we met up with a night tour that we set up. We actually met back up at the Spanish Steps. When we walked through some of these sights earlier, we didn't know they would be on our tour that night as well. Oops! Oh well, you can never get tired of these amazing sights right? Todd thought he would be hilarious and keep teasing me about it all night, how we were double seeing everything. Nice.
Our tour guide told us all about the Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, and how Valentino still does his big fashion show here every spring. We learned all about Bernini and heard some fascinating stories.
Here we are walking down the side spanish steps that actually lead to the Spanish Embassy.
We walked along and learned all about how the water in Rome is so fresh and clean and pure you can drink from all the fountains. They have these little water fountains everywhere that you can drink from.
We headed over to the Fontana di Trevi, which is another one of my most favorite places on this planet. I love this fountain. I love the beauty of it, and I also love the ambiance of it. I remember coming here for the first time as I traveled with my family after my mission. We came here at night and it was all lit up and beautiful. I just fell in love with it. It was so fun to be here now with Todd and so romantic!
We admired the fountain for a while and then some picture taking guy asked if he could take our picture. We said no, and then he just started to take our picture anyway. We started to walk away, but he kept telling us we needed to buy the picture now. We refused and so he started swearing at us in Italian and following up around as we walked away. He started to kick Todd's shins!! I honestly thought we might be in trouble, but we lost him and got reunited with our tour. Those sales guys, BUG.
The tour was great and we ended back at the Pantheon. Okay, I really should have double checked where our tour was taking us before we set out on our own today. My bad!
We went in (again) and learned even more! The tour ended at about 8:00pm, and after the tour was over, it was raining a bit so we decided to head to dinner. We found a place on a side street called Zafferino, that looked authentic and not too touristy (our two biggest requirements). This place was amazing, and did not disappoint. The funniest part of dinner is when Todd was ordering, in Italian, and the waiter totally corrected him. He said "io" when he should have said "me", and the guy totally snapped at him for it. We got a good laugh out if it.
After dinner we walked around around for a bit more, but our feet were tired and it was drizzling a little bit so we caught a cab back to the hotel.
Today has been amazing. I really have loved every minute of it. I just told Todd that this has probably been one of the best days of my life. I have loved, loved, LOVED being here in Italy with Todd. Speaking Italian, hearing Italian, eating Italian all with him has honestly been so wonderful and I couldn't imagine a better place or doing anything better together to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. I love that Todd loves Italy just as much as I do and that we get to share all of this together! Can't wait for more fun in Rome tomorrow!
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