The back story is this. Sometime this past year, our nephew David's in-laws Sue and Ken told Judy's older sister Donna (his mom) that they were thinking of doing a trip to Italy and would she be interested in going. The answer was yes, and... Donna got in touch with us, and with Judy's younger sister and husband, Karen and Kent, and we all said yes we would like to be part of the trip as well. Also joining us in our group of eight was Ken's brother Bob.
Our flight plan from Orlando was to change planes in Charlotte for the flight to Rome. In Charlotte we met up with everyone else in our group except Karen and Kent, who traveled separately from Chicago to Rome. We all met up in the Rome airport, along with the others whom we did not know, which totaled a group of 39 plus our wonderful guide, Marco. And then the hour long bus ride to Rome itself as we looked out the windows passing many places of interest
As one might guess, after traveling for about 24 hours, we were glad to arrive at our hotel. The hotel was located next to the Borghese Gardens (as we would discover, we had a view of them out our hotel room window).
It was not until arriving there that we were told that the rooms would be ready in about ... four hours! Until then, we had free time, but we did not have access to our suitcases. So the outfits we chose to travel in became the outfits in which we first walked, in the Eternal City. After chatting together we agreed upon a plan to walk from our hotel to the top of the Spanish Steps, and from there, to have a meal at a restaurant that Judy and I and John and Anne had discovered on our visit to Rome in 2006. I knew from checking beforehand that it was still very much in business and still received rave reviews.
So off we went on our trek.
And a trek it was, if you have ever happened to walk from the Roman Walls alongside the Borghese Gardens to the top of the Spanish Steps. One would think wouldn't one, that the top of the Spanish Steps was "up" from most other places in Rome. Not so, our hotel. It was downhill all the way, along narrow and picturesque streets that were paved with those flagstone type sidewalks - and did our legs and feet know it!
However, we found our way, and were greeted with the remarkable views at the top of the Steps, and the obelisk and church situated there. After taking in the view (and catching our breath), we walked a bit beyond the Steps, to our restaurant, Ciampini.
Happily, the restaurant was able to accommodate our group of eight - beautifully. The restaurant is mostly an outdoor awning-covered terrance, that is set just a tad lower than the sidewalk and mostly hidden from that sidewalk by thick hedges. It is the kind of place that, unless you know it is there, you might miss altogether. We found it, the first time we were in Rome, because we four had been feeling a tad peckish when we had climbed the Spanish Steps, and we decided our midday meal would be our big splurge meal of the day. We happened upon Ciampini, and were very glad we did. On that visit, another diner at a table near ours was Glenn Close. So we figured then and now that going there was a pretty good idea.
Our table was situate with a sweeping view of the rooftops and domes of Rome, including the famous dome of St. Peter's. The day was pleasant. Who could ask for better ambiance than that.
We each ordered our meal, and I was just a bit concerned, but hopeful, that the others would be pleased with what they ordered. When Ken told us that his meal was the "best I have ever eaten" of that particular item, I was extra-pleased. We took our time with our lunch, and that was good, because we had plenty of time just to enjoy each other's company and to revel in the fact that we were in Rome.
Afterward, we made our way uphill, back to the hotel. Our route was only slightly different, but the last portion of it was on the upper reaches of the famous Via Veneto. Which is a much more sedate street now than it was when jet setters flocked there in the 1960s. But still lovely and interesting.
After going though one of the gates of the Roman Wall, we were back at our hotel and had a chance to go to our rooms, rest and unpack, and prepare for the next several days in Rome. Our room had an interesting wall treatment, the mosaic of Alexander the Great which is to be found in Pompeii. Al and I got acquainted, as you can see here.
Dinner that evening was in our hotel, and it was absolutely wonderful. We were very pleased - so much so that it would become our dinner spot of choice several other evenings of our stay.
We slept with our window overlooking the Borghese Gardens open, to the gentle sounds of the wind in the trees. And we slept very soundly indeed.
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