20 marzo 2008
Today We . . .awoke around 8 30 am and headed out to the Palazzo Massimo, a museum with a collection of Roman portrait sculptures, reliefs from homes, and more collected from Republican and Imperial Rome. After we left the museum, we walked over to the Baths of Diocletian and even though we only saw the baths from the outside we explored the museum for a bit and saw some diagrams of Roman baths and villas. While we were in the museum, it started raining and once we were done we speed-walked back to the hotel to change into more weather appropriate garments. As soon as we left the hotel again the sun had come out (when in Rome, if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes). Then we set out on a sunny walk and reached our lunch location on the Via Nazionale (the name of the place will be announced at a later time). There we were offered a very nice selection of pizzas, salads (for all those who have had enough carbs to last them a lifetime), pasta dishes, and panini. We all enjoyed lunch and 3 or so caffes. After lunch, we headed out to the Colle Oppio, a beautiful garden which is part of the Esquiline hill. There we were able to see the Colossem and remnants of the Baths of Trajan and of Nero’s Golden House. After we soaked up the sun in the garden, we walked down the Via dei Giubonari which is near Campo de Fuori and had some free time to explore the various boutiques and markets. I even managed to snag a prime tourist attraction — authentic olive oil in a boot shaped bottle. Once we reconvened at the statue of Giordano Bruno in the Campo de Fuori we embarked on our journey to dinner at the Taverna Ulpia overlooking the markets and forum of Trajan and next to the column of Trajan. We ate a dinner of salad, potatoes, beef, and lasagne and topped it off with a slice of cake with a name I cannot pronounce. Once dinner was over, we walked over to the column of Trajan and stood there for a little in the freezing cold. Then we caught a bus and took it to our stop at Stazione Termini, the main train station in Rome.
Best Food/Pizza:the quattro formaggi pizza at our lunch place, on the Via Nazionale.
Best Gelato: the nocciola and coconut at It Gelatone on the Via dei Serpenti.
Best Caffè: the 2 cups I had at our lunch place.
Frase Italiana del giorno: latte scremato (skim milk)
