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Day 14: Rome & Dinner at Harry's Bar!!!

Well...Day 14 was our last full day in Rome...we were so sad to be at the end of our journey. We started off the day with a yummy breakfast at the hotel - fresh kiwi, oranges, croissants, prosciutto, turkey, salami, assorted cheeses, etc. It was delicious! After breakfast, we had our first Metro experience in Rome...Wow...A LOT of people can cram onto the Metro at one time. We were packed in like sardines. It was a pretty interesting experience...haha. We headed over to the Barbirini area to do a little sight-seeing. After walking around the city for a while, we headed back towards the Trevi Fountain...our favorite spot in Rome! We wanted to find a good place for lunch. We found the perfect place - Sacro & Profano Ristorante Pizzeria . We both had pizza. Brad ordered a classic "Margherita" pizza while I ordered their "Capricciosa" pizza with tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, olives, artichokes and prosciutto. It was so much fun, because we were able to watch them make our pizzas...we were sitting on a balcony directly above the brick oven and kitchen area. We watched them toss the dough and everything. I picked up a few pizza-making techniques in the process! Of course, the pizzas were DIVINE!

Making the pizza!

Now that's a good-looking pizza!

After lunch, we went over to the Trevi Fountain...it was right down the street. We wanted to see it again during the daytime and make a few more wishes. ;) After a little time at the fountain, we strolled around the area and stopped for some gelato. Then, we finished up our souvenir shopping for our family and friends. We found some pretty cool stuff!

The Trevi Fountain...
We bought a beautiful painting of the Colosseum from this artist...he was fantastic!
This was a DELICIOUS looking window display...do you see the truffles near the bottom??
Prosciutto!
Next, we made our way over to Piazza del Popolo. It was very pretty, with a giant obelisk in the center. An electric guitar player was playing some rock tunes which added to the atmosphere. After some time spent exploring, we needed to head back to the hotel...we had a BIG, fancy dinner planned at Harry's Bar!!!! We headed back and got all dressed up and ready to go. We had a little extra time before dinner, so we strolled by the ruins again. It was so cool to see them all lit up at night...very beautiful! After that, we went to see the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument...aka "The Wedding Cake Building." This monument was built to honor the first king of Italy - Vittorio Emanuele. The locals hate this building, because they think it's an eyesore and looks like a fancy wedding cake. Basically, it doesn't fit with the aesthetics of the rest of the city. We thought it was beautiful! Strolling around was a great way to spend our extra hour before dinner.
Piazza del Popolo...
This folks, is a Cappuccino Nutella...need I say more?!?!?
View of the ruins at night...
"The Wedding Cake Building"...
Dinner...OMG...we had dinner at the legendary Harry's Bar. It was WONDERFUL! All kinds of celebrities and fabulous people have eaten there....everyone from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Mel Gibson! It was truly the most amazing meal that I've ever had in my life...WOW! We pulled out all the stops...we wanted it to be reallly special and celebrate the amazing trip that was coming to an end. We started with champagne and foie gras...it doesn't get much better than that!!! That's the first time I've ever had foie gras. I was a little nervous, but it was divine! It had a wonderfully buttery texture...oh my goodness! I even got to meet the chef! Brad asked our waiter if I could meet the chef to give him my complements, and he came out to our table! He was so humble and nice. The entire dinner experience was superb...the staff treated us like royalty and there was a pianist playing beautiful music...music from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and other melodic tunes filled the air while we enjoyed our meal. Everything was top-notch and first-class. If you're ever in Rome and have the chance to eat here...please do! It's not cheap, but it was such an amazing experience and was worth every euro.
This gorgeous dish was complements of the chef...
Terrina di foie-gras con fragole, aceto di Modena e pan brioche
(Foie-gras with strawberry sauce and balsamic vinegar and pan brioche)
My dinner selection:
Tagliatelle all'Astice con Pomodorino Fresco
(Noodles pasta with lobster and fresh cherry tomato)
Brad's dinner selection:
Maltagliati al Lardo di Colonnata con cipolla rossa di Tropea e pomodorini
(Homemade pasta with tomatoes, bacon from Colonnata, and red onion from Tropea)
Sfogliatina calda di mele in salsa di vaniglia con gelato all cannella
(Hot apple pastry in a vanilla sauce and cinnamon ice cream)
The espresso is served in these cute little pots...
After our meal, we walked the cobblestone streets to see the Trevi Fountain for the second time that day...there's no better place in Rome to spend your last evening and reflect on your trip. What an unforgettable night!!! :)

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Comments

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said…
Bella! Bella!
What beautiful memories.
May 16, 2009 at 8:19 AM
What's Cookin Chicago said…
Reading this makes me want to take a trip to Europe!
May 18, 2009 at 2:41 PM
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