Some times the best days are the ones that are completely unplanned. Today when I awoke, I had no destination in mind for my long walk. So, I simply decided to walk! Come get lost with me in Rome and see what treasures I found this morning.
To Begin
It is a drizzly morning today; the weather has not been particularly pleasant during my time here. That’s okay, I have a rain jacket and the temperature is warm. I left the flat and headed in the first direction my eyes went, which was left.
Fountains
The first thing I encountered was a gorgeous drinking fountain (nasone) that I had not seen before. Rome has thousands of fountains on the streets that never stop running. Anyone can drink the amazingly delicious and cool water, the same that runs from the taps in homes. Many of the fountains are quite ordinary looking however every so often you will encounter a beautiful one like this.
Mercato di San Cosimato
Next, I stumbled onto a market! I had been to this market on my previous visit to Rome but had completely forgotten about it. Because of the rain, it was not busy and had fewer vendors than usual, but it was still beautiful non the less. Look at the pink lettuce!!
Flowers
I passed so many exquisite flowers on my walk today! I even saw early bananas!! Look at these beautiful blossoms I passed wandering the streets of Rome this morning.
Staircase
Looking ahead, I saw a dark and damp staircase leading upwards, and you bet I took it. Wow! It paid off. At the top was a charming old church with spectacular views from out front.
Mausoleo Ossario Garibaldino
Beyond the church is a very austere looking structure. Upon further investigation, it turns out to be a mausoleum that houses remains of soldiers that passed in the 1800’s.
There is a staircase behind the structure which leads one down into a room. And wow, this is the tomb of Goffredo Mameli, an Italian patriot and poet who wrote the Italian national anthem! Incredible find, and beautiful with a bright gold mosaic ceiling.
Fontana dell’Acqua Paola
Just past the mausoleum I spotted an enormous fountain! Turns out this monster fountain (actually nicknamed monster fountain 🤣) on the top of Janiculum Hill, was build in 1612 to mark the end site of the Acqua Paola aqueduct.
Across the road in front of the fountain, is the most incredible views of the city of Rome. Wow, this really took my breath away.
Wedding
From the fountain, I walked back to the old church, and there was a wedding party arriving for the marriage ceremony! What caught my eye first was a VW Van decked out with red hearts and white ribbons, so cute. Inside was the bride and her entourage. I stayed to see her exit the van and the whole event was so pretty.
Trastevere
Next, I found a set of stairs leading down from the church and ended up back at the market in Trestevere. Peeking into a store that looked interesting, I found it chock full of quintessential Italian food products. It was amazing! I browsed at all of the goods for quite a while. Everything was so interesting and beautifully packaged.
Ending my walk, I stumbled onto yet another local fountain that I had not seen before.
What a perfect morning! Getting lost in Rome is not a bad thing. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. This city is full of surprises, history around every bend and the most beautiful things to see. My best travel finds have in fact been found by accident, in just this sort of way.
Get lost 😂
