From the Nooks & Crannies of Rome to the Expansive Vatican

With nothing specific on our itinerary for today until a 7:00pm tour of the Vatican, we decided the rest of the day would be for wandering and exploring the less touristy nooks and crannies of Rome. After the girls got some breakfast gelato, we started out weaving our way from our hotel through the narrow windy streets of the neighborhood "Monti" known for its boutique shops and small pizzerias, wine bars and cafes. We enjoyed taking in the quaint cobble stone streets, the rooftop gardens, the flourishing flower boxes hanging from balconies and window sills, and the odd graffiti that added to the charm.

We eventually stopped at a pizzeria and wine bar for lunch where we had pizzas, salad, aperol spritz and a beer the size of his head for Matt (really!). After refueling we continued our journey. We were in for a surprise when we looked down a street to discover the Colosseum only a couple of blocks away. Before long we were looking out over the adjacent expansive ancient ruins known as Trajen's Forum. Built around 110 AD, it used to be an ornate and bustling meeting place and market.

We journeyed on, discovering more nooks and crannies with cute shops and cafes.

We even stumbled upon a Piazza Mattei. This spot looks like it was made for him and this moment, doesn't it?

We came across a local artist selling his artwork in front of a beautiful old building. After we said "it's beautiful, but no thank you", Fiona whispered that she wanted to purchase one with her own money for her bedroom. She was very pleased and proud to purchase her first piece of original artwork, a miniature painting of lemons, supporting a local artist on the streets of Rome.

We eventually crossed the Ponte Sisto (bridge) and arrived in Trastevere, a neighbourhood known by tourists as where the locals hang out for good food and culture. After much walking and required stamina (especially for the sick eight year old!), it was time to get gelato for the girls and find a place to sit and rest our feet. We quickly found our gelato spot behind Piazza Trilussa where a group of musicians were performing raggae music to an audience who filled the steps.

We managed to find a spot on a bench outside a restaurant where the girls ate their gelato and Matt and I shared a single serve bottle of wine. Matt took a photo of us in our so-called perfect little spot about 30 second before a delivery truck pulled up less than a foot away from our feet. Not wanting to get up or knowing where else to go, we just sat squished between the wall and the truck. We should have taken a photo for laughs, but I think we were just trying to pretend it wasn't there.

After our short break we hopped in a taxi and headed for Vatican City. We pre-booked this tour of the Vatican after learning that on Friday evenings they limit entrance to 6,000 people instead of the 35,000 they let in during the day (with no air conditioning and 36C outside). Good call for sure! Except at the end of a day with a lot of walking in a lot of heat we were pooped! We asked our tour guide if we could expedite what would otherwise be a 3 hour tour. We did not see the inside of St. Peter's Basilica but we were able to enjoy a nice view of it from the Vatican gardens.

During the tour that ended up being 2.25 hours, we saw many magnificent treasures throughout the Vatican museums, but of course best of all and worth the time was the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo spent 4 years painting the famous frescoed ceiling starting in 1508, which includes The Creation of Adam. There are lots of rules inside the Sistine Chapel, such as having covered knees and shoulders, talking in hushed voices, and no photos. We followed the rules until we snuck a quick photo on our way out. April asked if Granny would be upset with us for breaking a rule in the chapel - I told her Granny secretly likes to live on the edge like the rest of us and would understand.

After our tour ended, we got the girls some chips from a vending machine, headed to the Metro stop and made the journey back to our hotel. When we got off the Metro at 10:30pm, feeling so grateful that the girls had been such troopers all day we got them (you guessed it!) gelato to bring back to the hotel. I hadn't been keeping track apparently, but when we got back to the hotel, after the girls giggled and whispered to each other they said, "Mamma, do you realize we had gelato for breakfast, gelato in the afternoon, and chips and gelato for dinner"? In spite of all of today's activities I suspect that's how the day will go down in history for them.

Buona Notte,

Laura, Matt, April & Fiona🍨