The little neighborhood we stayed in was called Trastevere, meaning across the Tiber river. We did not stay in the heart of Rome with all of the ruins and big flashy buildings and sculptures. Instead we were located near the botanical gardens in a more eclectic and and quaint neighborhood. This area is full of colorful shops and restaurants with narrow, winding streets and smaller, but just as beautiful town squares and fountains.
As I mentioned in a previous post, we went to bed very early due to jet lag and in turn woke up very early. So early, that we were able to watch the Monday night football game via the internet. The sun was not due to rise for another couple of hours, when we decided to take an early morning walk through Trastevere and into the heart of Rome. I highly recommend this since you can see the beauty of the city without all the foot traffic and people shoving scarves and "selfie-sticks" in your face.
Empty streets of 5 am Trastevere
Beautiful square, church and fountain in Trastevere
As the sun rose on a foggy morning in Rome, Bryan and I went to a market at Campo di Fiori, or field of flowers. It's a famous market that sells fresh and local produce and goods. So as the vendors were setting up for business, Bryan and I sat at the adjacent Obika for a cappuccino and pastry.
Our first cappuccinos
As the sun rose the market came alive. Local restaurateurs and tourists scoping out the fresh produce, cheeses, truffles, olive oils and other items. The colors were so vivid and the produce came in shapes and sizes that were striking.
A couple of years ago, a good friend of mine went to Italy and told me about her new found obsession with figs. This tickled me curiosity. I had never had a fresh fig before, only in jams and jellies. Luckily, my culinary to-do list was about to have another box checked, as we bought a couple of figs and ate them while sitting on the ledge of a nearby fountain.
After our appetites were appeased by cappuccino, chocolate and fig, we stepped into a local meat and cheese shop where Bryan tested out his basic Italian to request coffee, crackers, Pecorino Romano and prosciutto. With our newly acquired snacks, we headed back to Trastevere for an afternoon on the patio. By this time it was about 8 am and the city was awake and the morning fog was lifting.
Waiting for our prosciutto and pecorino
Morning fog
Making espresso in the apartment
Roommates trying to steal our snack
Outdoor patio snack
Story time: the archaeological site that Julius Caesar was assassinated is known as Largo di Torre Argentina. It is a preserved area that is surrounded by busy streets just a few blocks away from the Pantheon. It is now the site of a cat sanctuary. Random. We visited the sites and all of the kitties. Again: random.
Largo di Torre Argentina
One of the cats from the sanctuary doesn't seem very happy with me
More espresso from Tazza d'oro
We thought it would be a good idea to take a food tour of Rome. It would give us a chance to sample many signature dishes without the hassle of researching multiple locations. Plus, this would give the opportunity to learn a little about the neighborhood of Trastevere and have an English-speaking guide. Eating Italy took very good care of us and we loved our tour guide, Anna.
First stop: Da Enzo al 29 for some prosecco and fried artichokes
Round 2: Spirito di Vino for wine and more food in an underground wine cellar
This wine cellar is 160 years younger than the colosseum, crazy
Dried sausage, meatball and cheese with apricot jam
barley, pea and sun dried tomato salad
walking tour
Next: Innocenti for some cookies aka biscotti
Eating lemon sandwich cookies
Getting some fast food at I Suppli
Suppli: fried risotto balls with a mozzerella surprise
Taking a gander at La Renella's pizza oven that predates Italy
Margarita pizza
Family style dinner at Enoteca Ferrara
Gnocchi, ravioli and caccio e pepe, YUM
Final stop of our food tour: Gourmet gelato at Fatamogana... Mint, almond and ginseng with lemon curd
One thing I love about going to new cities and taking your preconceived ideas of the location and comparing it to your hands on experience. I never knew anything about Trastevere and yet it seemed like it was so familiar, like how I imagined Italy to be. The narrow, winding roads, cobblestones streets, laundry hanging out to dry, flower pots on balconies, etc. It seemed so right and made us feel like we weren't in a touristy area, even though we probably were.
The next day our adventure took us to the places that Rome is known for. Ancient ruins, up next.
-Akemi-chan
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