A Saturday in Rome

Since this was the second weekend that I was back in Rome and I spent the entire first weekend sleeping in an attempt to overcome jetlag, I promised myself that I would maximize my time outdoors.

Since a few friends and I have committed ourselves to stepping up our fitness regimen over the next few months, after a three month hiatus I slipped on my leggings, tank and a thin jacket and set out for my run. Before I even opened the door to my building I felt the cold seep through my clothing. The sun convinced me not to turn around to put on another layer, so I hopped on the sidewalk and started jogging toward the Colosseum. My two-mile jog took me past the Colosseum, up Fiori Imperiali past Vittoriano, over to Circo Massimo and back towards my house. Runs like this truly make me appreciate the beauty and history of the city.

After a quick shower I headed out to meet my friend for our Saturday ritual. Every Saturday morning I go to the wonderful Mercato Esquilino near Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele (I will do a post on it soon). This is the only market in Rome where you can find just about any fruit, vegetable and spice that you are looking for. This week we were prepping for a three day juice fast so I was stuck carrying what seemed like 20 pounds of cucumbers, fennel, apples and other goodies for my juices, for the duration of fifteen minute walk back to my house.

Once back home, I rested for about fifteen minutes then headed off to meet another friend for a bike ride along the river. The ride was great fun up until the sunny 58 degree day turned into a 45 degree windy evening. We rode south along the river from the historic center until we could not ride anymore. Our primary aim of the ride was to go to the Big Bambu at Macro in Testaccio but unfortunately it was closed for climbing due to the wind so I will have to write about that another day. It is here until May so I will wait until it is a bit warmer out.

Captured this picture near my friend’s house

Third “before i die” wall. A controversy forced the artists to change it to “before i grow up”

This little Italian boy was so fresh I had to ask for a picture

We powered through and ended our day in Trastevere where, for
the first time, I entered Santa Maria in Trastevere, a beautiful church
with 13th century marble floors.