A walking tour of cafes & piazzas in Rome

Monday morning in Campo de'Fiori we started our tour of cafes and piazzas led by the one and only Carley Bria. In Campo de'Fiori we were able to salivate over the fresh produce, which we didn't purchase because the prices were a bit too high, and shop for some souvenirs at the different vendor tables.

Following our leader we stopped in Piazza della Rotonda to sample some granitade caffé con pannas at the cafe La Tazza d'Oro. The cafe is known for its exotic coffee beans, espresso, and granita. Everyone that tried the icy beverage enjoyed it, except me. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't the taste buds for coffee!

After all of the cups were empty we made our way to Via Condotti, which is known for its expensive shops. I could only dream about purchasing something in the designer stores and take pictures of their store fronts. It was such a tease to be in front of so many exquisite pieces of clothes knowing I could not afford any of it.

Once we got to the end of Via Condotti we were met by Piazza di Spagna. It was still relatively early in the morning but the sweltering heat from the sun seemed to be keeping the piazza fairly empty. This was the first time I saw the Spanish Steps during the day and due to the overwhelming heat I hardly had a chance to stop and appreciate them before we moved down Via del Babuino to Piazza del Popolo. In Piazza del Popolo, the largest piazza in Rome I have been to, they were setting up for an appreciation rally for rescue personnel. There was a giant red cross at the one end of the piazza and a platform covered in red at the other end of the piazza. Located on either side of the twin chruches are two political based rival cafes. Cafe Canova, situated on the right side, is a more conservative cafe. It was full of people sitting at the numerous outdoor tables. Cafe Rosati, situated on the left side, is more liberal. Although it was much less crowded than Cafe Canova I enjoyed it just the same. The pastries that filled the glass shelves inside were miniature in size and brightly colored. I tried a mini chocolate eclair and was in heaven. The pastry shell was so fresh and the chocolate center oozed out as I bit it. It was a great way to end our walk and forget about the intense heat awaiting outside.