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Tuesday, July 14, 2009: 
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Due to the heat and the inscrutable Roman public transport system we cancelled our second trip to the Villa Borghese and the museum of modern art. Modigliani and the futurists will have to wait...
Instead we saw Rome from the stairs of the monstrous Vittorio Emanuele II monument and strolled through the center once more. Dropped into Matricianella for one of our best lunches ever.
In the evening our hosts Giorgia and Ignazio drove us to the Gianicolo hill for a spectacular view of Rome in the sunset. Later, they treated us to dinner at the hip, but quite crowded Mò Mò near the apartment (surprisinglt, my first pasta ammatriciana in Rome - and very good it was, too).
Giorgia and Ignazio was great company - smart, charming and with a great sense of humour. Half the fun of the HomeExchange experience is the people you meet...
Monday, July 13, 2009: [
We finally did the touristy thing we should have done from the start: Jumped on a sightseeing bus and was driven around central Rome - from the Vatican City to the ruins of the Coloseum and Forum Romanum. Then strolled to the old Jewish ghetto and had a very nice lunch at Il Portico near the Porticus Octaviae.
Sunday, July 12, 2009: [
While Birgitte checked out the Porta Portese flea market, I took a stroll along the Tiber (a rather murky green affair). Lunched in Trastevere on what I believe was the first tripe I ever ate. Pleasant enough (less chewy than squid) with most of the taste provided by the tomato sauce an parmigiani cheese.
Saturday, July 11, 2009: [
By now we're regulars at La Carovana. Minutes from our apartment, with a huge courtyard, a wide selection of gluten-free dishes (pizzas even), good food and wine, locals partying - and a staff committed to speaking Italian to us, when we clearly don't understand a word. Just lovely.
Friday, July 10, 2009: [
Visited the Borghese Museum. Just stepping into this villa is overwhelming - baroque decor, ancient Roman floor mosaics - and every room stuffed with renaissance paintings and sculpture. Thankfully, the museum is just small enough to take in and must be a treat for any renaissance buff. To me, the expected highlights were the dark visions of Caravaggio - and we both fell for Raphael's sweet, but slightly bizarre "Woman with Unicorn".
