Rome (1)

After a few hectic moments in Zurich (plane change) we settled down to Italy and the Roman time schedule. Waited on the street for over an hour for our rental agent to let us into the apartment.

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 We were a bit frazzled after our flights, so a simple dinner was in order for our first night. Trattoria Gino & Pietro was very handy. The gnocchi verdi (potato gnocchi with pesto) was tasty and not too expensive. On Roman standards it was cheap.

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 In the morning we visited the Campo de Fiori street market with the little forno (bakery) on the corner. This became our staple for breakfast -- foccacia, fresh fruit and American coffee made in our apartment. Life doesn't get any better than that.

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Piazza Navona was only a few minutes walk from the apartment. This was a great place for people watching or taking a break with a gelato.

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 There were people with problems just like everywhere else. Ristorante "Tre Scalini" is located here. We tried their well known Tartufo (a chocolate gelato that looks like a truffle.) It was not as good as many of the gelati (?) that we had at other times and places, but it was the most expensive.
We took the "Stop n Go" bus tour followed by a visit to the Borghese gardens and gallery.

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 This was once a private villa with an extensive art collection. We followed this with dinner at "da Baffetto" -- time to learn to eat pizza with a knife and fork.

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 Walking the streets of Rome is a treat. This is one of the bridges that cross the Tiber river. Castel San Angelo is a major landmark on the river's edge near the Vatican.

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Piazza San Pietro (St. Peters Square) must be seen to be appreciated. The word ornate has a whole new meaning now.

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 The Swiss Guards are colorful and I suspect that their pikes could be effective. The real security comes from the men in plain black suits -- reminds me of New Jersey mafia.

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