Tivoli

I have a few confessions to make. First, yesterday was rainy and miserable and therefore I did nothing. I mean I got on the bus after school and went 'home'. And that was it. My second confession is that this morning I broke down. Italians don't do breakfast. They have some little pastry and an espresso. My host family gives me two pieces of little toast. We all know about typical 'American Breakfasts' and those of you who have had the pleasure of waking up in my house on a weekend know my family's drill: eggs, sausage, pancakes, coffee, tea. I've been starved for high protein breakfasts. Here is the confession: I was so hungry this morning for something besides sweet bread, I went to McDonalds. Yes, embarrassing I know. But it was the only place I could find anything that was more than a croissant. I had a little toasted sandwich with cheese and ham. I won't lie, it was delicious.

Now that that is off my chest I can tell you what I did today. I knew I had to get out of Rome, otherwise I would sit around the apartment bemoaning the rain. (Have I mentioned I need sunshine to function and that there are few things I hate more than walking around in the rain getting wet?) So, I set my alarm for 8:30 and by 9:30 I was out the door heading for the Termini (main train station). My final destination: Tivoli. It was a bit of an adventure. I took my bus to the termini, then had my McDonalds, took the metro out to the last stop, got on a bus and an hour later was in Tivoli. I constantly had to remind myself being crammed on a bus with wet people and wet umbrellas that it will be worth it when I get wherever I am going. Today was more than worth it.

The town of Tivoli was a really cute, typical Italian town. After having a pretty tasty lunch I quickly found the Villa D'Este. The first thing I think of when I hear Tivoli is gardens. There are a couple villas that have gorgeous and expansive gardens in Tivoli, the Villa D'Este being one of them. There is also a Villa (of course) which was decorated in ornate frescos. The gardens were created in the 1560's and are famous for countless fountains. The entire time I walked around I heard the sound of running water. It stopped raining when I was ambling around and the combination of the sun and the rain drops made the place magical. Not to mention I had it almost to myself. Few people visit massive outdoor gardens on rainy days. I spent about an hour wandering around and probably took a 100 pictures. I chose a few to post so you can get an idea of the size, the number of fountains, and how amazing it looked.

I decided I had time to visit another famous site, and started wandering through Tivoli to find the Villa Gregoriana. They don't really do street signs in Tivoli but I finally found the Villa, mostly by following a family of tourists. This was a little different from the Villa D'Este which was clean, manicured, polished, and dainty. Villa Gregoriana was more like a hike through the woods. Thankfully I enjoy taking hikes even with mud and rain. A huge winding path took me from the top, to the bottom, and back to the top of a massive valley. Along the way I had views of a stunning water fall, a cave, and a few grottos. It was a tough work out though, but I'd say worth it.

I was completely exhausted at this point. I easily found the bus back to Rome, the metro, and then walked to my favorite gelato spot. It was a perfect day, despite the rain. I am really glad I got out of the city. I get a little crazy when I don't see dirt, grass, trees, or the sky. Rome is so hectic and busy, I loved getting to see a little italian town and enjoy the peace and quiet of the gardens. (and almost adopted a stray cat)