Bright and early, I headed over to the Villa Borghese to view the Galleria. The gallery books ahead (already filled until after I leave) for two hour time slots. My slot was for 11 a.m. and I left my hotel at about 8:30 a.m.. The Villa is quite a jaunt from where I am staying but because I spent some time with my map last night, I was pretty confident on my journey. Not having eaten since lunch yesterday, I was also pretty hungry.
Walking through Rome is an adventure. It is difficult to cross the street as the people on motorcycles are not required to stop at the lights. Also, the traffic is overwhelming but I live in Jersey, so I am a bit obnoxious and walked right out in the middle of streets putting up my hand as if to stop the cars coming my way. That being said, what an experience it is to walk to any destination. At one corner I was surprised to see four fountains at each intersection, hence the name of the street "Via del Quattro Fontane". Art abounds, what a wonderful place.
Walking through Rome is an adventure. It is difficult to cross the street as the people on motorcycles are not required to stop at the lights. Also, the traffic is overwhelming but I live in Jersey, so I am a bit obnoxious and walked right out in the middle of streets putting up my hand as if to stop the cars coming my way. That being said, what an experience it is to walk to any destination. At one corner I was surprised to see four fountains at each intersection, hence the name of the street "Via del Quattro Fontane". Art abounds, what a wonderful place.
On the way there, I stopped for an espresso at a small shop along the way. Not a word of English was spoken and when I stood at the bar, and asked for an espresso, the lady screamed out "CAFEEE?????" I nodded, "YESS." 1/2 a Euro and 30 seconds later, the man behind the counter handed me a cup of espresso which you are to drink standing at the small bar. No milk or sugar, I sucked that baby down. What a jolt!
Back to my journey, I got a bit sidetracked because I knew that I was only a few blocks from the Spanish steps on my way to the Villa. Knowing that I was ahead of schedule, I diverted my journey a few blocks to check out the steps. My breath was taken away. Since I was so early, it was not very crowded, so I got a really good look at one of the most sought after locations in the world. In just a few hours I would see it again completely packed with tourists. (See before and after below). (Spanish steps- Francesco De Sanctis designed the steps in 1723-6 for King Louis XV, and their true name in Italian is Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti, after the church at the top. They were named after the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican which is located nearby).
Backtracking a few blocks, I continued my walk to the Villa where I would find the Gallery. Viewing of the Gallery is by reservation only. Fortunately, I had done this back while I was at home and the website does have an English option. I arrived at the Villa by about 9:45 a.m.. It is a huge area of gardens and is compared to Central Park. It seemed more beautiful than Central Park to me. I followed the map to the Gallery, where I sat outside with the tourists and amateur artists who were awaiting their viewing time. Many students seemed to be waiting outside, sketching, eating, awaiting what they would see inside. I took photos while I was outside, but none inside, as you must check all bags, purses and cameras before entering the gallery.
The gallery was stunning. The paintings are framed and hang from the ceiling as if you were meant to lie on the floor to look at them. The rooms were filled with statutes carved by the famous Bernini when he was at his youngest. It was amazing.
Now my plan was to head back towards the Spanish steps after my viewing for lunch and shopping. Plan executed. My travel books having served me well, I made my way back to the Spanish Steps, down the steps, then down a tiny side street to "Fiaschetteria." It is labeled as one of the Top 10 restaurants in Rome, or i.e. the WORLD.
I was the first guest in the door for lunch. The semi-English speaking casually dressed waitress guided me to the large table in the rear of the restaurant which is meant for the other "lonely" patrons. The restaurant included a total of seven tables, one large one in the rear (where I was seated) for the other singles. The restaurant is only about ten feet wide and twenty feet long. After a few minutes the waitress threw me a basket filled with homemade bread. Not she nor the other people working there seemed to have a clue that they were serving me in one of the best restaurants in the world. The walls were covered with quaint pictures of Italian families. The other waitress sat at my eight person table to eat her salad before the restaurant became crowded.
I placed my order: Natural water (or water without carbonation), Tomarelli alla Carbonara and Pollo alla Romana. The tables had no special wine glasses or even plates to eat your bread. I imagined that the waitresses and other people that began to fill the room thought I was probably a food critic as I jotted notes as I ate. My eight person table slowly began to fill. It eventually held myself, an older couple, two single women, and two single men. I did not take photos of my food because I thought it would take away from my eating experience.
The restaurant is described in travel books as being "ultra traditional." I like Roman tradition. I thought for a minute about the huge amount of calories that I was consuming and then remembered that I was eating what would probably be the best meal I would ever eat in my entire life. I got over the calorie dilemma thing quickly. Counting calories is not for the Roman meal. The lone gentleman seated next to me kept picking up his ringing cell phone. Normally, I would have been annoyed. Not today, I was content as could be. People chatted in their groups, I ate.
I ate every last piece of pancetta on my plate of carbonara. It consisted solely of spaghetti-like noodles (cooked perfectly aldente), egg, pancetta and shaved parmasan. Not only was the pasta the way I liked it, but the sauce was creamy. On to my second course: Pollo alla romano. It was covered in what appeared to be a thin red gravy. Not only did the chicken fall off the bones, but the apparently thin gravy was actually thick and rich. So indulged in my food, I looked up to realize that the restaurant had filled since my arrival, just like my belly.
Everyone finishes their plates in Rome, which I have discovered is the place for only one meal a day. I found it interesting that in America, we eat our courses together. We are always in such a rush. What a waste not to enjoy meals slowly with one another or even by ourselves. I intend to remember this lesson. I was in that restaurant for 1 and 1/2 hour, all by myself and the other people that were seated with me. I never could have imagined spending this long in a restaurant by myself. Boy, have things changed. While I wasn't lonely, I do wish that all of you could have shared this meal with me because man, was it good.
Many people came and went as I ate. What a fantastic feast of which I will never forget. No feeling of rush or desisre to leave. What a blessing unemployment is right now... On to the shopping!
On my long trek back to the hotel, I did stop at some of the stores. Only one designer bag did I buy- Prada. A girl knows when she likes a bag that she sees. I also bought three other bags on my way home. Luckily for my credit card, the walk back was only a few miles.
