Day 2: Nothing Funny Happened on the Way to the Forum

Treacherous

The recent snowfall made things treacherous in Rome. Since they don't have snow removal equipment or salt, everything was slippery, so the monuments were closed. We didn't mind too much since we were able to walk around the peripheral of the Coliseum. It as closed due to the snow but it made for some fantastic pictures through the arches. And we just saved ourselves e12. The Via Sacra around the Forum was open up to Palatine Hill so we climbed that.... It was rather like scaling an ice mountain. Again, this city knows nothing of salting or sanding pavement, so today I made my second fall on ice of the trip, but the camera and iPad are safe. It was a slow journey up and down as everyone was carefully navigating the icy cobblestone. We saw a few falls and one head injury.

The Via Imperiali was closed to traffic as usual on a Sunday so as pedestrians we were able to stroll alongside the Forum, since the Forum was also closed due the weather. Apparently marble and ice do not a pleasant mix make. At then end of the Via Imperiali was the Vittorino monument with the tomb of the unknown soldier and honor guards. We were on our way toward the Pantheon at this point when we passed a small garment shop with a coat on a form outside the door. It stopped me in my tracks so I went in. After browsing, we left. I took a picture of the coat. Thirty seconds later I turned around, announced the I was going back to try on the coat and walked back in. As the saleswoman slipped it on me, it was like slipping into a custom glove. A leather wrap belt was tied around the waist and I fell in love. Italy has sale seasons only twice a year. Right now is one of those times. Every store is having a sale. Killer sales. Tax either included or not even paid. I love that sale prices are posted in the windows! It makes window shopping so much easier. At any rate, the coat's sale price was a steal and I couldn't leave without it. Spring, winter, or fall, this coat would get plenty of use. It was pure love. I needn't buy anything else in Rome, I was set.

Palatine Hill

Happy, we left and moved on to the Pantheon, which was also closed due to the snow, but we were able to peek through the door crack. Our day of sightseeing was essentially complete, so we stopped for a late lunch at a little restaurant and must have spent at least a couple hours there. Hey, we ordered a liter of wine, no one was going anywhere until it was gone. What I've come to love about Rome is that servers don't bother us. We're not interrupted by their inquiries. We order enough wine, enough water, and just raise our hand when we need something. It is so nice to sit in leisure and not be rushed to turn a table over or handed our check when we don't need it. Everyone is friendly and we even took a stab at ordering in Italian a few times, successfully. At the Piazza Navona we popped into an enoteca and sampled some limoncello. We haven't purchased any yet, but are sure to before we leave Rome. None of it was as good as the stuff we had last night at the restaurant. I just may compare every limoncello to that one.

The daytime sun seemed to have melted a good portion of snow on the sidewalks for walking was much easier today. More traffic was on the streets and there was far less slush to navigate. We returned to the hotel before the sidewalks iced up. On the way back from dinner, we crossed a bridge by our hotel and saw the dome of a magnificent basilica in the distance. Could it be? Maybe? Possibly? For certain, it was St. Peter's in the Vatican, with the sun setting behind it, and from where we were standing on the bridge, was reflecting on the Tiber River. It was too picturesque not to stop for pictures, which other people had the same idea.

As we rounded Piazza Cavour near our hotel, we scouted a couple cafes to ensure we could stop for some cappuccino and cornetto on Tuesday morning on the way to the Vatican. Right now, we're sitting in the lounge of our hotel about to order some cheese and maybe tea and cocoa to finish the evening, as tomorrow we have to catch a 6:38am train to Naples for Pompeii. I'm miserably allergic to something in our hotel room, and despite talking to the desk about a hypoallergenic room, I don't think that came to fruition. Someone should put me in a lab experiment because I sneeze entire time we're in there. Luckily Carrie is being a champ and camping out in the lobby with me. I already hit the Benadryl and will crash fairly soon.