Sunday

On Sunday we took a taxi to the Borghese Gallery, our feet just couldn't handle that trek. We arrived early so we strolled through the Borghese park where the sun was shining and the statues and fountains were magnificent.

Umbrella pines here are Moms favorite

Artichoke sticking out from gardens

Base of said monument in the park.

Monument..to something

Before the crowds of people arrived 

Borghese garden-- Mom with Fountain

The gallery itself is a huge white building, gorgeous. The only way you can get in is with a reservation, and you have to make it months in advance because they only allow a maximum number of people...can't remember how many but its a small number. We greatly appreciated it though because when you go to places like the Vatican museum (more later) you just cannot even breathe, let alone take the artwork in. We went to the top floor, lots of  classically decorated rooms all designed for the artwork, my favorite was a red room with a white statue that had black marble inlay, the second floor was statues mostly by Bernini, and first floor had massive halls, the building itself was a highlight and a work of art, sadly though the gardens were not accessible but looked very cool. The Romans have this deep obsession with the Egyptians and the Borghese's Egyptian room was really impressive, even the marble floors had hieroglyphic inlay. Everything there was beautiful, and I'm totally museum-ed out and this was two, three days ago?

Went we south to see a church but it was closed, so we had to kill a couple hours. We decided to go up and over towards the train station and do some serious people watching.

From Cathy:  The church is famous for it's bizarre crypt decorated with the bones of over 4000 Cappuchin monks - we thought we had to see it!

Gross!

It was time to head back towards the church and had lunch across the street-- We ordered a cheese plate and a Caesar salad. I was not amused by the blue cheese, but tried it.

Anyways, the church we went to is called Santa Maria della Concezione finally went to...well, we went to the crypt by the Cappuccine monks. The crypt is awesome, these monks used their bones to build the crypt, the walls and ceiling are decorated ornately with every bone you can imagine, even the children of one of the main monks... children and young family members, but thats just another reminder that corruption has always been around.



There are over 4,000 monks bones used and they don't add to it anymore, which is kind of a bummer but oh well. But the monks point was that they were who we are, and they are who we will be. We're mortal and whatnot, and they use themselves to strike fear and put perspective into us beings. I took pictures...yes, I was that girl. It was against the rules but I was sneaky...bad Lu, I know! Anyways we bought postcards and made a donation so I feel better :)




It started to rain right before we went into the crypt, and was still raining when we left so we cabbed it back to Trestevere, and we went to a neighborhood place for dinner after checking out Santa Maria della Trestevere, one of the most beautiful churches. In one of the side chapels, there was even a door that was my sized! So we took a picture.

So happy, so tired. 

The dinner, the most important part...was the best we've had so far. And we've had really good food. Miraggio is just around the corner and we were the only English speakers there. I gave in and ordered carbonara and really, I feel like I can die happy now.  And we slept so soundly.

Mom's: Bucatelli with bacon and tomato