April 14, 2007 - Back to the tourists

Against my best instincts, we had to return to the Piazza DiSpagna to deal with the crush of people who make this a must-see. Yes, the azaleas that seem to pour from the Spanish Steps are spectacular, though no less so than other similar gardens. Nevertheless, we "had" to go here, as well as return to the Trevi fountain to toss in the coins. Frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about. Both these places seem to be the Paris Hiltons of Rome sightseeing: famous for being famous.

From there we headed to the Pantheon, which was more sumptuous, in a comparatively undertstated way, than I had remembered from my visit in 1965. The exterior is so stark and dull that it makes the multihued marble interior seem that much more ornate, though less so than St. Peter's. Again the crush of tourists was overwhelming, but at least in this case you could see why.

Following an encounter with the best ice cream on the planet (Italy's gelato) at the Gelateria della Palma at 20 via Maddalena, we continued over to Piazza Navona and its multi-textured street life: mimes (actually, they were pretty good, as mimes go), folk singers (think "Wild World" by Cat Stevens and cringe), and a jazz combo consisting of an accordion (!), bass and saxophonist playing an almost unrecognizable "Autumn Leaves." I mean this as a good thing.

Paul found an ornamental sword he just had to have at a toy store on the piazza, and instead of walking back to the Hotel Tirreno we grabbed the subway just before it closed. Pizza at a small snack bar, run by an Asian woman, ended the day. We crashed upon our arrival at the hotel to sleep on a day full of great history and great food.