Italy: Day 1

Duane and I were able to get on a flight last Monday to Rome!  Delta started "seasonal" flights directly from Minneapolis, and there were open seats, so we listed for the flight.  Even though it looked like we were too far down the "standby" list...we were able to get business class seats for the flight over! I LOVE LOVE LOVE business class!  It's so civilized...and comfortable...and "posh"!!

We left Minneapolis around 5:00 p.m. (central standard time), and arrived in Rome at 9:00 a.m....(Rome time).  We took the train from the airport to the Termini Rail Station, then took the A line subway to the Cavour stop...which was RELATIVELY near our hotel.  We then walked 15 or 20 blocks to our hotel, the Hotel Diplomatic.

We toured Italy three years ago, and stayed at this same hotel.  We chose this hotel for several reasons...it's centrally located, we enjoyed our last stay there, and (mostly!) because there is a FABULOUS restaurant, Splendor Parthenopes, a few doors down!  We were looking forward to eating there SEVERAL times.

It turns out, however, they (along with many other restaurants and shops) CLOSE for most of the month of August.  SO DISAPPOINTING, but, it forced us to explore other dining options during our stay.  Maybe next time...

After checking in, taking showers and changing clothes, we headed out to re-explore the neighborhood.  We walked toward the shopping area, headed for the Spanish steps, and made a stop at Venchi for our first gelato of the trip.  We LOVE gelato!!!

We then walked a little further down the street to the Spanish steps.  We had heard that they were closed for cleaning, so didn't expect to get to walk on them.  It was a pretty picture with the blue sky and "people-less" steps!!

After the Spanish steps we wandered around in a daze for awhile...we'd had very little sleep (I have a hard time sleeping on an airplane...even with seats that fully recline)...it was AFRICA HOT...and it was SUPER CROWDED with other tourists.

We eventually found ourselves at Trevi Fountain...one of my favorite sites in Rome.

 We tried to take a "selfie", but were just TOO TIRED to make it work!!  Ha!

After enjoying the fountain...with 3,000 other tourists...we shopped our way down one of the streets...

 How could I NOT buy a gladiator apron??!!

...turned a few corners, and ended up at the Palazzo Barberini, and the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica.  It was a beautiful villa/museum...

...and I wish I could tell you that it has an amazing art collection, but, to be honest, we were so tired and hot and sweaty that we took a quick look around the gift shop (to see what artworks were featured in the museum), used the bathroom, sat on a bench in the lobby for a few minutes, and headed back out into Rome. 

We walked back towards Trevi Fountain, took a couple of turns, and found ourselves on a piazza facing the Pantheon...what an amazing building!!

We continued wandering down streets and narrow lanes, and ended up on the Piazza Navona.

We wandered down another couple of streets, and found a lovely little cafe, Il Fico Ristorante, for pasta and pizza...

...then decided to go back to the hotel.  On the way, we passed the Castel Sant'Angelo.  BEAUTIFUL!

We made it back to the hotel, and THOUGHT we were done for the day, but, since it was only 5:30, after a brief nap, decided to head back down to the shopping area to buy water and snacks.  My feet were really sore by this point, but...it was Rome...so I pushed on!

We found a market, and ended up carrying our purchases to a piazza we could see at the end of one of the streets...the Piazza del Popolo.  Glad we did...it was beautiful, and the sunlight was starting to fade...so deep...so golden...so amazing!!!

We went back to the hotel (after deciding that we either needed to go then, or sleep on the steps of a church on the edge of the piazza)...

...we took showers again...(because it was AFRICA HOT!), and were in bed by 8:00.

A LOVELY (but exhausting!) first day in Rome!!!!