when in Rome…

We loved the two places where we stayed in Rome. The first was right off the Campo de Fiori. This is what the outside looked like.

This is the really cool looking neighbor’s home with gorgeous flowers.

This is the view from the apartment towards the Campo.

In this apartment, we were right in the center of the action. It was so fun to be a part of the energy of the city. In the morning there was a farmers’ market and in the evening there were people walking aound, performing and restaurants lined the square with their patio dining. This was Jon’s very favorite neighborhood and we even came back to eat our last dinner here and walk around.


The boys loved knowing how to use the "nose" fountains to get drinks of water!

Two minutes away was another very fun square, Piazza Navona. The kids loved watching all of the artists at night painting and doing caricatures. Their favorite was a painter who was using spraypaint (both by spraying and by dabbing the paint) to paint a landscape picture. I loved the fountains by Bernini.


The second apartment we stayed in was a little bit farther north. Still in the city center, but at the top of it.

I loved this apartment because it felt like we were living in a real neighborhood where Romans lived. It was a little less touristy, yet not far from it. The owner was a very sweet man who lived a floor beneath. When we checked in, and he was showing us around, we asked him where we might buy a new stroller as we lost our other one on a train and swere going to the Vatican that afternoon. He said he thought that he had a stroller we could use, and ran downstairs to get it.

So we went to the Vatican, as you know, and having the stroller helped so much! On the way home, we went to the pizza place two doors down to grab some pizza, and then home. The next day we went to get the stroller and realized it was gone. In panic, we searched the apt and then recalled our previous day. We realized we had left it in the pizza place and went back to find it. They said that it was there, but someone came in and asked for it and they gave it to her.

I couldn’t believe that we had to go to sweet Giancarlo and tell him that we lost his stroller. Of course we did, and he was so kind. He told us not to worry about it. When we insisted, he said he would talk to his wife and let us know how much it would be. Later, he knocked on our door and said they would not want us to pay for it and that it was no problem. Amazing graciousness! I loved that apartment. It was on the 5th floor and the kitchen had a balcony that looked onto the Villa Borghese Park. From the front windows, we could look onto the Piazza de Popolo.

This is the building with the apartment.
From our fifth floor apartment, this is our view to the right.

This is our view from the left (notice the archway to the Piazza de Popolo).

This is the view from our kitchen patio.

Yay!! Laundry!! We fit right in, drying our underwear on the patio. I must say, they come out so fresh and nice.

Here is our trusty washer that we really worked hard. It is right in the kitchen.

Speaking of kitchen, is this cool or what? The cupboard has a built in dish rack that drains into the sink. So you wash your dishes, put them in the cupboard to dry and then the next day you already have your dishes put away and ready to be used again. Why don’t we do this at home??

This was the elevator in the building to get to the 5th floor. You close the little doors and the gate and go up. The kids loved it....except Lauren. She said it reminded her too much of the Tower of Terror ride at Disneyland, so she happily walked up and down the stairs most of the time.

Here is our dear new friend, Giancarlo.