Dashing around Rome

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Geo: 41.9, 12.4833

Trying to see as many places as we can while we are here, we made stops at the Trevi Fountain, the Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Capitoline Museum, the Victor Emmanuel monument, and Trajan's Column, but we started the morning with a tour of the Borghese Gallery. Following advice from the guidebooks we read, we went upstairs to the Pinacoteca first while most of the visitors were on the first floor. After touring there, we went down to the main displays on the first floor. The gallery requires all cameras and bags, including purses, to be checked before entering the gallery, so I have no photos. I imagine that if everyone took photos, then the experience of looking at the art would be very different--interrupted by flashes and waiting while photos were taken. The Borghese Gallery is full of ancient and Renaissance paintings and sculpture.

While we were out, we stopped at a hat shop for Phil to pick out something. He found a shop online that he wanted to visit in person, and we went to two different ones before finding the item he wanted in his size. The shops were right on the piazzas we were visiting, so they were easy to find. We had gelato at the Trevi fountain and threw in our coins to ensure our return trip to Rome. We'll need to go back, since we can't possibly see everything we want to see in this short time.

In the evening, we went on the Wines of Italy tour offered by Context Tours. Our guide, Heather, was knowledgeable and friendly. She has been living in Italy for ten years after visiting on a short term exchange during college. We went to two enoteches for wine and snacks with one other couple from St. Louis. Context Tours says that their tours are meant to be educational and in-depth about topics that might not be covered in the average tour. Heather did a good job of explaining the wines and the foods we had with them, and she answered every question with authority.

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