Hello Roma!

Of course we had to wake up early again this morning (of course!), to go back to the Pitti Palace and walk around the Boboli Gardens. It was 8:30 and already it was very hot, but there was also lots of shade, without which our walk would have been impossible.

Rowan and I headed across the entire length of the gardens in search of several statues we found on our map, which was loads of fun. We got to see the gorgeous fountain at the Island Pond and the dozen or so stone statues hidden around it among the hedges. Kevin stayed near the Pitti, up by Neptune’s Fountain, sitting in the shade – smart man!

Our trek took about 30 minutes, and when we got back to the amphitheatre overlooking the green lawns behind the Pitti, we played I Spy for a bit until we cooled down. Next it was lunch at a Santo Spirito restaurant, where we were presented with salads in ginormous bowls and typical, salt-less Florentine bread. Fantastic.

We caught our train to Rome and arrived late in the day, with just enough time for a quick clean up and change at our hotel, before heading to an Indian vegan restaurant around the corner. Rowan loved the basmati rice and slightly spicy pakora, I ate my dosa and vegetables with glee, and Kevin had to share his lentil soup with Rowan, who kind of ate most of it.

We walked to a gelato place we know near the Pantheon, strolled back through Piazza Navona, where we stopped to look at the fountains and enjoy the cool breezes. Then we discovered a roundabout way home that included squeezing down some narrow alleys and stepping over a bed of grape leaves into a lantern filled street that looked like it was from a turn of the century painting. Ah. We just love Rome.

Back at our hotel we watched “Pink Floyd in Pompei” to gear us up for our visit there in a couple of weeks. Rowan rocked out and didn’t want to go to bed, but is asleep now in his very own, comfy twin bed beside our king, most likely dreaming psychedelic dreams of gongs, guitar riffs and gelato.