Day 13 - Rome - An Insiders Guide

Well, shit. I've been here for almost 2 weeks now, seen every must see ruin, every must see church (all 400,000 of them), every must see museum, shopped, eaten, drank and enjoyed "la dolce vita" until its coming out of my ears - now what?

As I was sitting in my hotel room I scanned through one of my city guides and ran across a page dedicated solely to an "Insiders Guide to Rome". Ok, so this should have correctly said, an "Insiders Guide - if you are the idle rich with money to burn" but I thought it would be a good start to a new adventure on my second to last day here.

I started out taking the Metro to Piazza Spagna, surprisingly quiet for mid-June. I sauntered over to Cafe Greco for a cappuccino and a pastry, a tiny little "cafe" tucked in between haute couture that lined this street. This is THE place to grab a cafe, as back in the day, Keats and Shelley (English Heros, both spending their final years in this fair city) but sat at their famed velvet lined bar and sipped cafe as they composed their masterpieces. Ok, check. I feel so edumacated now.

Reading further, I discovered that there is a "hidden" street behind the main streets leading from Piazza Popolo and Piazzza Spangna, which is the street that inspires many a visitor in the know to chuck their lives stateside (or wherever) and experience la dolce vita for themselves permanently - Via Margutta. Via Margutta is a quiet, ivy and flower lined streets, that does not allow vehicles and is just the gem of Rome with is antique and art stores, boutique hotels and tiny little enotecas tucked in the pretties of nooks and crannies. If I wasn't SO ready to be back in the old US of A, I might too be tempted to spend a little more time here. It is truly the Rome I came to see.

At the end of the street, I noticed an open courtyard crowded with stylish business types, walking back and forth, with plates piled high with some of the most delicious looking food I have ever seen. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were traveling back and forth to a cafe run by a slight woman with spiky frosted hair, who immediately greeted me with a smile when I approached. It seemed for $20 euros, it was an all you could eat buffet, including water, bread and coffee. SCORE! I settled in to a seat tucked in the back of the courtyard and made my way inside. It was like being invited to your aunt Valentina's Tuscan home, where she had prepared a feast just for you - pasta with tomato and fresh mozzarella, 3 types of roasted potatoes, creamy polenta, pesto pasta, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, fennel all roasted in garlic and olive oil, braised veal cubes in a savory tomato sauce and the softest most flavorful herbed foccacia I have ever tasted. Honestly folks, this was the BEST meal I have had in Rome and probably the best meal I will have for awhile. So after BEGGING Babbette that the American Dream is calling her (and look, we are possibly electing a GOOD president this time), I resorted to more drastic measures by gagging her and and shoving her in my oversize suitcase...Ok so not really, but I wanted to.

The book then instructed that the best place to have an afternoon cocktail was the famed Hotel Russe's garden bar. But being that I was filled to the gills and just ate back every calorie I had burned from all this damn walking, I couldn't fathom the idea of anything further, so I just decided to pay this place a little visit and see what the hype was all about. It did not disappoint. So THIS is where the pretty people stay. I have never seen more silk, diamonds, soft leather and stylish acoutrements all gathered in one place. The book further boasted that this hotel boasted the best spa in town - hmm, we'll see about that. I wandered into the quiet corner where the spa was situated to be (expected from a hotel of this calibur) greeted with a friendly Hello, may we help you with anything, in perfect English. "No no, gratsi, I just wanted to see about the services you offer...oh, really...well....umm...what?...you have an opening tomorrow...I umm....Ok, see you at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. Ciao!" I think I may have just committed my next annual bonus to this hotel spa. Well, if can't be one of the beautiful people, one can at least look like them.

Slowly I wound my way through back streets, watching street performers entertain the crowds, musicians entertain lovers and the daylight slowly dimish, casting shadows over the amazing architecture of the city.

It also seems that one of the "insider secrets" was one that I discovered all on my own, Piazza Copelle, home of Giovanni and the glorious little wine bar I have spent many an evening at. Returning to my preferred table, they greeted me with a glass of prosecco as I watched the rain start to fall and read for hours, watching day turn into evening.

Knowing I would have a busy last day in Rome spending every dime of my hard earned money and worse, knowing that I would have to get up at 3:30 a.m. on Friday to catch my flight, I decided to turn in a bit early. As I made my familiar treck to the Metro, I saw the doors of one of the most glorious churches flung wide open into the night air and streams of Americans flooding in. Curious, I followed suit (ok, ok - I'm REALLY homesick and would follow an American anywhere at this point...). It turns out that a high school choir from Fort Worth Texas were performing gospel songs there at 9:00 p.m. I grabbed a program and settled in.

When the students took the stage, the glorious hymns echoed throughout the chapels and domes of this magnificent structure like it was constructed to host events just like this. Even the most hardened tourist, couldn't help but be moved by the sites and sounds.

I turned and smiled to the lady next to me, who nodded and smiled back and repeated something to me in Italian. It seems, despite my best efforts at the end, I was an insider afterall.