rainy days in rome

The weekend was filled with lots of sightseeing, yummy treats, and trying to stay warm. Friday night Ashley and I made our way back to Centro Storico to find some authentic Italiano food. The weather for the weekend wasn't looking good - we were getting a cold front and rain all weekend, but we decided to head out anyways and just layer up to keep warm.

We didn't feel like using the map because we're beginning to recognize our surroundings, so we just headed in the general direction of the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. As we were wandering the streets talking about how cool it was that these ancient buildings were used as everyday shops and offices, we came upon a huge catle-like looking building. How exciting! A new monument! - we thought at least. As we made our way around the "monument", we came to the front and realized it wasn't new at all - we were at the Pantheon. You have no idea how different it looks from the back, I suppose you have to see it to believe it:)

We wandered the streets between the Trevi and the Pantheon, walked into a few cute looking stores, then settled on a little Ristorante that had outdoor tables with candles, flowers, and (most importantly) outdoor heaters. How romantic! It was a wonderful meal. Ashley got her gnocchi and it was terrific, while I tried a traditional Italian dish called Cacio e Pepe. We shared a house bottle of vino to stay warm, and at the end of the meal couldn't resist trying a dessert. I don't even know what we ordered..all i remember is the waiters making fun of us for finishing it so quickly! It was soooo good. Some sort of creme puff ball smothered in chocolate and creme. YUM. I don't feel bad about trying all the food here, because we always end up walking it off throughout the day. I probably walk at least 7 - 10 miles every day, maybe more (depending if we get lost or not).

a famous toy shop - Bartolucci - in Centro Storic

After dinner we walked around some, but the rain started up and the wind by the Fountain was too much to handle, so we came home and rested up for Saturday. The plan was to get up early and go all over Rome, but when we woke up it was even rainer and colder than the day before! We decided to stick it out anyway (when in Rome, right?) and headed to the bookstore. This time, we remembered the directions. We found it very easily, it was only a street over from where we had been looking yesterday! They only had 2 of Ashley's books so she wasn't too happy because she has to come back next week to see if they've come in. They had my book, so now my only school supplies needed are the rest of my art supplies. We asked the cashier where the art store was (I forgot the directions to THAT store today), and then were on our way.

We searched for about 20 minutes with no luck, and gave up (IT WAS FREEZING). We made our was to the Trevi Fountain and treated ourselves to Nutella e Fragolas Crepes. Ashley got hers from one creperia and I decided to get one from across the street. They both were superb! My crepe maker tried to make conversation while he made mine, but it was a little rough. He knew about as much English as I knew Italian. Although he did tell me I have kind eyes, which made my day! We ate our crepes overlooking the Fontana di Trevi, then decided it was too cold and rainy to do the rest of our exploring today.

Fontana di Trevi at night

We came back to the apartment and tried to figure out trips for the rest of the day. On my list of must-go-to's are: Switzerland (I just love how the name of the country rolls off the tongue..plus it would be amazing to snowboard in the Alps), Prague, Spain (flight booked - Taylor Swift here we come), Sicily, Greece (we're going for some of spring break), France, Turkey (my mom and I are going in April!), Vienna...to name a few. It's much harder than you'd expect to plan all these travels. Some airlines don't fly to the right places, we have random make up days for classes, etc. Oh well, we'll figure it all out soon enough! And if I don't make it to everywhere I want to go, I can always have an excuse to come back:)

For dinner we took a bus to Campo di Fiori, near Storico Centro. In the mornings there is a big market in this plaza, with fresh fruit and clothes galore. At night, it becomes THE place to go for bar-hopping. Whenever we're in the area we always see cute looking restaurants, so we figured we'd give it a try. We decided on one of the places around the plazza and sat inside (it was the coldest night it's been!) listening to the Roma Futbol game on all the TVs in the place. It was a good meal - my favorite part with the little old Italian lady all by herself with 2 glasses of wine (one red, one white). She was so sweet looking! She must have been a regular because all of the waiters and cooks came out to talk to her throughout the meal. So precious. I wish I had gotten a picture, but that would have been a little creepy...so I decided against it. Maybe next time..