Porchetta in Rome

Store in Campo de fiori, Rome advertising Porchetta, Ariccia style. The best porchetta comes from Ariccia but if one doesn't have time to go to Ariccia, one eats here.

A vendor at the Campo de fiori proudly displaying her offering of the day, a huge chunk of porchetta. We bought ours from her. It was really good.

A line is forming, these kids know a good thing when they see it, even this Japanese tourist, he bought a huge chunk.

Let's do lunch by the fountain in Piazza Campo de fiori, Rome. How about a porchetta panino?

First day back in Rome, what a glorious day it was, the sun is shining, the atmosphere is gay and the surroundings is so beautiful. A book title says, 'I wouldn't leave Rome to go to heaven'. We have finally arrived and had a good night sleep and ready to embark on our 2 week whistle stop trip in Europe.

The best porchetta is in Ariccia but we didn't have time to go to Ariccia (45 minutes from Rome by train). I asked blogger, 'Americantoitaliana' where to eat porchetta since I have not time to go where she lives which is Ariccia. She told me of a little restaurant in Campo de fiori. Indeed we found the place but we didn't eat there. The morning market was in full swing and I asked one of the vendors where to eat porchetta, he pointed to a little truck parked next to him. In fact there were 2 vendors that sold porchetta there at the market. We took pictures of this lady in her truck selling porchetta. She had line forming in front of her.

She sliced us 4 euros worth, plenty for 2 sandwiches. I asked for pane (bread), she pointed in the other direction, 'quoi" she said, 'there'. I went to 'quoi' and found a bread shop, they baked their own bread next door. They were doing a brisk business. I bought 2 rolls for 0.50 euros and we spread out the meat, made our panini and ate by the fountain. It was really good. We bought a bunch of green Italian grapes, they tasted like nectar, so sweet.

It was noontime, we had already been to the Vatican museum. We got on the 64 bus (the very notorious bus according to Rick Steves), it took us from Roma Termini all the way to St Peter Basilica, from where we walked to the Vatican museum. There was already a long line forming for tickets but it moved pretty fast.

Sophie hasn't been to the Vatican museum so I obliged her by going. It didn't seem as exciting as the first time. Now 6 years later and having seen a lot more wondrous things, I've become rather jaded. The exhibits looked tired and old, even the Sistine chapel, the highlight of any visit to the Vatican museum. After 4 trips to Rome, I long for the quirky, maybe the next trip.....

We had a pretty good first day, we went to the much touted Via Guilia, which was nothing. It had received a lot of attention because it celebrated it's 500years, that part of Rome is 500 years old.

We were in Rome to start our whistle stop trip, staying just 1 day to get over jet lag, which we did and am now out the door of our hostel for the next stop on this whistle stop trip to 4 countries in 14 days. See you in Camogli.