Wild, going from tranquil Perugia with its country views of rolling green hills, to busy, traffic-jammed, gritty Rome. 3 hr train ride, followed by a packed bus, and then a walk along the Tevere to my hostel. My back is not happy tonight. After checking in, I walked through Trastevere, the neighborhood where I am staying. I've never visited this side of Rome, it definitely has a different feel from the rest of the city; quaint, smaller, slower. I found Santa Maria in Trastevere, wow. What a beautiful church. The apse behind the alter had an amazing series of mosaics. I then walked to San Francesco di Ripa, and then crossed the bridge over to the tiny Isola Tiberina. It's so small, you literally just walk across it and then there's another bridge. I headed to Campo di Fiori, searching for food. Eventually found a restaurant and ordered pizza (not as good as the last 2 places though), and was happy to see 2 other women eating alone. I found my way to Santa Maria sopra Minerva, one of the prettiest churches in Rome (I love the blue painted ceiling with its glittery gold stars), then on to the Pantheon. Doesn't matter that I've seen it twice before, it still strikes you when you come around the corner and lay eyes on it. Stopped for gelato as the sun set and peeked inside one more church-Santa Maria Maddalena-gold & gaudy. Then made my way back to Trastevere in the evening, among the bustling crowds and crazy traffic.
