Been to Venice more than 10 times but every time it feels such a special place. It's simply an amazing city. This time we stayed there for 2 nights on the 8th & 9th days of our car tour.

Even though it was boiling hot we walked a lot, sometimes took  vaporetto (the water bus)to the destination and once we travelled the narrow canals by a gondola.

ps. as mentioned been to Venice several times...click.

Greetings From Verona!

The 7th day of our tour was in the city of Romeo & Juliet - the historical and lovely Verona.

Got a little rain shower in the early afternoon but the temperature didn't go under 30C.

Hand-Made

Hand-made chocolate at Moriondo & Gariglio

on via del Pie del Marmo.

Had to buy a box, actually two...

Guess where I'm now?

At the airport again! Flying to Finland

and tomorrow taking the night train to Lapland!

Shopping In Rome

Needed a pair of black sun glasses.

Fendi was a perfect place to shop a pair.

The Roman flagship store is huge!

Fendi

Largo Goldoni 420

Roma

One can never have too many bags!

it just happened to be the right size and colour...

Bauletto by Miu Miu.

Miu Miu

Via del Babuino 91

Roma

It's not Italian, but had to buy it as 

it's limited edition and sold out in every place in London.

White lilac and rhubarb - gorgeous scent!

Jo Malone

Via del Babuino 42-43

Roma

Hotel Adriano In Rome

Had a pleasant stay in Hotel Adriano in Rome.

Perfect location near Pantheon.

Booked a superior room via hotels.com.

There're classic and superior rooms, 

all very tiny but functional.

The classic rooms are more old-fashion style

and superior ones more modern, 

that's probably the difference between them.

Breakfast is included but it was nothing special,

a bit crowded.

Free but slow wifi.

Hotel Adriano

Via di Pallacorda 2

Dinner In Rome

 Enoteca Capranica

Piazza Capranica 99-100

(buzz the doorbell!)

- mainly seafood, the Tyrrhenian Sea menu was delicious

- excellent professional service

4/5

Palazzo Capranica is one of the few surviving buildings of Rome dating back to the 15th century. 

The palace is an interesting example of the beginning of Renaissance architecture (1457). 

It preserves, together with elegant cross-windows, marble trefoil double lancet windows. 

The palace was built for cardinal Domenico Capranica

 who wanted a residence for his family and a college for clergymen.

Ad Hoc

Via di Ripetta 43

- good food

- kind of young and trendy (although not!) atmosphere

3/5

La Rosetta

Via della Rosetta 8-9

- delicious food, rather expensive

- sort of chaotic atmosphere

- got a pack of biscotti to take home

3/5

Had made bookings to all three restaurants in advance.

In every place the food was served 

in square or glass plates...

Have to say the food was well-prepaired and tasty 

in these 3 restaurants, 

being perhaps a bit too critical,

but in Italy you expect to get a "heaven has landed" experience, don't you?

Lunch In Rome

Proschutto & mozzarella di bufala - perfect lunch in Italy.

In the late 1970's, the government of Italy officially recognized the mozzarella di bufala name to protect consumers from the fraudulent practice of selling mozzarella made of cow's milk at a higher price than mozzarella di bufala. 

Approximately fifteen years later, in 1993, mozzarella di bufala became a "DOP" cheese, or in English commonly known as "PDO". This provides protection and regulation by the "Consortium of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana" who guaranteed the origin and legal standard of identity as made by only 100% buffalo milk.  

Obika Mozzarella Bar

(next to our hotel)

The room service was from Obika!

Nice place for lunch,

although open late.

Ginger

Via Borgognona 43

- famous for its fruit juices

Baccana

Via Eugenio Torelli Viollier 11

- French bistro style

Da Francesco

Piazza del Fico 29

- pumpkin flower & anchovy pizza was delicious

- the place is mentioned in many guide books,

the clientele was a mix of locals and tourists

on Sunday afternoon

Rome Part 2

Ponte Rotto

The oldest Roman stone bridge in Rome built in 142 BC.

 Bocca della Verita

Starting from the Middle Ages, it was believed that if one told a lie 

with one's hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off. 

The piece was placed in the portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin in the 17th century.

The Mouth of Truth is known mostly from its appearance in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. 

The film also uses the Mouth of Truth as a storytelling device 

since both Hepburn's and Peck's characters are not initially truthful with each other. 

Piazza della Bocca della Verità 

Palazzo Cenci

Palazzo Cenci was the scene of one of the 16th century’s most infamous murders. 

The victim was the sadistic Francesco Cenci, 

who was killed by his daughter Beatrice and wife Lucrecia 

after submitting them to years of abuse.

 After a long, drawn-out investigation the two perpetrators were beheaded in 1599 

on Ponte Sant’Angelo in front of a vast and largely sympathetic crowd. 
The 16th-century Palazzo Cenci was built on the remains of a medieval castle.



More about Rome here, 
accommodation in Rome here, 
lunch in Rome here, 
dinner in Rome here & 
shopping in Rome here!

Rome Part 1

There are 2,8 million inhabitants in Rome today.

Did you know that the population of Rome 

was 1,65 million in AD 100 but only 17.000 in 1300?


More about Rome here, 
accommodation in Rome here, 
lunch in Rome here, 
dinner in Rome here & 
shopping in Rome here!

Pantheon In Rome

Pantheon
Piazza della Rotondo

 

This amazing building was built by Hadrian 
in AD 119-125 as a temple.
The cupola is an architectural masterpiece 
and the building technique has been a great mystery until today.
The Pantheon still holds the record for the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

Simply amazing!

Rome The Eternal City

Greetings from Rome!

Arrived here at noon, been walking a lot,

the weather is warm and sunny,

everything is absolutely fantastic!

ps. the wifi in the hotel is super slow,

so perhaps it's better just enjoy it here 

and make the postings later - let's see.

ps. Thank you so much for your nice words

on my birthday!

I'm so happy you all are following my blog!

More about Rome here, here, accommodation in Rome here, lunch in Rome here, dinner in Rome here & shopping in Rome here!