Rome Day 5

We are still going, but tomorrow is our last full day. To talk about today's activities, here is a post written by Sarah:

Since we've been in Rome, we've had many events related to Adam's Ordination and have kept a pretty tight schedule. Today was an easy morning - we got some much needed sleep and recharged our batteries (for ourselves and all of our documenting equipment). Adam also had the day off, so we planned to meet up at one of his favorite pizzerias. On the way, we stopped at the Pantheon, which is one of the few monuments in Rome with free access. We made a quick stop inside for a few snapshots and a quick video.

Next, we met our newly ordained Deacon Adam at Antica Trattoria Polese, where they recognized Adam on sight and refer to him as Padre. A small group of us enjoyed an appetizer of fried, stuffed olives and fried zucchini flowers (which were much tastier than they sound). The service was wonderful and they topped it off by bringing complimentary Limoncello, which Eric says was some of the best he ever had. As if we hadn't eaten enough, we then went to Adam's favorite spot for gelato (Frigidarium Gelateria) where I tried the crema fiorentino. I have no idea what it was, but I highly recommend it.

Afterwards, we waddled to Piazza Navona, where Eric and I had eaten dinner on our first night in Roma. The atmosphere was transformed from the lamp lit scene a few nights earlier, to a thriving square with a live local band, and rows of street vendors. There we found something I'd been in search of for several days - a wonderful array of local art. We spent over an hour browsing through paintings and drawings, selecting pieces to remind us of our time in Rome.

Today was a day of favorites - next Adam took us to Abbey Theatre (Eric describes as the Celtic Crossing of Rome) which shows American sporting events. They had football, baseball, and of course, pints of Guiness which were welcome on a warm Roman afternoon. Finally, we made our way to the North American College (Adam's seminary) where we enjoyed a few sunset moments on the roof and went to closing mass with the group (at least our 4th mass in the last week).
Unexpectedly, we were able to eat dinner with the larger tour group in the southern, densely populated area of town called Trastevere (it's where the young urban professionals and the creative class live). Our restaurant, La Cisterna, has served the likes of John Wayne and Dean Martin. It shows a rare glimpse into the original street level of Rome, which has been filled in throughout most other places of the city. Our traditional Italian style dinner was punctuated by a small, lively band playing recognizable favorites like "That's Amore" - probably for their American audience.

We passed arguably the best view in Rome from the hill on Gianicolo and then made our way past Piazza San Pietro (St Peter's Square) for a few final shots of the Basilica. It took about 30 minutes to make our way back the apartment and the walk was full of interesting sites. The opera was letting out and we saw throngs of people dressed to their best and many woman daintily making their way through the cobblestone streets in slender heels. We also captured a shot of Castel Sant' Angelo and a beautiful shot of St. Peter's Basilica. Now, roughly midnight, we're sending you memories from today and preparing for our last day in Rome. Buena notte!