Our third day was jam-packed with walking all over Rome. We visited so many places! We had become friends with the man from the Panini shop just down the street from our Aribnb. We stopped in there for a chat over a Panini and a fresh juice. Delicious! He sent us on our way with two complimentary clementines, which were so juicy and ripe!
From here the Pantheon was just around the corner, so that was our first stop. The Pantheon, a former Roman Temple (now it’s a church) is an amazing building with its dome structure. We loved standing in the centre and staring up at the beautiful ceiling. We marveled at the huge marble columns, struggling to fathom how something of this magnitude and detail was built so many years ago, before today’s technology.
The Pantheon.
The amazing columns of the Pantheon.
The Panini Shop.
Inside The Pantheon.
Delicious, juicy clementine!
Villa Borghese and The Spanish Steps
We left the Pantheon and made our way to Villa Borghese to enjoy a peaceful wander through the Borghese Gardens. It’s a quiet and more tranquil area of Rome and it was lovely to wander amongst the trees.
Making our way slowly back towards the centre of Rome, we came to the iconic Spanish Steps. Trinità dei Monti church overlooks the steps from the top, and as you descend the stairway you reach the Fontana della Barcaccia in the Piazza di Spagna. The baroque stairway is a beautiful place to sit, enjoy the sunshine, and take in the busy square.
Romance on the Spanish Steps!
Looking down the Spanish Steps from Trinità dei Monti.
Trinità dei Monti church.
Trinità dei Monti and The Spanish Steps.
The Spanish Steps.
Tiramisu, Pasta, and Piazza Navona
After descending the stairway, we made our way to a nearby patisserie called Pompi. Our Italian airhostess from the flight over had recommended it to us. We sampled some more tiramisu, and it was absolutely delectable! We had a late lunch at Ginger; another recommended restaurant, and went to explore bohemian Trastevere via Piazza Navona.
Jori keen for some delicious food!
We enjoyed some refreshing smoothies.
Pasta!
Fontana del Moro in Piazza Navona.
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona.
Piazza Navona at dusk.
Trastavere
Trastevere is a district in Rome, filled with funky bars, cafes, and boutique stores. We stopped by the quaint and lovely stores as we went. I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous hat boutique run by a very friendly women. All of the hats were handmade by her and so beautiful. She welcomed us into her store and helped me find the most perfect little black hat. It features a fair bit in our Paris trip (you can read about that here.)
Exploring Trastevere in my new hat!
Nightfall was firmly upon us by the time we left Trastevere, but we loved seeing the sights in the evening light as we walked back to the Airbnb. We happened upon an old theatre, Teatro di Marcello, on our walk home. It was so beautiful! I love drama and acting, so seeing such a historic theatre was a huge thrill for me. There were apartments built right into the top of the ancient monument, with people living in them. It’s amazing to think that a theatre from ancient Roman times has become part of people’s everyday lives!
Teatro di Marcello in the beautiful evening light.
Me being dramatic at the theatre!
We had terrible food, but a beautiful view.
We continued back to our Airbnb and stopped for dinner at a restaurant next to The Pantheon. The food was very bland, even though it was so expensive. Our previous night’s dinner was so lovely; it really shows the difference between eating at a local restaurant and eating at a tourist destination. Still, we can’t fault the view. The Pantheon is so stunning at night! We made up for the dinner letdown by strolling the lovely streets again, exploring the shops, and finished our night off with gelato from Giolitti – the BEST gelato in Rome! If you like gelato, this place is a must visit, the dark chocolate flavour is out of this world! We can easily say that we’ve never had gelato that good!
Not the best pano but it was the best gelato!
And so, just like that, our holiday in Rome had come to an end. With our stomachs full, we headed back to our room to rest, ready to catch the slow train through the Tuscan countryside to Florence in the morning.
To read about our experience in romantic Florence, click here: Adventures in Florence and Pisa
If you want to read from the start of our Italian trip, click here: Oh Rome, You Bustling Beauty!
Our third day was jam-packed with walking all over Rome. We visited so many places! We had become friends with the man from the Panini shop just down the street from our Aribnb. We stopped in there for a chat over a Panini and a fresh juice. Delicious! He sent us on our way with two complimentary clementines, which were so juicy and ripe!
From here the Pantheon was just around the corner, so that was our first stop. The Pantheon, a former Roman Temple (now it’s a church) is an amazing building with its dome structure. We loved standing in the centre and staring up at the beautiful ceiling. We marveled at the huge marble columns, struggling to fathom how something of this magnitude and detail was built so many years ago, before today’s technology.
The Pantheon.
(Tap the image for more photos)
The Panini Shop.
(Tap the image for more photos)
Villa Borghese and The Spanish Steps
We left the Pantheon and made our way to Villa Borghese to enjoy a peaceful wander through the Borghese Gardens. It’s a quiet and more tranquil area of Rome and it was lovely to wander amongst the trees.
Making our way slowly back towards the centre of Rome, we came to the iconic Spanish Steps. Trinità dei Monti church overlooks the steps from the top, and as you descend the stairway you reach the Fontana della Barcaccia in the Piazza di Spagna. The baroque stairway is a beautiful place to sit, enjoy the sunshine, and take in the busy square.
Romance on the Spanish Steps!
(Tap the image for more photos)
Tiramisu, Pasta, and Piazza Navona
After descending the stairway, we made our way to a nearby patisserie called Pompi. Our Italian airhostess from the flight over had recommended it to us. We sampled some more tiramisu, and it was absolutely delectable! We had a late lunch at Ginger; another recommended restaurant, and went to explore bohemian Trastevere via Piazza Navona.
Jori keen for some delicious food!
(Tap the image for more photos)
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona.
(Tap the image for more photos)
Trastavere
Trastevere is a district in Rome, filled with funky bars, cafes, and boutique stores. We stopped by the quaint and lovely stores as we went. I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous hat boutique run by a very friendly women. All of the hats were handmade by her and so beautiful. She welcomed us into her store and helped me find the most perfect little black hat. It features a fair bit in our Paris trip (you can read about that here.)
Exploring Trastevere in my new hat!
Nightfall was firmly upon us by the time we left Trastevere, but we loved seeing the sights in the evening light as we walked back to the Airbnb. We happened upon an old theatre, Teatro di Marcello, on our walk home. It was so beautiful! I love drama and acting, so seeing such a historic theatre was a huge thrill for me. There were apartments built right into the top of the ancient monument, with people living in them. It’s amazing to think that a theatre from ancient Roman times has become part of people’s everyday lives!
Teatro di Marcello in the beautiful evening light.
(Tap the image for more photos)
We had terrible food, but a beautiful view.
We continued back to our Airbnb and stopped for dinner at a restaurant next to The Pantheon. The food was very bland, even though it was so expensive. Our previous night’s dinner was so lovely; it really shows the difference between eating at a local restaurant and eating at a tourist destination. Still, we can’t fault the view. The Pantheon is so stunning at night! We made up for the dinner letdown by strolling the lovely streets again, exploring the shops, and finished our night off with gelato from Giolitti – the BEST gelato in Rome! If you like gelato, this place is a must visit, the dark chocolate flavour is out of this world! We can easily say that we’ve never had gelato that good!
Not the best pano but it was the best gelato!
And so, just like that, our holiday in Rome had come to an end. With our stomachs full, we headed back to our room to rest, ready to catch the slow train through the Tuscan countryside to Florence in the morning.
To read about our experience in romantic Florence, click here: Adventures in Florence and Pisa
If you want to read from the start of our Italian trip, click here: Oh Rome, You Bustling Beauty!
