Trastevere

I finally felt well enough to have a full day of sight seeing again. I also am happy to report the general malaise I had been feeling from being sick totally vanished. I just needed to get out of doors, into the sun, and back out to Rome. I decided to venture across the Tiber River to the neighborhood just south of the Vatican called Trastevere. It is a very traditional area and some residents are proud to say they have never crossed the river into the rest of Rome. Reminds me of the older people in Venice who are proud that they have never seen San Marco because they just stay in their little neighborhood. I loved this area. My guide books all describe it as the "left bank" of Rome, the romantic and crustier part of Rome, the 'real' Rome. It felt like a completely different city. It was all cobblestones and seemed to have a slower pace. Pictured below a bridge, and of course the Tiber River.

I started my little walking tour on the Ponte Cestio or Ponte Fabrico depending on which side of the river you are standing. My meandering led me through little streets and alley ways. It was so peaceful and quite. I arrived at the Church of St. Cecilia, who happens to be my patron saint! It was a very pretty church, possibly one of my all time favorites. It was built in the 9th century, although heavily restored in the 18th century. Her tomb was particularly moving because of the statue by Maderno. It was really lovely. I paid to take a quick tour of the crypt which didn't have a lot to see but was still pretty cool.

After this I started wandering and while looking for a lunch spot got really, really lost. Trastevere is not as easy to navigate as the rest of Rome. After a good 20 minutes of trying to find out where on earth I was, I finally got myself straightened out. Another 20 minutes later I found the trattoria I wanted to go to for lunch. Needless to say by now I was really hungry. It was worth my time and frustrations. A charming little family run, since 1933, trattoria called Trattoria da Lucia (mom!). I decided to have a dish that they are known for, spaghetti alla grecia. After a good meal and coffee of course, I was refreshed to go on and get lost again.

I started wandering, found some pistachio gelato (for those of you who haven't had it, it sounds weird but it is SO good!), and magically stumbled onto the square I needed to find! Sometimes, only sometimes, wandering without obsessive map checking and just enjoying the sun can actually work out for the best. I enjoyed my gelato sitting by the fountain and talking on the phone to my mom and dad.

Next, I ventured into the Santa Maria in Trastevere church. It is one of Rome's oldest churches and contained mosaics from the 1300's. It was beautiful and mysterious. I put in some money to turn on the light so I, and everyone else, could enjoy the mosaics. It is one of the few surviving early medieval mosaics in Rome. This part of the city wasn't as crowded and the church was much more peaceful than usual. It never fails to amaze me when I see such stunningly beautiful places knowing that were handcrafted so long ago. Even the mosaic floor you see is the original from the 1300's. Incredible.

After this I sat in the square for a good 30 minutes and people watched. It was such a hub of activity. I was sad to leave but I wanted to find a special cookie/bakery before I started to head home. This was yet another adventure with my map but I found Biscottifico Artigiano Innocenti. I got a mixed 1/2 kilo of everything. It is a lot of cookies but I think, somehow I'll manage to eat them!

All in all a good but tiring day. It took me an hour of bus riding to get 'home' this evening but I made it for dinner with my family which was yummy as usual. Tomorrow I am going to try to go to the Vatican and maybe an outdoor market. It will be another day of long bus rides but this will probably be my last full weekend in Rome. Next weekend I hope to take another trip somewhere and the weekend after that I will be leaving Rome! I can't believe it has already been two weeks. I feel so lucky to have this kind of time to spend exploring Italy!