Facciamo lo shopping!

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Seeing as bed time was 6am, it's not entirely surprising our day got started later than usual. By 1pm, we finally managed to drag ourself to Bar I Tigli for a light lunch offered by Marco, the proprietario. Four fresh salads with lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, tuna and artichoke hearts with a basket of Italian bread. The greatest part of the bar is the ambiance, the essence of everything Italian. It's the people that come day in and day out, running in for a quick macchiato and ciao, or the people who linger with friends, a panino, and a loud, hand-waving argument about the latest game of calcio. Whatever it may be, it's familiar. It's what you do.

We headed down the steet to catch the bus to Piazza Venezia, which holds one of my favorite monuments in the city - the monument to Vittorio Emanuele. The large, layered building is supported by columns that stretch to the sky, and proudly display large Italian flags. Getting the courage to cross the roundabout will certainly be worth it when you are standing front and center of the marvel. The cobblestone streets circle the piazza with motorcycles, buses and more zipping by, with little care for the hundreds of pedestrians scrambling to capture the moment on phones, cameras and video. Take a deep breath, eyes straight ahead, first step onto the cobblestone street, and walk across as cars zig zag around you.

Once we got the perfect shot, it was down Via del Corso to browse the hundreds of shop windows screaming out to customers with neon promises of sconto 30%!o(MISSING)r tutto solo 10 euro. 15 minutes later we were in what some would call the Rodeo Drive of Rome - Via Condotti. Jimmy Choo, Valentino, Max Mara, Louis Vitton, Prada, but most importantly (for me at least), Furla! My Italian tradition when I come to Rome every year, is to buy a new Furla purse. This year was no different. After 30 minutes of browsing, I finally found the one purse that was calling my name.

Via Condotti draws you down towards the Spanish Steps, a popular tourist destination and even more so a place for Italians to gather, meet, sit and talk. Thousands of tourists surround the staircase and marvel at the over 100 stairs leading up to the Trinità dei Monti.

The last stop of the day, again a yearly tradition, was to head a few streets down to Via della Croce. This small Enoteca sits on a side street with 4 small tables outside. While they do offer a full menu, this Enoteca is best enjoyed with a glass of wine and a mixed cheese and meat plate. The perfect place to rest your feet after a long walk around the center.

Now here we are, back in the apartment watching TV, having some wine and eating a mixed plate of prosciutto e mozzarella and pizza. Early night tonight for it's off to Capri tomorrow at 7am for a 13-hour day on the island. Clear blue water, lunch 918 feet above sea level at Anacapri and a small boat to the Blue Grotto. The ultimate in relaxation and beauty.

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