Reenie's Ramblings

When we were packing for our trip to Rome... I had to decide what kind of shoes to take for the extensive amount of walking we would be doing.  I started walking here at home to test out different shoes to help me decide.  I ended up taking 3 pairs of shoes on my trip.  Before I review each of them, you should know that I am a flip flop girl at heart.... I would wear them year round if we didn't get snow! JEEP J-41-Barefoot Design The first pair I got for the trip were J-41, Barefoot Design... these were actually purchased for me from a friend who got them at Costco!  I walked every day in these for 3 weeks and LOVED them!  They are absolutely perfect for longs walks.... This is a photo of them in the Vatican.  They were the PERFECT shoes for this tour!  Anytime I walked on something smooth or even these were the shoes to wear.   But, in the evening we went on a Roman night walking tour and these are a no go for this!...

Orvieto- you have captured my heart.. commanded my attention and will call to me for another visit!  This day begins in the morning at the Termini Station where we catch the train and ride for over an hour to a small hill town called Orvieto.  We passed some beautiful countryside on the way and I attempted to take pictures but between the glass and speed of the train, I wasnt very successful. When you arrive in Orvieto, the way to get up to the town is to take a funicolare... this cost 1.80 Euro each. Its a small trainlike machine that slowly climbs the Cliffside. Once you reach the top and are on the main street of Orvieto... you can walk to your left and enter a fortress that was commissioned by a Pope and climb to the walls to get great views of the newer town below and outlying farms.  This day is very cold and windy so the pictures don't do this place justice... just breathtaking the view from up here!  There is also a monastery below where on a clear day...

We enjoy the opportunity to sleep in today... no tours booked just a free day to explore wherever we want.  We head towards to Roman Forum and are excited to see that the main street is blocked off so there is no traffic today... there are street performers, musicians all over.. Its a sunny, peaceful day although there seem to be even more people out and about than on previous days.  We enjoy looking a little closer at some of the monuments and structures we were only able to see far away before.  Here is one of them: This is where the markets were held.  Loved this area.  From here we strolled towards Piazza Navona... We also returned to Campo De Fiori and discovered a full fledged market!  We got a picture of the oldest floral market... its been there in this exact spot since 1367! Beautiful and unique arrangements... you could buy a bouquet of chilli peppers if you wanted... love this.  The whol Square was filled with locals shoppi...

This day we sleep in a bit since we don't have to meet our tour until 10 am.  This is a much anticipated tour as its the Food Lovers Tour.... We head down to the Testaccio area and meet in front of a cheese and wine shop where we wait for the rest of the tour group to arrive.  Sitting there, we realize we are near a caffe and I decide to get a Caffe Latte.... Delicious! Our first stop on this tour is for Tiramisu cups and a crossiant.... drizzled with a sweet glaze, these delectable bites of bliss are a GREAT way to start the day!  We then walk a few shops down to a gourmet market that sells truffles for 398 EURO/ kg....  they have unique and specialty items here... we enjoy a sample of 2 kinds of cheese and 2 kinds of meat. We then head to a pizza place where we try the traditional Margherita Pizza... and meet the owner of the shop and the baker. The baker (pictured below) couldn't speak English but loved sharing his food with us and hearing our enthusiasm!...