Part 3: Roma

Sometimes the third time really is the charm -- at least when it comes to my attempts to use the rail system in Italy. I arrived at the train station 45 minutes early, just in case, which meant that I had plenty of time for a cappucino and a "croissant". I use the quotation marks because Italian "croissants" bear little resemblance to the French originals -- they are covered with sugar and often contain a creamy, donut-type filling. Still very tasty, but definitely not what I've become used to!

Although I had initially anticipated doing this leg of my trip solo, I was conveniently able to meet up with L, a friend from Sciences Po, in Rome. We spent Thursday afternoon dodging rain showers (side-note: I mentioned my good weather karma earlier. That afternoon in Rome was the only time I encountered rain -- even though it had been predicted, in both Florence and Rome, for the entire week I was in Italy. Good luck, indeed.) while doing what Rick Steves calls the "Caesar Shuffle": Palatine Hill, the Forum, and the Pantheon. And of course, we ate gelato in celebration (Gelato #6. Unfortunate side-note: the gelato in Rome was something of a letdown after my experiences in Florence. But it was still good!)

We stumbled upon the Piazza Navona in our search for a highly recommended, yet surprisingly well-hidden, spot for aperitivi. Afterward, not willing to turn in early on our first night in Rome, we joined the rest of the college-aged Romans (and a lot of spring-breakers) for some late-night pizza.

On Friday, we walked. A lot. We started out at the Galleria Doria Pamphilj: highlights included Titian's Salome and Velazquez's portrait and Bernini's bust of Pope Innocent X (a member of the Pamphilj family). We navigated our way across town, with the help of our matching French Lonely Planet guides (this was a complete coincidence) and saw the Trevi Fountain (gelato #7) and Spanish Steps on our way to the Villa Borghese. We couldn't go inside the Villa itself, which houses one of the world's most famous private art collections, because you have to reserve tickets weeks in advance. However, we were perfectly content to picnic (fresh mozzarella, focaccia bread and prosecco, yum) in the gardens and enjoy the greenery until the sun set.

We had dinner in a restaurant next to the Pantheon (Rome's original version, which looks very different from the Parisian interpretation around the corner from my apartment!) and were serenaded during our meal by an opera student, taking advantage of the crowds of tourists in the piazza.

On Saturday, L and I dragged ourselves out the door bright and early to head for the Vatican. As luck would have it, we timed it exactly right and only had to wait about 40 minutes to get into the museum. As per Rick Steves' suggestion (notice a trend?) we started with the Sistine Chapel and worked our way backward, managing to avoid the worst of the crowds. After an all-too brief visit to St. Peter's Basilica (again, I realize now how little I appreciated this during my school trip in high school), we decided to spend our last afternoon wandering at will.

A gelato shop hidden away in a decidedly untouristy neighborhood (gelato #8); an international grocery mecca where I bought organic olive oil for my host mom; a 24-hour bakery (why don't we have these in Paris?); and yet another glorious art gallery housed in yet another incredible villa (the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in the Palazzo Corsini) later, and we arrived in Trastevere, a small, colorful neighborhood that reminded me quite a bit of Florence.

After a coffee break to rest our feet and our art-saturated brains, we explored for a bit. L went in search of Saturday night services at the synagogue across the river while I stopped by the Museo di Roma in Trastevere, a small museum that describes the history of Trastevere through photos and watercolors. I met up with L afterward, and we decided to snack our way through Trastevere for dinner: aperitivi at a hip bar crowded with tourists and locals alike; penne all'arrabbiata (my favorite) at a tiny little pasta restaurant in a quiet corner; dessert in the cafe of a bookstore featuring a classical piano concert. We walked back along the Tiber to our hotel, then crashed into bed after a very long day.