I never want to leave Rome. Cities are generally tough for me to enjoy, but I really love this city---itās one of the few places in the world Iāve said, āI could stay here.ā Thereās just so much to see and the city is so vibrant and full of life. I woke up early and rushed aroundārushed to the metro, rushed to the gallerie. I popped out of the Metro at Spagna to findā¦a sidewalk and a German tour group? So I followed and the sidewalk opened up into this large green beautiful space, full of dogs romping around and ex-pats running. I made my way slowly to the Borghese, taking in the peace of the morning and of the city waking itself up. It was everything I hoped it would be. Berninis in every room! Caravaggios on the walls! Worried about the two hour limit, I ran through the museum in 45 minutes, barely stopping even at Apollo and Daphne or Pluto and Persephone. So then I walked around the first floor again, soaking each statue in at my own leisure. Bernini I love because he makes marble look real. The textural contrasts up close stun me. Bark, rock, clothing, skināall have their own specific look to them. Oh, and the details: veins, fingers, wrinkles, tears, the way skin moves when you grab it, the way leaves turn when pushed, so much life and vitality in a cold and white slab of marble! Thereās a reason why we call him a master. And then thereās Caravaggioās light, popping out of canvases out of nowhere. I saw so much of his work today in various churches, palaces, and in the Borghese, and every time his pieces strike me. I donāt need a plaque, even if Iāve never seen the work before. I just know because it moves me so. BonusāRaphaelās Girl with a Unicorn. So sweet. Raphaelās colors amaze me in real life, between these works and the ones we saw in the Vatican yesterday. So bright and deep but totally unlike the Venetian oils. After the Borghese, I let myself get lost in the gardens, following poorly marked signs for the Etruscan Museum only to never find it. But I did make my way slowly to Piazza del Popolo, which was a wonderful blend of modern and ancient. Full of people, I made my way through the square to enter one church, then another, before checking out the gardens above for a clear view of the giant Egyptian obelisk in the middle. Once mass was over, I saw two of my favorite works of all timeāCaravaggio (of course)ās Crucifixion of St. Peter and The Conversion of St. Paul. Thereās something about seeing his paintings in situ, with all of the colored marble and the organ playing and the intense decoration, that makes his work stand out. Back to the Metro-Barberini. It began to rain then, so instead of stopping and gaping at the casual Bernini fountain I dove into the first cafĆ© I found for a Panini (ham, mozzarella, zucchini on spinach bread) and an Italian cookie (shortbread half covered in chocolate with nutella in the middle) before meeting up with Kelsey back at the hotel. From there we took a nap and rallied to do part of Rick Stevesā āHeart of Rome Walk,ā since there were more churches to see! First we went to SantāIgnazio for more Baroque decoration. Then on to Palazzo Pomphilij, a gorgeous palace filled with art everywhere. I knew that in the Baroque era patrons would commission a bunch of works to fill their rooms, but I didnāt fully grasp that until I walked into a room filled floor-to-ceiling with paintings that all matched. What a different way to display than today, where youāre more likely to find an empty room with one main attraction in the center. More Caravaggios. More whoās who of Mannerist artists and Northern Renaissance artists and probably more but hey, those are the classes Iāve takenā¦ To the Pantheon! It was actually free because it was Sunday. Very cool and golden and round. (Can you tell my senses are overwhelmed?) To Piazza Navona! Berniniās fountain stopped me again. Night had just fallen and so the lights began to shine in the piazza, illuminating the fountain against the deep blue of the early night sky. Absolutely gorgeous. We kept walking and wandering, eventually reaching the river for a beautiful view of St. Peterās at night. Worth getting a bit lost for, I think. Piazza Navona is one of my favorite places weāve visited in Rome. We ended up going a few streets down to basically the first restaurant we saw because we were so hungry (something like āRistorante Romanaā or equally touristy) and chose it because the young guy outside was impressed by our Italian. Usually I don't go for getting called into restaurants but it felt right, and it was absolutely the perfect call. It was outside but heated and so it was wonderful to sit down at little checkered tables with free prosecco (kind of like champagne) and enjoy the night. For dinner we both tried fettuchini with artichokes and bacon (a Roman speciality) and then I got the best chicken cacciatore Iāve ever had (sorry Mom)āit was melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone delicious. Mmmm. I will miss Italian food. From there, we wandered back to the Trevi Fountain at night so we could make one more wish and see it all lit up, which was beautiful. Rome is even prettier at night. It shines and comes to life as night falls, even as things get quieter. There are less cars and more people. I love how lively this city is! My brain canāt keep up or catalog the memories. Tomorrow itās on to Naples, which is sad because I love Rome so much. Iāll be back for sure.
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