Day 3 - When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Shopping

Today started off as a slow day. I still got up early - around 5, and did some reading on Ostina Antica and Pompei (two places we may want to visit this week, though it looks like Kinjal is keenest to go to Pompeii) while I sipped some cappuccino and had a jam croissant in the breakfast room downstairs. The Rick Steve travel book is interesting, and has a lot of information on the history of Rome and neighboring areas. The only part of Rome's history that struck me was that the falling of Rome in about 500 AD plunged Europe into a thousand years of darkness. I find this assertion hard to believe. It can't be JUST the fall of Rome that started the dark ages.

Kinjal woke up around 10 and we went for breakfast, greeting Mark, Jill and Sam in the lobby, who had just arrived from the airport. We looked forward to hanging out with them later in the day when they have recovered from their overnight journey.

And then Kinjal and I began our shopping adventure, and the pace picked up. We walked to a part of town called Monti - the shopping district. The streets were just as beautiful as any other part of the city, there were just as many piazzas, basilicas and palazzos as anywhere else. In addition, there were

these modern fashion stores - you know, the usual - Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci. Most of the walk was window shopping however. We really aren't going to try clothes at Valentino or Versace or Armani or Ferragamo. Kinjal really likes accessories, so she bought some really beautiful earrings and an Indian tika from, surprise surprise, H&M. She also bought a super soft beige purse/wallet from a store called Flacco (see picture). Rome must be famous for its leather - half the little stores and street shops sell leatherware.

We did stop a few times for some freshly roasted chestnuts and a hot chocolate, at a place called Fatamorgana. What was interesting about the hot chocolate was that it didn't come from a sealed envelope like we are used to. It seemed to be the barista’s own mix of cocoa and sugar, with cream, and heated extra hot as per my instructions. The chocolate was melted and mixed in a silver container, sort of like a Russian samovar. The barista offered two flavors: Chocolate and Dark Chocolate. I took the latter ofcourse. The cream was thick and oh so smooth. And the dark chocolate just melted in my mouth.

We continued to walk and came by the famous Spanish Steps, a set of 135 steps that join one piazza with, what else, another piazza. At the top is a beautiful church (how many churches does this town have anyway). And at the bottom of the steps is a fountain (like almost every other piazza in Rome). This particular fountain is called the "Fountain of the Ugly Boat." We climbed up the steps (picture) and sat on the top to look down the whole city (picture) and then walked around the top. Kinjal saw some teens from the Bethesda Chevy Chase High school (the BCC ice hockey jersey being the give-away).

We soon walked back to the hotel, weaving in and out of streets, and checking out the scenery. We walked past a large Illy's store, and had to go in - it is my favorite coffee in the whole wide world.

Once in our room, we rested up. I continued work on my conference presentation, and Kinjal designed beautiful shoes for me on her computer. I particularly liked a

black-red- and gold pair she designed. I hope she orders it :-).

At 6:30, we met up with Mark, Jill and Sam and went to a wonderful little ristorante called La Pentolaccia for dinner. We ordered a cheese plate with jam, that's getting to be a favorite, and roasted artichokes. Kinjal ordered a wonderful pumpkin and sage ravioli. I ordered a Parmigiana di Melanzane - baked eggplant with cheese - and some steamed spinach. Just wonderful. We ended the meal as we have been doing the last three days - with a decaf cappuccino. Today I decided to skip dessert - I know we walk a lot but I don't want to get too chubby in Rome.

We walked back via the Piazza della Repubblica, which looked even more beautiful at night than it did earlier in the evening. Tomorrow we go to Pompeii. Can't wait! Number of miles walked today - 8.3 miles.