It was so hot. The sun was beating down on us during the hottest time of day, noon. None of us really knew what time it was though because of our jetlag. It was our first, real, full day in ROMA! Time to hit the Campo de’ Fiori for a bite to eat. I had been here once before but all I could remember were the delicious artichokes for sale. On first approach I didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it. The jetlag and hunger pains had taken quite a toll at this point. Some of my friends ran to a sandwich shop near by but I wandered off.
The sights and smells were just too distracting. Workers were unpacking some of the freshest fruit I have ever seen. There were newly picked wild strawberries, juicy slices of pineapple and beautiful vegetables surrounded me. I was immediately drawn to a gigantic cup of bright red strawberries. The woman had to repeat the price three or four time before I actually caught what she was saying because I was too distracted by my gastronomic excitement.
I eventually gave the disgruntled cashier three Euro and moved on. I went on to not only eat my strawberries but I also managed to demolish an apricot, a box of cherries, a banana and an apple. I was stuffed! While I had been eating my face off for the last twenty minutes my friends had gotten lunch and gelato.
Before I knew it, it was time to shop. Jordan and I were super excited. We were looking for shoes, bags, clothes and jewelry. We went into fifteen different shops in the first thirty minutes of shopping. Pumps, peep-toes, sandals, wedges, gladiators (the shoe, not the male kind, those were the next day), flip-flops, and ballet flats –we couldn’t handle it. We then moved on to look at dresses. We noticed a little shop across from a sandwich place that we decided to stop into. As everyone was trying on dresses, I noticed the building next door. It looked pretty interesting so I went outside for a moment just to check it out. It was a church! Right in the middle of the shopping streets of Campo de’ Fiori.
The church was closed but the outside was enough for my historically hungry eyes. It had a beautifully detailed façade of white plaster and light blue paintings. There was also a tiny cherub (if you have been reading this, you know I love them!) sculpture over the door. It was amazing to me that there was just a church straight in one of the loudest neighborhoods in Rome.
Once my friends pried me and my camera away from the front steps of the church we headed to our next destination only to return to Campo de’ Fiori a few days later for cocktails! Liz and I split a delicious bottle of white wine and used our Spanish to eavesdrop on an Argentinean couple at the table next to us. We had a blast.
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