Today, I decided to make the journey to St Peter's Square, which is walking distance from my hotel. On the way, I stopped at a local cafe for a macchiato because when in Rome... I did not indulge in the sweets but it was pretty to look at while I drank my coffee. By the way, an espresso or macchiato is one Euro in Italy. How much do we pay in the USA?
Once entering the square, the crowds were evident. I walked the long way around and when it was open to go in, everyone was squeezed together to get into the square. It was a bit unsettling for me. However, the square is large with two stunning fountains and the Basilica dome is quite beautiful.
It was a very warm October day and the square was in full sun with all the tourists milling about. There are so many special sites to take in while in Rome and I prefer to take one bite at a time so I can spend a bit of time in reverie and soak in what's before me. Many tourists take in as many of the 'greatest hits' in one day.
This is another plus by being a freestyle participant with SMOV. Either alone, with a spouse or friend, you can pick and choose the sites you most want to see and spend as little or more time as you like depending on what captures your heart. I can only take big crowds for so long. I am going to take our tour guide, Alice's advice about showing up at a desirable spot early morning. My friend, Milena and I willl do just that as time permits. Once I check out of Casa Tua Vaticana on Tues, I'll be staying at Milena's beautiful apartment that she is renting. I'm so blessed to have a base. From what I understand, Rome is booked to the max.
As I was walking out of the square, I noticed this pretty spot. I love the building colors and the arch. Everywhere you look, there's something to see in Rome. You really need to keep your eyes open. ;)
All-in-all, it was a lovely outing. As I made my way back to the hotel, I knew to pick something up to eat. Many places close down on Sunday and not all restaurants permit you to take out food. Or, as the Italians say, 'take-away'. But I found the perfect spot where I got a hearty green salad with a side of buffalo mozzarella. It comes in a big ball with oliive oil and basil. I'm going to indulge in my 'dunch' as soon as I sign-off here. Thank you for reading.
Fino a domani.
Keep on swimming through life,
Valerie Anne
