TRAVELOG: Trevi Fountain and the Vatican

Our days in Rome were always wet and very very cold. We thought Paris was cold, but when we got to Rome, it was colder!

So after our Via dei Condotti walkabout, we headed towards Trevi Fountain. Rome isn’t Rome without a coin toss or two at the Trevi Fontana. So we walked down Via del Corso, and even passed by a beautiful mall, the Galleria Alberto Sordi.
While I was tempted to shop, I stopped myself because my stomach was already growling. But I was the only one hungry *hehe actually I’m always the ONLY one that’s hungry… err wait, make that me and my other DB hehe*

Anyway, we made a left into one of the side streets, and found ourselves at Trevi Fountain!
I was here some 7 years ago, and it’s still sooo purdy 🙂 🙂
And although we did have some reservations about eating closeby (didn’t wanna fall into another tourist trap of a restaurant), we had no more choice because 1. It was raining again and was extremely cold, 2. Finally, everyone got hungry !

Now don’t ask me the name of the restaurant because this time, I actually failed to find out the name– I was too hungry, and my hunger clouded my mind haha.

I ordered the Insalata Caprese (photographed before I doused it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar)

Mussels!!!!! They’re called Cozze in Italian, and they’ve become a staple in our meals somehow… Oh boy uric acid alert!

I had squid ink pasta with salmon and asparagus spears– the dish tasted too weird, perhaps because it married way too many flavors together. Somehow the flavors repelled each other. So this was disappointing. I should’ve ordered the classic aglio/olio/ pepperoncino *which I know I would’ve just adored*

DH’s fave dessert, cassata.
And I ordered this. Some kinda pie 😀 It was sweet and it was good. That was all there is to it haha.

We walked around some more and voila, a gelato place!! WooOohOooO!! But ok thebaghag was full– too full to imagine enjoying every spoonful of gelato. So I made a mental note that I will just come back for gelato again the day after.

We walked back to our hotel afterwards, and passed by the Prada window where I drooled some more. I was thinking, crap I think I want the fairy bag. BAD. So another mental note: Will go back to Prada when I have free time. Which is on the day that we will leave Rome– in a few more days. Pfffft *pout*.

The next day, we went for the Vatican tour. DB and I, with DH even contemplated on a Da Vinci Code tour (Paris- Rome), but haha, decided against that since we didn’t want to walk TOO much *Lazy bum I know, but heyyy I was on vacation too 😀 Entitled to pig out and take it slow :)*

The Vatican (this was the day before Easter Sunday)! Can’t believe we were gonna have Easter Sunday service with the Pope the next day 🙂
We then headed to the Vatican museum to see the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museum was fantastic. Beautiful ceilings– this particular one looks like ornate carvings, but they were actually all just painted!!! Beautiful 3- dimensional effect!

Another ceiling which had the ornate carvings and paintings.
Raphael’s tapestries were also quite amazing.

And the piece de resistance *at least in my opinion*, the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. No photos were allowed, but I sneaked a few of them anyway *I was baaaaaaaaad!! Feigns ignorance :D* The Sistine Chapel is perhaps best known to be the venue for the election of the successive pope in a conclave of the College of Cardinals (thank you Wikipedia for this info).

Anyway, it was too beautiful not to take photos. At least I didn’t use a flash 😀 Isn’t it also amazing how Michelangelo spent his years on his back painting this? I can’t imagine spending ten minutes painting a ceiling, and he did it in over 4 years!

After the Sistine Chapel, we went to visit the Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter’s isn’t a cathedral, as it is not the seat of the bishop). Saint Peter’s tomb is buried below the altar, and subsequently many popes were also buried there. We were able to see the tombs during our honeymoon, but since it was Easter this time, they weren’t allowing visitors to go below.

The Pieta. Virgin Mary cradling Jesus, sculpted by Michelangelo. It’s amazing how “real” the Pieta looks. Michelangelo is an excellent sculptor and I don’t think anyone can ever top his talent in the modern world.

And look at how many people came to visit the Vatican!!
When we finally got out again, it was pouring and we hurriedly walked back to where our car was, to take us back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes– because we were soaked!!