BLOG

This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

Central Rome Walking Tour - Part 2

Two of Rome’s finest

In Part 1 of our Central Rome Walking Tour, we saw two beautiful smiling police women as we began. It only seems fair that we start today’s walk with a couple of handsome smiling police men. I do love to photograph and honor those who protect us, wherever we may be.

We are back in Rome and we’ve been walking. We are just about to leave the beautiful Trevi Fountain. But, before we do, let’s make sure that we did all that one should do there.

TREVI FOUNTAIN CHECKLIST

  1. Toss coins into the fountain…not only is it allowed, it’s encouraged! Every Monday and Friday morning, the fountain seating area opens later to allow for the collection of coins tossed by us visitors.

  2. Group Photo

    1. Take group selfie

    2. Ask someone to take your photo for you instead *

  3. Look at those around you for interesting photo opportunities; like the beautiful police women that headlined the Part 1 article, or the guy in the window.

  4. Take panoramic fountain photo from 2nd Floor of the United Colors of Benneton

  • Fun Photo Tip: When someone asks you to take a group photo of them with their cellphone, as you get the camera lined up, and without announcing what you are doing, press the ‘selfie’ button and capture a selfie of yourself…and then tap that button again to unselfieize the camera and then snap away at the group. Making a face during your selfie is optional, but fun. I’ve done this a dozen times and I think that I’m hilarious.

What Not to Do at the Trevi Fountain

Beginning in 2025, there are some new rules at the Trevi. These rules apply to being in the managed area front-and-center of the fountain. I considered going through those rules, but unless you are actually in the process of going to Rome, you would be wasting your time reading through them. And, we need to get to our walk, don’t we? But, if you are planning a Rome trip, go HERE to check out the latest rules. Rule #1: No swimming in the Trevi1!!

Our Walking Tour Map

As a reminder of where we wander…today we begin our walk at the Trevi Fountain

CONTINUING OUR CENTRAL ROME WALKING TOUR

Trevi Fountain to Column of Marcus Aurelius

We have just a very short walk to get to the next stop. That stop is an unbelievable (yet, I do believe it because I’ve seen it!) carved stone column that celebrates Marcus Aurelius. Along the way to this beautiful column, we will have a chance to do a bit of light shopping…remember that you don’t want to be shlepping around heavy shopping bags on our walk.

Here is a map of our walk, which is only about 2 blocks. We start in the bottom-right corner of the map and we walk to the left side of the map.

Galleria Alberto Sordi

The outside of this galleria belies the beauty of the inside. I would suggest a stroll through the galleria, whether you want/like to shop, or not. This Italian galleria is a covered shopping arcade featuring a glass roof and it is lined with shops and restaurants. By now, you may be ready for a snack, do you think? At any rate, it does no harm to walk through, and then you can say that you did it. To see what you will see when you see it, see HERE.

THE COLUMN OF MARCUS AURELIUS

The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a Roman ‘victory column’. The victory refers to his success in the Barbarian Wars. Way to go, Marcus! No one likes barbarians, right? The column was started shortly after his death in the year 180AD. So, this column was not carved recently, and it did not involve a bit of AI and modern powered tools. It was erected in the year 193AD!!! Yes, that’s over 1,800 years ago. And who was Marcus Aurelius? I’ll not bore you with that…you know how to search for that information. I’ll just say that at the age of 40, he became Roman emperor on 8 March 161.

Let’s take a look at this unique column…we will start with a distant view and work our way into the marvelous detail.

Distant view of the Column of Marcus Aurelius

 

You will note in this next photo with a bit of detail that the frieze spirals up the column. I’ll give you a fact with each photo. The first fact was that the carving spirals up the column.

 

The next fact is that there are 21 spirals in total that slink their way up the column. And by the way, the column is 97 feet tall, and that cubic base is 33 feet tall. That adds up to 130 feet in height.

The 21 spiraling motifs of the Column of Marcus Aurelius

 

The next fact is that those 21 spirals make up an unbelievable total of 367 feet of detailed carvings if you were to unslink them into one long piece. Can you tell that the diameter of the Carrera marble column is 12 feet?

Is it solid marble? The next fact left me stammering…

Detail of the Column of Marcus Aurelius

 

And here is your next friarzsct (sorry, I was trying to type ‘fact’, but I was still stammering): The inside is hollow, and there are over 190 steps to the top platform! In the photo just above, you can see an opening slit in the column about 1/4 way from the top, and another about 1/3 up from the bottom…both on the left 1/3 of the column. Those slits provide sunlight inside for your trek up the stairs.

It’s absolutely insane the way that it got carved. Once again…no modern stone carving instruments!!! Just look at the detail below. People. Animals. Vegetation. Spears and swords. Shields. Cloth and clothing. The people even have facial expressions!

Another amazing thing is that it has survived these 1,800 years with little deterioration.

Detailed view of the Column of Marcus Aurelius

I hope you enjoyed our viewing of the ancient Column of Marcus Aurelius. I’ve stopped stammering, though I am now staggering a bit as we head to our next stop because I’ve been staring straight up for the past 15 minutes and I can’t seem to point my head down to see ahead.

On to the Pantheon

We have just a short walk to our next destination, which is the ancient Pantheon. We start at the corner of the Piazza Colonna (where the Column of Marcus Aurelius is located) that is furthest from the Galleria Alberto Sordi. This takes us immediately to the Piazza di Monte Citorio. The large building to our right as we begin our walk is the Chamber of Deputies meeting place for Italy's parliament.

As you begin to head away from that building, you will see an obelisk in the piazza. After having seen the wonderful Column of Marcus Aurelius, its ok to be disappointed as you pass the obelisk. Twist and turn your way to Via in Aquira to Piazza Capranica and then twist and turn a bit more on Via degli Arfani until you are at the large pizza on which the Pantheon sits…(sorry spell check didn’t capture that mistake)…it should have said that the Pantheon sits on a large piazza.

 

THE PANTHEON

 

The Pantheon, like much of Rome, is ancient. It was built about 126AD as a temple of all the gods. Think ‘pan theology’. Just below you see the front face of the Pantheon in a photo that I took in 2012.

The front of the Pantheon with surrounding distractions removed

You need to know what the words across the front of the Pantheon represent. It means that Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, built this when he was consul for the third time.

I put the words into my Google Translate app and came up with something different and weird because I made to small errors when I typed it in. I typed ‘MAGRIPPA L F COSTERTIVM FECIT”…i.e. I didn’t have a space between the M and A at the beginning, and I didn’t have a space between the S and T as required. You can check this out for yourself by translating just as I have typed it…it translates to “The flu made him sick”. Seriously? Now, it would be really spooky if Marcus Agrippa had died of the flu.

There are 16 large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. As you get close to the entrance to the portico and pass by the first row of columns you get an idea of just how ancient this building is.

Once inside, the beauty of the interior stands out. Though the building started out as that tribute to all the gods, since AD 609, it has been a Catholic church called the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs. God has been glorified by the beautiful additions of the church, as seen below.

The interior is an architectural wonder of geometry. A sphere with a diameter of 142 feet can fit perfectly snug inside.

This means that the open top, called an oculus, is 142 feet above the floor.

The oculus of the Pantheon rotunda as photographed by Victor Grigas

Here you see a fisheye lens view taken straight up by Victor Grigas. I added a red circle to designate the opening of the oculus. A faint sun beam can be seen projected through the oculus like an hour hand pointed at 4 o’clock.

Here are a couple more exterior photos that I captured so you can see again the ancient time-worn patina of the Pantheon.

That large piazza in front of the Pantheon is quite nice. It’s called the Piazza della Rotonda. There is a fountain commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII that has a combination of ornate marble dolphins and an obelisk.

The Piazza della Rotonda

Let’s take a closer look at that fountain. I’ll cut it out and remove the young lady photographer.

There are some crazy looking creatures embellishing this fountain. The sculptor must have had some early childhood nightmare issues.

Just below the central shield you see the letters “SPQR”. This is seen all over Rome and is an acronym for “The Senate and People of Rome”. The wording just under says that it was restored in 1880. Nice job.

The Fontana del Pantheon

Water fountain in the Piazza Rotunda

And right in front of the fountain, but not visible in the photos above, is this drinking fountain. It runs continuously.

What about that potential waste of water? Remember in Part 1 that the Trevi Fountain is fed by the Virgo Aqueduct, completed a few years ago in 19 BC by Marcus Agrippa. The source of this drinking fountain’s water here near the Pantheon is probably that aqueduct.

Once again, we see the initials “SPQR” on this object.

I do believe that this is enough for today. We will end our Central Rome Walking Tour in Part 3 next time by visiting a wonderful piazza and a campo (a campo is not large enough to be considered a piazza, but that designataion is not a measure of its significance).

I may take a quick trip to Rome this week to get a closer look at those fascinating fountain creatures! But, I’ll be back in time for the next installment of my Italy, Our Italy article on our Central Rome Walking Tour. Until then, I say ‘ciao for now’ and ‘Diem tibi benedictus spero!’

Steve

 

Central Rome Walking Tour - Part 1

Everyone is waiting to begin my Rome Walking Tour

If you do not join us on this short, but heavily sight-packed walk, you won’t get to meet these beautiful, smiling police ladies along the way!

And, the guys in the sunglasses are wondering what the hold up is…they’re ready to go, and NOW.

So, let’s get going!!!

Summary of Today’s Short walk

In today’s Central Rome Walking Tour article, we start our walking tour. However, we hit only three of its highlights today, as follows:

  1. The Spanish Steps

  2. The Museum and Crypt of the Capuchin Friars

  3. The Trevi Fountain

“A decision is needed by you as to whether you will want to see the first site of our walking tour. If you are particularly squeamish, then a decision definitely needs to be made.”

We will catch up with the remainder of the Central Rome Walking Tour in the next installment of my Italy, Our Italy blog articles.

Yes, today’s the day that we start our walking tour of the central part of Rome. Let me say at the beginning that this walking tour is based on Rick Steves’ “Rome” by Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw. However, I will start us off in the opposite direction. I do that because we had our breakfast this morning only a few steps from the Spanish Steps. So, if you have not had breakfast, before we start our walking adventure, step THIS WAY to see a wonderful dining establishment.

And here is a one-photo refresher of our wonderful breakfast at the Antico Caffe Greco.

The pastry selection at Antico Caffe Greco

[Please remember that all photos can be viewed full-screen by clicking/tapping on the photo]

The Spanish Steps

Aerial image of The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps are dead-center in the photo, marked by the red pointy-dot thingie.

The steps form a connection between the lower Piazza di Spagna, and the upper Church of the Holy Trinity of the Mountains. This church, which is seen in the upper part of this aerial Google photo, was constructed in 1502 by Louis XII of France.

By the way, if you are not familiar with how I got this aerial photo from Google maps, I will cover that soon in an article about the benefit of using Google maps for your trip planning. It can be both fascinating and informative.

 

And the Piazza di Spagna (Piazza of Spain) owes its name to the Palazzo di Spagna, the seat of the Embassy of Spain to the Holy See.

Here is my photo of the front of this Palazzo.

 

By the way…here’s the original snapshot that I had to transform for you to get the nicer photo of the Palazzo entrance.

The original photo

One often hears people talking into their cellphone as they walk the streets of Rome, “We’ll meet you at the Spanish Steps". It is a very traditional meeting place, which is why we chose to meet there this morning after breakfast. It is within walking distance of anywhere in central Rome, which you will see as you continue to read below.

This is our view as we approach the Spanish Steps from just a few feet away at our Antico Caffe Greco dining place on Via dei Condotti…a shopping street for the well healed.

The fountain that sits proud on the piazza is called the Fontana della Barcaccia, or Fountain of the Boat. If you want to know more about the fountain than just what is looks like, you can check it Here.

Side view of the Fontana della Barcaccia

End-on view of the Fontana della Barcaccia

The Spanish Steps is not only a meeting place for us humans, but the equine folks like to gather here to horse around a bit.

(get it? “a bit”!

 

Here are folks of the human variety that you may recognize…

If you do not recognize these humans, they are from left to right: Jonathan, Sue, Jason, Marsha, Ellen and me, myself, and I

Here are a couple of photos of the sites of Piazza di Spagna…

The Column of the Immaculate Conception

And this beautiful column is to celebrate the Immaculate Conception, and is coincidently called The Column of the Immaculate Conception.

This marble column is 40 feet high and 5 feet in diameter. To say it weighs a ton is an understatement, and it took 220 firefighters to raise this marble column on December 8, 1857. This started a firefighters’ tradition of paying homage to the Virgin with a wreath of fresh flowers each December 8th.

At the top, that’s the Virgin Mary, who stands 13 feet high.

At the base you see two of these four biblical personalities: Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and David.

I would guess that the gentleman to the right is King David, as he is wearing a crown, which none of the other three would dare to do.

On the left? My guess is a Ten-Commandments displaying Moses.

A BEGINNING-OUR-WALKING-TOUR DECISION

Yes, a decision is needed by you as to whether you will want to see the first site of our walking tour. If you are particularly squeamish, then a decision definitely needs to be made. We first visit the Museum and Crypt of the Capuchin Friars.

Recently, I brought to you a blog article titled A Significant Transformation - Involving "Danger of Death". In that article, we were not exactly sure what the danger of death was about. However, in our first stop on our walking tour, there is no mystery about the death aspects of this historical stop. The skeletal remains of 3,700 mostly monks’ bodies are artfully arranged for your viewing pleasure. Various rooms depict like skeletal parts artfully arranged.

We’ve been to this museum twice, and we’ve had no squeamishness at all. By the way, there is no odor at all, as these bones are hundreds of years old.

To help you make your decision, pictured here is a bit of the Crypt of the Skulls. If this photo offends you, then do not visit the Capuchin crypt.

More will be said below when I cover this first stop in more detail.

If you opt out, you will have no problem at all with finding your way without enduring this stop.

 

La Nostra Mappa di Navigazione di Roma

[Our Rome Map of Navigation]

I think that it is wonderful that the major sites of central Rome can be taken in within less than an hour and just a bit more than a mile. Of course, you have to add time to look at what you came to look at and not just stride by those sites. And having lunch in the latter half of the trip will be an enjoyment.

So, is it Capuchin, or no Capuchin? If it is “no” to the ancient bone art, then go below to The Trevi Fountain. If it is a “yes”, then follow the burnt-orange line above to the crypt of the capuchin friars.

What Was Your Decision Regarding the Crypt?

If you decided to take the Capuchin Friars Museum tour, then keep reading immediately below. If you’ve opted out, then you can skip down to “If You Skipped the Capuchin Crypt”…but, you might as well read until you get there, so you can see what you’ve missed…and perhaps when you go to Rome in real life and not just reading about it, you may decide to give the crypt a go.

The Museum & Crypt of the Capuchin Friars

In Italian, that would be “Museo e Cripta dei Frati Cappuccini”.

This is a good place to have a ‘Speaking Italian’ lesson. Notice that in English, we say “Capuchin”, where the ending of “chin” is just as we would say “chin”…that thing below your lips. Expressed in Italian, you see that the ending is “cini”. A “ci” in Italian is pronounced as ‘chee’. And, when you see a “chi” in Italian, it is not ‘chee’, but ‘key’. Zucchini is a good example of the ‘key’ sound as we say zoo-key-knee. And ‘cini’ is pronounced ‘chee-knee’.

Let’s Begin Our Walk to the ‘Museo e Cripta’

As we are at the Spanish Steps, let’s check out the steps themselves. We walk to the top of the stairs to the plaza in front of the church. Take a right at the church and we will immediately encounter a fork in the road. The left fork is Via Sistina, and the right fork is Via Gregoriana…we want the left fork of Via Sistina, which is a one-way road with traffic coming at you, but as we are walking, all is well.

Enjoy the sites and shopping along Via Sistina as you travel only 1/4 mile to Via dei Cappuccini…convenient, yes?

Here are just a few of the things you will see, like Ellen outside a shop of “Articoli de Regalo”, which simply translates to “Gift Items”. And then, there are the ubiquitous motorcycles and motor scooters of Rome.

At the first major intersection, you are suddenly walking with, rather against, the vehicle traffic…how does that work? The next street should be Via dei Cappuccini, and we take a left there. It is now just two short blocks to the Capuchin, with our destination building always visible ahead of us. That is our destination in this photo, which was captured using Google street view.

Just walk up the stairs and enter the building

The price of entry should be about 10€, which is much less than you wanted to spend walking down the Via Sistina. But, you did well not to make large purchases along the way, as you do not want to be carrying those things for the rest of your walking tour…come back later for those items…or maybe have them sent to your hotel.

Enjoy your visit to the museum. There is more to see than just the bones of friars. You can catch a glimpse of the exhibitions HERE.

There’s a current everyday use of the term “capuchin”, as in capuchino, as in a barrista produced coffee with a light tan foamy head of the Capuchin friars…yes, that’s the origin of the coffee treat’s name. See the tan hood of the monk below…now, enjoy your cappuccino knowing that 3,700 monks helped to create it.

All done now. As you exit the museum, walk left down the street (literally down the hill) along Via Vitorio Veneto. At the northeast corner of the intersection of Via Vitorio Veneto and Via di San Basilio you will see a nice little shell shaped fountain called the Bee Fountain. To see it in more detail, check out my older article HERE. Now keep going down a few feet to Piazza Barberini, where you will see this interesting fountain…but it will be daytime for you. Those fish seem to be upset about their day and night job of holding up that shell with their tails. I can sympathize with them, but not empathize.

It is now about 1/3 mile to our next destination, which is the famous Trevi Fountain, site of the 1954 movie titled, “Three Coins in the Fountain”.

If You Skipped the Capuchin Crypt

I’ll let you in on the point of the crypt and bones. As you are gaping at the artistic assemblage of bones, there is a sign along the way that says something like, “As you see us now, you will one day be”…I don’t remember the exact wording. But, the friars point is that you will die one day as they have, and you should be prepared for eternal life by finding Jesus Christ, just as they did and are now experiencing. Fair warning, my friend.

  • As you head south from the Spanish Steps, you will pass to the right of the Column of the Immaculate Conception (the purple star on the map)

  • Bear right onto the Via di Propaganda.

  • Bear right after crossing Via di Capo le Case onto Via di Sant' Andrea delle Fratte

  • Turn left at Via de Nazareno

  • Cross Via del Tritone at the crosswalk and bear right onto the narrow Via della Stamperia

  • Continue straight until you come to the Trevi Fountain on your right

 

If You Went to the Capuchin Crypt

I hope you enjoyed the unique art of the crypt. Fascinating, wasn’t it? After you headed down the street as you left the museum and you then passed through the Piazza Barberini, passing through the piazza with the fountain on your left, you will come to a major intersection.

  • From Piazza Barberini, the street that you are looking directly down to the west is Via del Tritone and that is the street you want.

  • Walk Via del Tritone for a block-and-a-half and then angle left onto Via dei Serviti, which is a very narrow street with traffic coming at you.

  • At Via del Traforo, cross the street and continue straight onto Via in Arcione. This street, which translates to “Off on Horseback”, is a very narrow walking street, but you may encounter some vehicles.

  • As you cross Via della Panetteria, the green guard box to your left and up the hill denotes the street to the Italian equivalent to the US White House.

  • Keep straint on Via in Arcione, which mysteriously changes name to Via del Lavatore. About mid-block, you will see a very small park on the right. That is where I took the photo that you can see in my blog article titled, “Transforming L’Uomo della Pizza”. The restaurant has changed dramatically since I took the photo 13 years ago. It’s just a few more steps to the Trevi Fountain.

 

THE TREVI FOUNTAIN

The Trevi Fountain (Fontana Trevi) is iconic Rome. It is possible that no one has ever been to Rome without visiting the Trevi Fountain.

The plot-site of the movie “Three Coins in a Fountain”, it is obvious from this next photo why visiting the Trevi is popular.

You too can take a photo from this same vantage point…see how below

PHOTO TIP: To get a view like the one above where there are no people blocking your view of the fountain, here is what you do. Surreptitiously go up to the second floor of the United Colors of Benneton store and there you have it.


Thank you Sue Lee for that photo tip!

The Trevi Fountain is the terminal point of the Virgo aqueduct, the only ancient aqueduct in continuous use to this day

The Aqua Virgo was one of the eleven Roman aqueducts that supplied the city of ancient Rome. It was completed in 19 BC by Marcus Agrippa, during the reign of the emperor Augustus

It has been suggested that when the Apostle Peter baptized saint Mark, he did so in this Aqua Virgo

In 1732, Pope Clement XII announced a competition in which the greatest artists of the time participated. Among the various projects submitted, that of the architect Nicola Salvi was chosen .

So, what do you do at the Trevi fountain besides gawk at it? You toss in coins. Everyone does it, and you are part of that illustrious group. Here you see Jason and Marsha doing just that.

 

Here you see Debbie tossing in a few coins.

So, it’s not like the fountain at the mall with the sign that says not to toss in coins.

 

The other thing you do at the Trevi Fountain is have your photo taken. Again, Marsha and Jason are into it!

And apparently, if you don’t have friends there to take your photo like I did for those above, you might ask a nice policeman to do it for you.

OK folks, it will soon be time to move on to the Piazza Colonna to see a true marvel of ancient craftsmanship…please don’t miss it. But, you will have to wait until we get together next time at your Italy, Our Italy blog.

 

But, I give you one parting shot from the Trevi Fountain. I grabbed this photo while standing at the fountain. This undressed gentleman seemed to be reading his Sunday paper. I just couldn’t pass this one up.

So, once again it’s ciao for now…but I’ll figuratively see you next time right here, as we move on through the heart of Rome and its marvelous sites.

Steve

 

Eat Here: Antico Caffe Greco

Index of Articles

Yes, let’s eat here…it is a very tasty, elegant, historic, and well-located breakfast place. Its location is just yards (or perhaps I should say ‘meters’) from the Spanish Steps (it is actually 263 feet/80.16 meters from restaurant to the Spanish Steps), which is where we will start our Rome walking tour in my next Italy, Our Italy blog article. Here is a simple map…

Location of Antico Caffe Greco

However, before we begin our walk to the Spanish Steps, we need to have breakfast. Also, though I have shown barefooted foot prints on the map, I recommend that you wear comfortable shoes today. If you entered the restaurant with bare feet, you will find these stores right there within a two-block area on Via dei Condotti: Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, Max Mara, Brioni, Sergio Rossi, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Hermes, Harry Winston, Celine, Buccellati, Patek Philippe, Loro Piana, Mont Blanc, Van Cleef & Arpels, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Cartier, Damiani, and Moncler. I have no idea which of those have shoes for you, but I know for a fact that Antico Caffe Greco does not have shoes.

Enough shop talk…let’s go ahead and get to the restaurant!

Here is the exterior of the restaurant…

Exterior photo of Antico Caffe Greco in Rome

A Bit of Restaurant History

Before we go in, let me point out a couple of signs that are very significant. First is this banner…

This banner tells us that Antico Caffe Greco is 250 years old…it was at least that old at the time of our dining in 2023.

Since it opened in 1760, that makes it 263 years old when we entered the doors.

 

And, it is well recognized for its longevity. Here is a plaque that documents its significance.

A plaque celebrating Antico Caffe Greco in Italian

Since you carefully read my recent article titled, “A Significant Transformation Involving ‘Danger of Death’”, you will know how to pull out your cellphone right now to pull up your Google app to get instant translation satisfaction.

 

Just in case you do not have your cellphone handy, here is the translation, as seen on my own cellphone, using the Google translation feature.

Breaking the Language Barrier

Here is something of interest regarding the alphabet used in the Italian language: You will see the letter “V” often, which in our English language is shaped like our letter V, but is actually our letter “U”. It stems from the Latin alphabet, from which our own alphabet comes. This is why the letter shaped as W, which we pronounce double-yoo is formed by two letter “Vs”…or double-yoos (which look like two Vs to us English speakers, yet they are yoos in Latin). Probably 99% of you already knew this.

This means that the date of the decree is July 27, 1953. I find it strange that Google did not immediately translate LVGLIO to July, though as I moved my cellphone in and out it occasionally popped in “JULY” for me. The letters “G” and “L: found together before the letter “I” in Italian is pronounced “lee”. For instance “garlic” in Italian is spelled “aglio” and is pronounced ah-lee-oh. and “wife” is spelled “moglie” and is pronounced “mo-lee-ay”.

So “LVGLIO” is pronounced loo-lee-oh.

To help you in your own translation, here are the months of the year in order:

Gennaio, Febbralo, Marzo, Aprile, Maggio, Giugno, Luglio, Agosto, Settembre, Ottobre, Novembre, Dicembre.

My Apology!

I must sincerely apologize…I told you that we were going to have a fabulous breakfast, but all I’ve done is talk about shopping and language. So, without further ado, here is what Antico Caffe Greco is all about…food!

The pastry case of Antico Caffe Greco

Let’s get a closer look at these pastries. As always, please click on the first image below to get a full screen view, and then use your arrow keys or mouse to advance through these tasty treats. When you have seen the starting photo once more, click on the white “X” in the upper-right-hand corner (not the black “X” in the EXTREME upper-right-hand corner, as that will close your browser and you will miss seeing all of the treats).

From their menu:

  • Fresh Fruit Tarts

  • Sicilian Cannoli

  • Saint Honorè Cake

  • Grandma’s Cake

  • Peach Charlotte

  • Absolute Chocolate Cake

  • Caffè Greco's Baba Cake

  • Greek Coffee Cake

  • Mixed Fresh Fruit Cake

Are there non-pastry items available? Yes there are. Though I didn’t see it on their on-line menu, we had an egg omelet while we were there.

And where might you sit to eat? There is The Red Room, The Gubinelli Room, The White Room, The Gallli Room, The Szoldaticz Room, The legendary Omnibus room, The Hall of Roman Views, and The Rome Room with Giovannini's Works. So, take you pick…or just sit where you can find a vacant table.

Our Visit

Here is a photo of our pre-Rome-walk breakfast…

Ellen and Steve enjoyed their meal

And, were we satisfied?

This photo tells it all!

And, we had a Coke Zero…no Diet Cokes in Europe anymore.

 

Jason Johnson enjoyed his breakfast


And yes, Jason was also impressed.

But, good thing we brought our pocketbooks…right Jason?

 

Ellen and I are not coffee drinkers, but we made good with the hot chocolate. In Italy, it is almost the consistency of melted Hershey bar.

The remains of a cup of hot chocolate

Polish Regulars

You have probably been wondering if any famous Polish painters, novelists, or poets were regulars at Antico Caffe Greco. Well here is the answer to mollify your curiosity.

Images of famous Polish celebrities who were Caffe Greco regulars

Visting

I couldn’t tell from their website whether they take reservations. Here is the salient information for making a visit to this very historic and delicious dining establishment.

  • Antico Caffe Greco is open every day from 9:00am to 9:00pm

  • The address is: Via Condotti, 86 Rome 00187

  • Telefono: (039) 06 6791700

  • Email: info@caffegreco.it

  • Website: https://anticocaffegreco.eu/?lang=en

That’s it for today with this rather varied article on a fabulous dining experience…and the neighborhood. Stay tuned for the rest of this day’s journey as we explore Rome by foot, seeing many of the major sites in one wonderful day.

Until next time, I say…

Ciao for Now,

Steve

If you did not get here in an email link, you can subscribe to Italy, Our Italy here

Let's Go to Italy: Our Italy Trip Itinerary

Let’s Travel Together

Over the next few weeks, the Italy, Our Italy travel blog articles will be focused on our 2023 trip to Italy. That was a three-week trip done in the fall of 2023. There were six of us on that trip, and it was a wonderful time to share the adventures of Italy with friends. The two couples who went with us were introduced just a few weeks ago in the article titled, “I’m Back!!!”. The six of us spent 11 days together…then Ellen and I rounded out the trip with 3 weeks total.

I am a consummate planner…I do not like avoidable negative surprises occurring in the middle of a trip that we have been anticipating for months and months. P5: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. I will pass on a bit of my planning routine as we go along together for the next few weeks. There was one disappointing thing that happened where Viator could have used more proper planning to prevent their own poor performance…more on that in a future article.

Our 2023 Trip Itinerary

Here you can see our trip itinerary with our two couple friends. The itinerary for Ellen’s and my remaining trip will be covered later. I’m hopeful that by observing the two airplane icons, you can tell that Zurich was the starting point, and Venice was their departure point.

As you can see, we started in Zurich, took the Bernina Express across the Swiss Alps to Bellagio, then Milano, a night train to Roma, then Siena, Firenze and ending with a Venezia finish, which is our favorite way to end our Italy trips! [I will fill you in on the next 11 days in a different series that will close out this wonderful visit to Italy.]

Zurich

We love to enter Italy through Zurich! There are a couple of advantages.

First is that you get to visit Zurich. Nough said…it’s nice. Eat at the fun Zeughauskeller. Shop the Bahnhofstrasse as you walk the mile-long street. For another advantage, read about Murren next.

Zurich to Murren — though not visited on this particular trip

You can take a train directly from the Zurich airport (flughafen), or from downtown Zurich, to points south. You’re jet-lagged…it’s no problem if you doze off a bit if you can avoid the fabulous Swiss scenery. If you’re smart (and I know you are), you will spend the night in the cliff-side town of Murren, overlooking the mighty Jungfrau, and where you can take the cable car to the tippy-top of the Schilthorn of James Bond “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” fame.

As an enticement to stop off in Switzerland’s most charming town, here are a few photos of Murren and its environs.

[Click on the first photo and then arrow thru the remaining photos]

The Bernina Express

On this trip we entered Italy via the Bernina Express over the Swiss alps and then to Bellagio. I presented the Bernina Express to you in a previous blog article. I’ve updated that article with new photos and information. You can see that update by clicking here Another Way Into Italy.

Bellagio

If you missed our most recent meal at Mistral in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio from two weeks ago, you can reflect on that by clicking HERE.

On this recent trip, we had an enjoyable boat ride from Bellagio, taking in the sites around Lake Como. That will be covered in an upcoming blog article soon.

Meanwhile, I have two previous blog articles regarding getting to and around Bellagio. Here are those two:

From Bellagio’s Lake Como beauty, we traveled next to Milano.

Milano

We just spent the day in Milano. The idea was to see the highlights and to then take the night train to Roma. So, that’s what we did…almost.

On this trip, we did not have a good experience while in Milano. I had arranged for us to go see the magnificent painting by Leonardo Davinci of The Last Supper. We had done that before, and we wanted our traveling companions to experience this also.

We went out of our way and arrived outside the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano well within our meeting time arranged with our guide that we booked through Viator. Moving from group to group and showing them my tour confirmation, all I got was “not us”. This is not an entry that you arrange on the spur of the moment, though I tried right then. So frustrating.

That night, as we rode the night train to Roma, I checked my email. There before me was an email from our booked guide that day telling me that they could not make it. They had my phone number…they could have texted, they could have called, but they sent an email. While in Europe, do you check your email frequently? I do not.

Viator should at the least have a requirement for a backup person for each guide. I will be speaking to them about this.

Since we had been there before, I present you with documentary evidence of such.

Is it larger than you thought it would be? We were surprised.

The reason that it looks a bit time worn, it is because Leonardo did not paint it as a normal fresco, where the paint is applied to wet plaster. He painted on dried plaster, so the paint was only on the surface, rather than embedded in the plaster. The atmospherics of the room are carefully controlled to avoid further deterioration.

The Duomo of Milano

The duomo (aka cathedral) of Milano is quite spectacular. It is adorned with over three thousand stark white statues. Here are a few photos of that spectacular church. Inside the church you will see Sue and Jonathan sitting for a spell after climbing the 250 stairs to the top of the Duomo.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Right next to the Duomo is the architectural wonder of a shopping center which was built in 1865…long before your local shopping mall. All of the major fashion brands can be found here…and fresh coconut if you are so interested.

Should You Spend Time in Milano?

Back in 2019, I published an article titled, “Milano: Go? or, No Go?”. That will give you a good bit more information about how to make your decision on how much time to spend there. Basically, it depends on how much time you will have in Italy, and how much of that time you will want to spend seeing sights specific to Milano itself.

Next Stops: Roma and Beyond

We will spend a good bit more time in Rome, so please stay tuned for future articles about Roma, Siena, Florence, and Venice.

I’ll just give you a whiff of a sniff of Roma for now.

More to come on our 2023 trip with friends to Italy, Our Italy. So, please stay tuned to this Italy, Our Italy channel.

Ciao, for Now

Steve

A Significant Transformation - Involving "Danger of Death"

 

While in Venice on our last trip to Italy, I found another door on which to perform my transformation and restoration duty. Remember that my goal is to give you a Venice of yesteryear…not yesterday. This one was a chore, and I had to bring in extra construction techniques.

And what’s that in the title about “Danger of Death”? Well, that’s exactly what I would like to know. We’ll see if you have any ideas to share.

(as always, you can click/tap on an image to get a larger view}

My regular Italy, Our Italy readers have seen many of my transformations from a blah modern-day snapshot within Italy, into a more refined fine art rendition of the scene. To see a few from the past assembled into one blog article, please click to see A Plethora of Transformations. Today’s transformation will not result in fine art!

The Original Image

Here is the rather blah snapshot that I made as we left the Rialto Market and headed to the Frari. As you can see, this facade has lost the gravitas that it would have once had.

There are several notes posted on the door, a few official, and some not so. There are many things that need to be cleaned up to get us back to an Italy of yesteryear.

Let’s Get to Work

As I start to work, I’m wondering if it will be worth the effort. But a challenge is what I’m looking for. I will let you know now that this effort will not result in a fine-art image. It’s mainly the mystery with which I am consumed.

First, I’ll get rid of that trash bag and broom.

And, while I’m at it, I note that there is a square block of stone mid-way up the right side of the door, but its mirror-image partner looks to have disappeared…so I’ll reappear it.

The trash has now been taken out, and a twin stone has been placed on the left side of the door.

The fact that the boards making up the two doors do not line up at the center really bothers me. So, I’ll get my board mover fired up to resolve that issue.

The boards now line up in a way that the original carpenter would have been pleased.

Did you notice all of the pock marks on each side of the door. They are especially prevalent to the right and top of the door. Though I’m not sure what caused those, I’m assuming that they are a flaw, and not a feature of the facade. They have to go!

 
 

Those pesky pock marks are gone. I’m still wondering what pocked them. It makes it look as though the stone work was just a thin veneer.

You will note that I worked a bit on the curved stonework of the door's archway. I’ll work a bit more on that in a moment.

 

Those pock marks are gone and the curved stonework has been spiffed up.

I happen to have some door knockers in my kit that I picked up in San Gimignano earlier in the week. I’m going to put those on the door now, also.

By the way, you may not have realized it, but I replaced that walkway in front of this building. It was simple for me to go down the calle just a bit and move a better looking stone pavement in front of this building

The Thing About “Danger of Death”

I haven’t explained what the “Danger of Death” thingie is about. See that small, horizontal sign plate in the photo. It says something in Italian.

What comes next is a bonus gift for you today. If you have never used the Google photo translation app before, it is wonderful…as a matter of fact, it is wonderful even if you have used it before.

Here is a screen shot of that plaque which says, “Pericolo di Morte”.

 

The Google Translator App

Now, here’s what the Google camera-based translator can do.

The Google app icon

Go to the Google app on your phone and tap to open it. I you don’t have it, it’s free.

Here’s is what the icon for Google looks like.

 

Below is the salient portion of the screen that you will then see. The search box is where you would normally type in your query. To the right of the search text entry is an icon of a microphone…ignore that, as it is for dictating your query, rather than typing it.

To the right of the microphone icon is a poor rendition of a camera. Tap that camera icon!!!

Next you will see that your camera is live and there are words at the bottom of the screen which say from left to right, “Search”, and “Translate”. Click on “Translate”. At the time I did the screenshot, there was also an option to click on “Homework”…and I have no idea what that was about…and it is no longer an option using my iPhone and Google.

Aim your cellphone camera at the text that you want to translate, and voila! There you see the English text live, instead of the Italian (in this case) words “Pericolo di Morte”.

Have you used the “Search” selection? I will cover that in another article when “shopping” is the subject.

It’s wonderful that the translator identified that the words were in Italian, as I did not tell it that it was Italian in advance, though I could have. So, you can select the language, if necessary. There are over 100 languages that you can translate just by aiming you cellphone at foreign words. They even have Hawaiian to English translation, so “aloha”. I just wrote “Aloha” on a piece of paper and it says that it means, “bye”. So, the words do not even need to be typewritten.

Need help with a menu in another language…now you have it.

The Final Transformed Image

As usual, I like to paint the door the transformed door. But what color for this image. I have opted for a red door. This goes along with the “Danger of Death” theme. So, here is a nice warning-red color for the door. I also decided to leave the warning plaque in case you happen to stumble across this building whilst walking the calle of Venice. One needs to be seeing the wonderful sights, drinking great wines, and eating the best foods in the world…you should not be dying whilst in Venice.

The completed restoration of a dull door

Again, that is not a particularly lovely door of Venice from yesteryear.

That just about sums it up…but, just about. We need to know more about this mysterious door with its ominous plaque.

So Where Is this Building and Its Door?

I went to Google maps (oh, so informative for trip planning and trip reviewing).

I knew the general area of the photo. I looked at the other photos taken just before and after this one. I noted Ellen and Sue looking in a shop window that identified the store as “Tommaso Giordano Designer”. I searched on Google Maps for that shop and when I found it, I went to street view (works all over Venice by the way!) and worked my way toward the Rialto Market. There was the door…but my of my how it has changed since I was standing in front of it taking my photo in 2023. Here it is today…

A poor quality Google street view image

…sorry about the street-view quality.

And all of the papered graffiti plastered on the door? Not very charming. The original photo way back up at the top had a sign in red and white which requested that nothing be posted on the door. Some people just don’t listen, do they?! Or perhaps, they don’t read well?!

When I was looking at the street view (or maybe we should call it “calle view” since we are in Venice), I scrolled up while in calle view and here is what I found out about this “building” that I hadn’t noticed when I was there focused on the door itself. It is actually a tower, or campanile.

A photo from Google street view, having moused the cursor upward while looking at the street view

Now that I knew that, I decided to investigate a bit more and went to the Google satellite view. Here is what I found. The Googled label tells us what this structure is…or was.

And, by the way…those buildings in the upper portion of the photo are situated right on the Grand Canal.

Mystery solved: this is the “Chiesa di San Giovanni Elemosinario”, or “Church of Saint John Almsgiver”. If you want to see more about this church, click here, and then click here.

Now that we know that the door is an entrance to a tower, and that that tower may have been constructed in 1531, we can see why one should stay out of the stairway.

More on Google Street and Satellite View in the Future

Yes, I will soon be covering the power of using Google maps for your travels. There is a lot of help for you there as you are planning your trips to Italy. It is fascinating how much of the world has been digitally cataloged.

It is time for me to say ciao my friends. If you happen to be strolling by this very door while you are in Venice, you may see me there with wall-paper remover working to get the paper graffiti off of the door. And, I’ll have a bucket of red paint with me. And, let’s not forget the door knockers. But, the “Pericolo di Morte” sign stays.

Ciao for now,

Steve

Want more of Italy, Our Italy, please click here to subscribe

@2025 All Rights Reserved  |  A division of Steve Burkett Photography