A good night's sleep was enjoyed in the Albergo del Senato hotel. They have metal window shutters to block out the noise from the square below. Here are a few photos of our lodgings on this visit. The cost was E350 per night as I recall.
Coffee (from Instant Packets), Tea making facilities. A small safe and a mini bar, none of which we used.
Breakfast buffet was open at 7 a.m.
We took our breakfast in a small quiet side room. A waiter would bring us coffee.
The hotel exterior
and the square that it sits in. There is a fountain at the foot of the obelisk.
Each side of the fountain has a different gargoyle spouting water
Back inside the hotel on the ground floor
After a light breakfast we took a stroll while the streets were still quiet. We found ourselves back here again....Sant Eustachio, where we bought a bag of coffee beans to take home to Chicago.
By the time we finished our coffee it was time to visit the Pantheon which opens at 9 a.m....
On our previous visit to Rome a year earlier we had asked the desk clerk at the hotel for a restaurant recommendation and we followed his advice and ate at a basic Italian restaurant called Virginae, at the quiet end of a busy narrow street which had many outdoor dining opportunities. We like Quiet and we liked the simple Roman dishes and above all we liked the attentive service from our waiter, Silvano. So we decided to return there.
We passed through the lively Piazza Navona, a square ringed with restaurants which is a gathering place for people strolling and for the buskers who entertain them. We passed by the fortune tellers with their Tarot cards who set up on the street and through an art exhibition (in the dark!). Lights blazed in the gelato and clothing stores and from the many cafes.
Piazza Navona
Once out of the square we found our street and headed for the darker end where Virginae lay.
A lady was serving some of the tables but we wanted to be sure we could be served by Silvano at a table away from the entrance where it was quieter. I didn't see him so I went to the entrance and there he was, standing just inside the doorway.
He came out to greet me and I told him we wanted him to serve us. As we walked towards the table that Carol was sitting at, to stake our claim, he recognized me from a long time ago and manly handshakes and smiles were exchanged. It would be his pleasure to serve us. He greeted Carol like a long-lost friend. Drinks were ordered and we sat back, ready for a good meal as we hadn't eaten anything but olives and nachos since our 7 am breakfast-13 hours ago!
I love soups and seeing minestrone on the menu had to order it. The bowl came rather over-filled but that just meant all the more to eat. It was fantastic and luckily I had some bread to mop the bowl after eating every drop.
I gave Carol a spoonful to try and she agreed it was a rich, hearty soup. We complimented the chef.
Silvano said his 77 year-old grandmother was in the kitchen making it and would Carol like to meet her? Off Carol went to the kitchen and came back glowing from meeting a "lovely old lady".
Carol's antipasto
Of course I remembered how good the spaghetti alla carbonara was here...
and Carol had to try the caccio e pepe!
My veal saltimbocca, with prosciutto, a favorite dish
with a side order of fried potatoes
Carol's tender veal in a lemon sauce
Carol makes notes in the Trip Journal she keeps in her phone while I enjoy my dolce (dessert) of espresso and Sambuca Romana, after dinner.
She enjoys her flan Catalan
Another great meal in Rome, costing about 95E. We said our goodbyes to Silvano and walked slowly back to our hotel via Navona. This was our last night in Rome (until the next time which I hope won't be long) and tomorrow we would have Rome in Limo picking us up at 10 a.m to drive us to the ship.
Yes, we were going on a cruise although we could almost have forgotten as we enjoy our time in Rome so much.
There was only one place we wanted to be as the sunset drew near on our 2nd day in Rome-the rooftop bar in the hotel. Top floor via elevator then take the stairs...
No crowd up here tonight. We had our pick of the tables.
While waiting for Carol to join me I had a nice cold beer. The waiter brought me some of the olives they grow on the rooftop and a bowl of crunchy nacho chips. I have all I need to be happy.
Looking to the West which is the best way to look for sunsets
Looking back at the Vittorio Emmanuel II monument where we had been a few hours before.
More people join us as our waiter Florestan checks his tables.
High above the hubbub of Piazza della Rotonda. We can still hear the music of the buskers down below in the square but less obtrusively. We've done our sightseeing for today and our only task this evening is to find dinner.
Lights go on in the apartments overlooking the square
Carol doesn't leave her seat as she has no need to.
One last look and then we are off to dinner. A walk through Piazza Navona and, beyond in a narrow side street, a visit to a restaurant we discovered one year before for a good Roman dinner.
