Purrfection

How lucky to be spending a birthday in Rome - my most favourite city in the whole world. Yes in the whole world! There is just something very special about the place.
It's even hard to describe in words - I think it's the combination of old and new. It's the fact you can walk around a corner and be faced with a building so incredibly old. There are surprises around every corner...restaurants, bars and cafes fighting for your attention...fountains, parks, gardens...gelati, cornetti and the best coffee in the world. So I woke up excited to be spending my birthday and last day of an amazing holiday with Shannon, in Rome. I was a little spoilt with some lovely presents...a gorgeous clock I can't wait to hang, some pretty glass earrings, an Italian map charm for my Pandora bracelet and a tiny Pinocchio to remind me of Rome.

Throwing a coin in the Trevi to ensure a return some day.

We decided to head out for breakfast for a change. I had found a great place online the night before that served a cooked breakfast, quite a rarity in Rome and Italy in general, where the norm is a coffee and a pastry. However when we got there, we realised it didn't open until 10am. We were hungry and weren't going to wait an hour and a half! So McDonalds it was! A bacon and egg muffin and hash-browns did quite nicely for a birthday breakfast. I had chosen a couple of places I wanted to see today and Shannon had a few things in mind too. Our first stop was Campo De Fiori - a lovely piazza that hosts a market where the locals buy their produce and fresh flowers. I have read this used to be quite the traditional market, but with tourism has changed to accommodate the throngs of people passing through daily. While there were still fresh produce stalls to look at there were also souvenirs, kitchenware, limoncello in all sorts of bottles and multicoloured pasta.

We sat at a lovely cafe and had a coffee and pastry and watched the people bustling about. Fuelled up, we wandered the streets and stopped by the turtle fountain and cat sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to many cats, which sits upon some ancient ruins. The cats are well cared for and survive on charity.

The turtle fountain

Pussy

As you may have read in previous posts, we have become quite good at catching the bus. We headed to the Trastevere neighbourhood. It is an area highly populated by students and is said to be trendy and the home to many eateries. We were clearly there at the wrong time of day, because most things were closed, but we stopped in an open cafe for a cold drink and stumbled upon a beautiful basilica.

Inside the basilica at Trastevere

On the bus again, we went up a huge hill (Janiculum) for sweeping views over Rome. A cold beer and toasted sandwich with the pigeons in the shade, was enough for lunch, before boarding the bus once more.

On top of Rome!

Waiting for the bus

Shannon had a little secret place up his sleeve. We walked in to a tiny shop and I laid eyes on the most beautiful cakes and pastries I'd seen. Everything is paid by weight. We chose two little pastries each and the four items cost less than a couple of dollars! Hhmm I wonder if they are open later...! We topped the afternoon off with a coffee at the cafe we had visited the other day and drank at the bar like Italians, before heading back to our accommodation for a rest and to pretend we don't have to start packing. But as they say, "all good things must come to an end." We will get stuck in to the packing later this afternoon and probably have an early dinner.

Hanging out with my mate Pinocchio.

Tomorrow - Arrivederci Roma!