Day 66 ( afternoon) Fresh fruit and Spanish Steps

Some one once said that Italy is as old as it is new and as beautiful as it is ugly. This is a good description of the city of Rome. Later on Day 66 we explore the old and the modern city beginning with one of Rome’s finest ancient buildings, the Pantheon. The Pantheon is a huge round Roman temple to which was added a more modern 16th century, open dome. This completed the building’s transformation from sun worship to worship of the Son. From the outside the building is old and imposing – from the inside it is beautiful and engaging.

After leaving the Pantheon we spent the rest of the day purposefully wandering past many, many fountains and through the beautiful piazzas that are unique to this intriguing city. With our three-day metro ticket we were free to come and go. We continue to enjoy the flexibility of a good public transport system and the opportunity to walk and explore at our own pace.

Probably our favourite piazza in the whole of Rome is Campo de Fiori, which is primarily dedicated to a fantastic fruit and flower market. The market is a living oasis of bright colours and wonderful aromas. In one stall we discovered one of the secrets to Italian cooking. It was a stall dedicated to the spices which make up the pasta sauces of Italy which are loved by people all over the world; bolognese, amitracia, napoleon, carbonara etc. Nearby we watched with quiet wonder as two old men chatted as they sat next to their vegetable stall and stripped beans. In this piazza we loosened the restraints on our tight budget and bought cherries, rockmelon, pears and glace fruit. Despite the lack of a common language, we didn’t have any trouble explaining what we wanted and the vendor’s delight of a sale was matched by our joy of purchase.

At one end of the piazza was a fountain that for a couple of minutes became a canine swimming pool. Locals and visitors alike were amused when a small poodle ran confidently up to the beautiful fountain and jumped in for a quick swim. In a minute he was finished, he jumped down, shook himself and trotted away happily. At 35 degrees creativity was needed to survive the heat.

Just around the corner from the piazza we found a patisserie where we bought biscotti, and delicious almond cookies. We spent the princely sum of $6 and feasted like kings.

Later in the day we visited the famous Spanish Steps. These steps were a gift given to the city by the French but so named because they are near the Spanish Embassy. Like the Trevi Fountain, the steps are a landmark, where people of all ages gather to meet, chat and sun themselves on their wide expanse. As we spend time exploring Rome its mysteries and hidden charm reveal themselves to us at every turn.