Epiphany...who knew

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Much to our surprise we woke up to yet another Roman holiday...who knew...Apparently on January 6 the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Epiphany details found on Wikipedia as we can not understand what anyone is saying other than "holiday".

Italy's traditional celebration includes the tale of a witch known asLa Befana who arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings with toys and sweets for the good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones.

Major stores, banks, trains, other transportation shut down, and some restaurants close for the holiday. Of course the part of town we were planning on spending our last day is the hub of this event. Parades, street vendors, total chaos. We think all of Rome was out today. It was about the same if not more people than New Years Eve at St Marks Square. Insanity... Locals and tourist music, fireworks, street performers, carnival like environment. Weaving our way in and out of people, buses, taxis, and vesbas (it was so crowded people were walking down the middle of the street causing major traffic jams. Horms blowing from every direction... we made our way to a few streets less crowded to shop and eat.

We came across a coffee shop/ cafe recommended by our tour guide as it is the oldest in Rome. It to was wall to wall people apparently best in town and I have to say it was the "BEST" cappuccino we both have ever had! Worth the wait and madness of the crowd.

As a last hailmary effort we came across a fine leather shoe shop and each bought a pair of very "Italian" shoes and luck for is the shoes were on sale because of this special holiday Yahoo....

Mad dash to the Spanish steps for our last sunset in Italy.

Sadly time to pack and get ready for our departure first thing tomorrow.

Arrividerchi Rome...

Viva LA

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