{adventures abroad} roma: day three - villa borghese and la dolce vita

we woke up bright and early, grabbed breakfast, and then took the metro to the villa borghese - we had reservations at the borghese gallery {art nerd alert}! we checked in a little early and grabbed a panini in the cafe while we waited for our turn in the museum. you get two hours and two hours only in the galleria borghese, but they are two hours filled with bernini and caravaggio and titian. when we got kicked out, we strolled around the surrounding gardens and made a new feline friend or two.

we wandered for a good long while and ended up at the northern gate of the aurelian wall, at porta del popolo. more than a little exhausted, we went into a bustling cafe and ordered some caffe freddo {coldish coffee slush with the strangest consistency ever}. but what we really needed was a siesta, so we hopped on the metro and headed back to the hotel.

* * * *

siesta was not a success. we rested but couldn't sleep {thanks a lot, espresso!}. we got dressed and headed out to take what our guidebook calls the dolce vita stroll from piazza del popolo {fountains, an egyptian obelisk, and a baroque church} down pedestrian- and shopper-friendly via del corso. a detour took us to the mausoleum of augustus {a little hard to see in the dark and smells a lot like urine unfortunately} and augustus' altar of peace {pretty interesting even from behind the glass walls and i loved walking in the fountains outside!}. after our detour it was on to via condotti {window-shoppers paradise} and back to the spanish steps.

when our tummies got grumbly we went in search of food and found it at l'enotecantica {200 years old, charming, cozy, delicious, crowded}. we drank italian wine and ate bruschetta and gnocchi and ravioli until we were about to pop.

{cutest graffiti ever?}

we stopped for gelato on our way back to the hotel, where we were still wide awake watching the simpsons when the crazy boom box lady came by. we figured that if she was going to eat us she would have already done it by now, so we said good night and fell fast asleep.