Roma, Day 3

(by the way, I’m granting myself a non-edited “get out of jail free” card on these posts, ok? I have decided the perfect is the enemy of the good here…If I started editing, none of this will get out. So bear with me as these are written from the heart, unedited, and al fresco most of the time! 🙂 )

Last day in Rome!

So, granted, there’s a lot to love in Rome. Every 100 feet takes you to another stunning “random” church full of artwork, a fabulous pair of shoes, a conversation with a father and son. Walking in to these “random” churches, I’m always surprised to find another beautifully frescoed ceiling, a never before seen Caravaggio or two, a mosaic floor dating back centuries, another Bernini sculpture, or even pagan iconography turned useful for the Christians.

So on this day, we are in search of a couple of Caravaggio’s we’d heard about in just such a random search. Finding them, we’re blown away, of course. We waltz in and out of churches all day, ending up at, of all places, an eyewear store! Where I am thrilled to find new Italian sunglasses, and Jerry and I both get new groovy eyewear. The woman who owned the store was so lovely and told us, “The Italians do two things really well: glasses and spaghetti!” She’s a new friend, indeed.

On our way back to the hotel, we hit a few more churches with the most unassuming façades and walk in to find ourselves in Stendhal Syndrome again!

Finally, we head out to dinner to a restaurant recommend by a friend, Danielle Orteri (who, if you’ve not met this lovely, genius woman yet, is at http://www.danielleoteri.com/). The restaurant is named Le Sorelle (“The sisters”). The sisters weren’t there, but we met Mama who seemed quite proud of her daughters. My husband speaks pretty fluent Italian, is very engaging and I’m amazed at how he makes friends everywhere he goes! (And, because they like us, we get the last carciofi as a bonus!) A delightful, delicious place on so many levels, I am floored by their message in their menu…akin to my belief system.

The sweet menu tells you more about the Italians than I can and is filled with wisdom – and one of the main reasons I love Italy:

“To all of those who know that the answers to life’s big questions are often found in unexpected places. Sometimes, it may even be a tiny restaurant in the centre of Rome.

This menu is for You, diners who appreciate passion and love for genuine food, with the hope you will enjoy your experience; getting lost in a moment of magic, savouring the pleasure in our dishes, accompanied by a glass of wine, simple yet sensual.
Dedicated to You, to all those who know that you should not dine and drink to forget, but instead, to remember.

As if that weren’t enough to cap off the day, we walk home via the Trevi Fountain…a spectacular creation of beauty, super touristy, but nevertheless awe-inspiring. There is so much kitch here, it’s unbelievable, but when you look between all of this, read between the lines of it, you see images like this:

The chestnut man, who has earnestly created cones upon cones to hold his yummy chestnuts. The light was incredible. How about the drunken Polish priest? (I won’t include his picture here!) sweetly hugging loved ones after a few too many glasses of wine at dinner. And who knew that gladiators liked crepes? These are the moments of love, of treasure.

Sure, you could look at all the trinkets, the loudness, the guys hawking fake pocketbooks and silly plastic toys…or, you could look at the magic that is Rome, that persists in spite of all that.

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