No Bread, No Cheese, No Boots!

DAY 3:  Sunday, May 20th:  There were no planned activities for today so everyone decided to do their own thing in the morning with plans to meet around lunchtime.  Since this was Jo Ann's and Kelly's first time in Rome, they decided to visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum.  It was an easy walk from our hotel, so I told them I would show them the way.  What an unexpected surprise when on our way there we came across a marathon - hundreds of italians taking part in a Sunday morning run along the roman ruins and around the Colosseum being cheered on by their family and friends.  It was an unbelievable sight and we felt so fortunate to be able to witness it and share the morning with the roman locals.
 

Early in the afternoon we all met in the little cafe across from our hotel and had some pastries and coffee while deciding what to do with the remainder of the day.  It was beginning to rain lightly, but I still had one thing left on my "Rome Bucket List" and I was determined to put my hand in the Bocca della Verita - the Mouth of Truth - featured in the movie "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, and later re-created by Marisa Tomei and Robert Downing Jr. in "Only You".  Everyone decided they wanted to come along, so we hopped in a taxi and were on our way.  Oh, wait... did I forget to mention that we left in a taxi after our hotel manager and the taxi driver got into a big fight because of us.  Long story.  I'll save it for another time. 

Click Here for Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck at the Mouth of Truth

After we spent some time at the Mouth of Truth and bought some gifts in the church's gift shop, we crossed the river to visit the Trastevere (literally, "across the river") area of Rome - a bohemian neighborhood away from the crowds and tourists with cobblestone streets and family-run trattorias lining picturesque squares. 

It was still raining lightly, so we purchased some umbrellas that seemed to magically appear on every street corner and headed to the Piazza di Santa Maria. 

As soon as we reached the Piazza, the rain started to come down more heavily so we found an outdoor cafe that was completely sheltered from the rain.  We were ready for lunch, so we found some seats facing the deserted piazza with its beautiful church and large central fountain and we watched the rain continue to pour down. 

What happened next was one of those "you had to be there" moments as we unsuccessfully tried to order our food.  Apparently italian waiters think they know what you want more than you do.  After we each placed our order, Jo Ann asked for bread.  The Italian "Soup Nazi" looked at her and said, "No bread for you!" and he left and went back inside.  We all burst out laughing, and when he returned, Jo Ann asked again for bread and he said, "No!  You ordered pasta, no bread for you.  It's not nice."  But Jo Ann insisted and said, "I'm American, and I like bread with my pasta".  He just looked at her then left and came back a little later with a basket of bread and begrudgingly plopped it onto the center of the table.  Jo Ann took her chances and decided to ask for butter, but he apparently chose to completely ignore her since we never got any.  When the food arrived - fettucini with porcini mushrooms for Jo Ann, fish for Kelly, pasta dishes with red sauce for JoMarie and Jessie, and eggplant for me - Jo Ann bravely asked for some parmesan cheese, and he said, "You have porcini.  No cheese for you!" and again left the table.  By this time we were laughing so hard that we thought it couldn't get any funnier until the waiter returned with a bowl full of freshly grated parmesan and he walked around the table ceremoniously dishing out cheese to only those he felt worthy of it... "no cheese for you, no cheese for you, cheese for you, cheese for you" as he generously sprinkled cheese on the lucky ones then left with the dish as quickly as he appeared with it.  Like I said, you had to be there to really appreciate the humor of it, but we laughed about it for the remainder of our trip! 

So, as we sat there in the restaurant watching the rain come steadily down into the empty piazza, we suddenly heard drum beats and music and voices and before we knew it around the corner came a marching band, dancers, drummers, musicians, and street performers including a juggler and a belly-dancer! One minute the piazza was empty, and the next minute it was filled with fun and laughter and a lively and vibrant atmosphere!  One of the waiters told us it was all in protest of yesterday's school bombing that was being linked to the Mafia.  Our quiet little piazza was suddenly filled with people and excitement and we sat back and enjoyed the show!

After a while we left the restaurant and walked along the cobblestone streets and quaint alleyways stopping in some shops along the way until we came to a beautiful little shop with italian shoes and purses.  It was a small shop but we all stepped in to look at the colorful array of items and knew we weren't in a tourist shop - this was the real thing!  Kelly immediately spotted a gorgeous pair of italian boots and she fell instantly in love!  The leather was amazing, and the style was perfect for her.  She was admiring them and had just decided to buy them when we suddenly heard a ruckus at the front of the store - two italians in a heated argument!  And one of them was Jessie!!!  The other was the shop owner - an older italian man who for some reason did not like the way Jessie was handling one of his purses.  They created quite a scene as they yelled at each other with hands flying everywhere and called each other every italian swear word known to man!  It was like a scene from a movie, and our Jessie had the starring role!  But we soon realized we were all getting kicked out of the store, and we ran out as quickly as we could running and laughing all the way down the street.  But...poor Kelly...No boots for her! 

So, even though our last day in Rome was a rainy one, it turned out to be a fun, memorable day filled with laughter, fun, food, no bread, no cheese and no boots!  And it was a day that could only be made better with one more gelato!

Arrivederci la bella Roma - We will return!  And we have the photos from the Trevi Fountain to prove it:

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