Today started a little later than we would have hoped. The previous night wound up being a bit of a late one. We started with breakfast at Cafeteria Merulana. We had pastries and cappuccino for breakfast. After that, we took transit to the Vatican. On our way there we passed many street vendors as well as beggars that maimed themselves. We had the foresight to buy advanced tickets online for an extra four euro each. The line wasn’t as bad as the last time Linda was there. We walked around and looked at a lot of painted ceilings, statues and paintings. We tried to avoid tour groups because they got in the way. We stopped for cappuccino in the courtyard while we were there. It seems that the Catholic church is profiting off of a lot of Roman artwork there, which is a bit odd. After the Vatican, we went to get gelato at Della Palma. They had 150 flavors. I tried four and Linda had three, so we tried seven today. After that, we went to Caffe Sant Eustachio for coffee. Linda had tiramisu. I bought a kilo of whole beans to bring home, split between two bags for my mom and I. We walked over to the Trevi fountain, but it was being refurbished, so it was dry. They had a small pool there to throw coins instead. It took me two tries, but I made one in. I said I would go to little Italy in Chicago instead because tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain is supposed to ensure a return trip to Rome, but I tossed a coin into a small pool instead. We made it to Fish Market for dinner, but we were too late to be seated (10:45 pm?) So we had to order through the window. We had two glasses of white wine and squid and octopus, then I went back to order fish and chips (fish and chips was a lot of food). While we were across the river, we went to Vin Allegro, a wine bar. Linda and I shared a bottle of red wine while we played a game of chess. We walked all the way home. We spent less time walking on cobblestone compared to yesterday, so it wasn’t as bad. We also saw Circo Massimo, where the chariot races used to happen. Andy went inside of Saint Peter’s Basilica, but unfortunately Linda’s shorts were mid-thigh, so they wouldn’t let her in. She had the foresight to bring a long-sleeve but didn’t think about the legs.
Going on and on