More Museums - and gelato, of course!

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Not too much on my agenda today, but I finally made it to the Borghese Museum which had been recommended by many books, people, and especially by my friend Lorenza, and she's Italian, so I believed her! You have to make an appointment before you go because it is actually a small museum and less than 400 people are allowed in at 2 hour intervals. It is about 14.50 euros to get in, but I used my Roma Pass for a discount and paid 10.25. This was the last day for me to use my Roma Pass, so I made sure to see all the museums I wanted to see today. The three most expensive things to see in Rome are the Capitoline Museum (17.50 euros), Borghese Museum (14.50 euros) and the Colosseum (not sure but I think it is about 10 euros). The Roma Pass (25 euros/3 consecutive days) also includes public transportation, but not taxis, and the first two museums or archeological sites you visit are included in the price as well, and you get a discount on any museums and sites you visit after the first two. The Vatican is not included, nor is Ostia Antica I think.

I took the metro to the Piazza Spagna Station and walked through Borghese Park to the museum. The signage, I must say, is not great when you take the Villa Borghese exit from the metro. I found a major intersection by accident, and there were a lot of signs there to point you in the right direction. I had a 1:00 appointment, so I checked in at 12:30 and bought my ticket and checked my purse. No bags or cameras allowed. In this off-season, there were very few people there when I went, and no tour groups! There are amazing works of art in this museum, but my two favorites are Bernini's Apollo e Dafne, a sculpture where Dafne's hands and feet morph into leaves and roots, and Rape of Persephone where Pluto's hand is pressing into the soft flesh of Persephone's thigh. The detail is amazing and I had to see both of these twice. I could not get enough of them. But there are other amazing works of art that are definite must sees and I thought Lonely Planet did a great job of highlighting the show-stealers. The building itself is also a work of art, and in each room there are laminated pages explaining the works of art on the walls and ceiling of the rooms.

I walked through the park and out to go see the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, or the Etruscan Museum to me. Italy's finest collection of pre-Roman artifacts is in this museum, and there are some very old and very beautiful things in this museum. It costs 4 euros to enter with the Roma Pass and there was almost no one in this museum. I read about this museum in a book called 1000 Places to See Before You Die, but I have to disagree. This museum, while it does contain some great things, would be of great interest to archeologists and history buffs, but otherwise, I'd give it a miss and go to the Museum of Modern Art instead, which I missed out on. But, the Etruscan Museum is a bargain at only 4 euros and it does have some interesting artifacts, especially the terra cotta sarcophagi and the stunning jewelry upstairs.

When I left this museum I was hungry and tired, so I walked to Flamino metro station and went back to Circo Massimo where I found a great local restaurant nearby. I had tortolini bolognese, a beer, and a fantastic cornetto for dessert. A cornetto is a croissant with cream in the middle that has a subtle lemon flavor to it and it is covered in powdered sugar. They rival gelato in my opinion. I think had one of these almost every day. I realized after dinner that I hadn't had any gelato today, so I walked and walked and walked trying to find a gelato place that a) was open and b) actually had gelato. I hit the jackpot in Trastevere, not far from my hotel. I don't know the name of the place, but I got a huge sugar cone with four scoops - lemon, mixed berry, black cherry, and chocolate - for 3.50 euros. Yummy! I walked around Trastevere while I ate my gelato, and then I went back to the hostel. I figured if I walked while I ate, all those calories wouldn't count. I think I might have been wrong...

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Photos

Many Parks in Rome
Rome is actually a very green city with lots of parks and huge trees in the city because they are so old!

Don't know what this is.
Just thought it was pretty.

I like interesting doorknockers
in case you haven't noticed. They add a lot of character to a door.

Drinking Foutain
Much more interesting drinking fountains than in the US.

Museum of Modern Art
I didn't go inside, but I will next time.

Don't Know What It Is
but it is a nice building

Really Funny Face
inside Etruscan Museum