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Location | Malu Bed & Breakfast – Rome

After a tiring day 2, Ngoc and I decided to take day 3 easy. We woke up later than usual (around 9:30) and headed out around 10. We made our way down some streets to do a little shopping, first to Repubblica, a big plaza with a beautiful fountain in the center, then we made our way up to Barberini where we were looking for a restaurant to have lunch in. Unfortunately both of the restaurants we were looking for were a) non-existent and b) closed until later that day. So then we were in search of another place. We found a restaurant around Barberini and went inside the deserted place. I think it was early, because soon after some other people came in.

I ordered a mushroom ravioli and Ngoc ordered a mushroom pasta. Although we were a little apprehensive at first, both were very good and we were pleasantly surprised.

Then it was off to do some shopping. I wanted to find a cafe to get a coffee, so we walked up Via Vittoria Veneto, which must’ve been one of the lushest streets in Rome. Filled with expensive high-scaled restaurants and well dressed people, it felt much different from the tourist-side of Rome I had seen the past 2 days. We stopped at Café de Paris, so famous it even has it’s own Wikipedia article. There I had a €6.50 iced latte. Needless to say, that’s about US$10. Ngoc had a tiny iced coffee (which was very sweet) which was about €4. That’s probably the last time I’ll try to indulge in La Dolce Vita in a belief that I’d fit into that environment.

Ngoc with iced coffee at Café de Paris

We left and walked through the streets until we found the Spanish Steps (the top of the Spanish Steps). We took more pictures and walked down into the streets below where we started to shop.

Posing on the Spanish Steps

Then HORROR… my stomach started to ache. I’m not sure if it was the coffee or the food, but something was not right. The good thing was, I was able to keep it together for most of the day. We went to a few stores, included a stationary store called, Vertecchi, as well as the adorable kitchen store C.U.C.I.N.A. right near the Spanish Steps. Next was shopping at Via Del Corso, a street filled with mid-range shops.

We walked around with no aim, but one aim was gelato. We found more gelato at Giolitti, which has now become one of my favorite gelato places.

We left and ate in a piazza nearby. Sitting on some benches in front of a hotel. It was nice just to relax in Rome. We then decided we’d take the bus back to Rome’s Chinatown.

Never have I felt more out of place.

Yes, I, surrounded by countless Asians, felt completely out of place.

Oh well.

We couldn’t find any of the stores I wanted to go into, so that was another failure. We headed back toward our B&B, but not before stopping at a grocery store where I stocked up on 6 jars of nutella, 2 packages of cakes, 6 bottles of pear juice, 1 jar of artichokes, 1 jar of olives, and various other misc items.

If only I could bring gelato back.

After resting up in our B&B room, we left for dinner near Piazza Navona. We went to this adorable (and… romantic) restaurant right in one of the small winding streets. It is called Antica Taverna. According to my guide, it says that they get the goat’s milk ricotta and rabbit from their hometown in the Sabine Hills. It’s located at Via Monte Giordano 12. We sat outdoors (which was a little dizzy-fying unfortunately due to the fans running in front of a light, giving the tables a strobe-light effect). Anyway, I ordered mussels and pasta carbanara. Ngoc ordered bruschetta and a spaghetti-type pasta.

Rigatoni Carbanara from Antica Taverna

This restaurant was amazing. I definitely recommend it.

Afterwards we walked around and then got on a bus to head back home.

Overall, an exciting and beautiful day in Rome.